We, the earth and its biosphere, are now at Perihelion. This means we are at our closest position to the sun in our annual orbit around the sun (good right?)...but this also means that due to our axial tilt of 23.5°, the north pole is tipped to the greatest degree into Earths shadow, bringing the deepest darkness to the northern land masses. If you live in central-northern Europe or Canada, you are experiencing between 16-24 hours of the deepest darkness possible.....now imagine our ancestors experience of this deep dark night. Imagine their life before the invention of the electric light!...and you begin to understand why northern peoples have the powerful traditions and customs of the mid-winter season! Today is Winter Solstice, today is the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere....and the longest night. And so the people of the northern cultures have a whole host of holidays, celebrations and rituals that all serve to push back against the darkness and celebrate the returning light. Yule, Hanukkah and Christmas are just some the best known and most enduring in western culture. So tonight, light the darkness with celebrations of the season! Light your tree, your candles, your yards, call out to the Lords and Ladies of the light with loud voices, hold vigils and celebrate that tomorrow, the day shall be just a wee bit longer and that spring is in fact, on its way! Have a Happy and Blessed Yule-Winter Solstice!
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:13:57 +0000