Now ‘tis Yuletide and people in northern latitudes shore up the weak December sun with merriment and communal good cheer and those in southern climes bask in the sun’s warmth. Winter solstice, or Midwinter to the ancient Celts, stays the march of darkness. At the solstices, the midpoints of the darkest and brightest times of […]
Welcome Solstice Light At the December solstice, the sun is directly above the farthest point south of the equator it ever reaches, giving those of us in the northern hemisphere short days and those of us in the southern hemisphere long ones. The earth’s slow tilt from north to south and back again pauses at […]
The Dawning of the Light In the northern hemisphere we are plunged into growing darkness as the winter solstice approaches. What if we didn’t know the outcome? What if we didn’t know the sun would soon reach a limit and gradually begin to shine a minute or two longer each day? Our strings of fairy […]
Reflections What lies dormant in the frozen ground? What lives beneath the thick ice of ponds? What hibernates in caves? In the northern hemisphere, the energy of life has left the surface of the world and gone underground. Winter solstice or Yule is the longest night that marks the boundary of the dark and the […]
Reflections The winter solstice marks the boundary of darkness. This far it may go, but no farther. This time of short days and long nights draws us indoors to be cozy and warm in our own houses, but also reminds us to lend a helping hand to those who lack the basics of food and […]
Here in Boston, Massachusetts, the December sun, on its low path across the sky, slips past in a mere nine hours leaving us with fifteen hours of darkness. I am greedy for the light. I long for it to fill me and lift me into the brighter world of joy that the holiday carols promise. […]
Ancient people lived in close relationship with nature. In their seasonal rituals, they aligned their energy with natural forces and together turned the Wheel of the Seasons, moving it from one to another. To turn the Wheel – to go on to the next season, we must first let go of where we are. But […]
Whatever holidays you celebrate at this turning of the year, we wish you peace, joy, hope, and love. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, this is a time of growing darkness and the beginning of winter. Traditions invite us to fill our homes with light to hold back the darkness and affirm the […]
