 |
I wanted, puckishly, to put some “soul” back into “Solstice,” the way certain members of my own faith tradition constantly drone on about putting Christ back into Christmas (to which my usual response is, “can we start by putting Christ back into Christians?”).
But, as so often in the case this past year, my mind rebelled at being flippant (or, at least, staying that way). It’s been a long, hard trip around the sun these past twelve months, and in many ways I feel the longest night of the year in my bones. It’s dark and cold out there. But the Winter Solstice is also a time of great hope. Every day that follows it is longer than the one before, until we come once again to the brink of summer. Each Solstice is a reminder that neither darkness nor light last forever. If this year has been hard for you, as it has been for so many of us, keep hope alive. There will be better days — and better years. Happy Solstice, friends. To quote the skaald in one of my stories. “Light against the darkness! The People will endure!” Much love to you all, — Emma |
In the Deep Midwinter
A word from our sponsor:
Comments
Thank you Emma
As ever, for your warmth and perception. I think that that particular quote is one of my favourites, together with Thea Gilmore's wonderful a capella midwinter song "Sol Invictus" https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6f1AnSKryCo&pp=0gcJCR4Bo7VqN5tD
There is always hope. Hope is what gets us up in the morning to face a new day.
Lucy xx
"Lately it occurs to me..
what a long strange trip its been."
Much love to you as well!
It’s been a difficult and yet encouraging year. I had a wonderful dinner last night a group of my special friends and my daughter! We fight back against the oppressors by building community and sharing love.
All the best!
Gillian Cairns
You Reflect My Soul
Maybe some gods or goddesses believe in me. Today is my summer solstice and I still believe that evil will not win the day.
This is the time of year when there is supposed to be goodwill to all humankind. Enough people believe that to make it happen. In my country fifteen innocent people have died but the outpouring of sympathy and grief has been tremendous and Christmas will still be celebrated, along with Hanukkah and the holidays of other religions. As Emma says we need to put Christianity into the hearts of Christians.
This site is one place where we can feel safe.
It’s always darkest before the dawn???
Perhaps there is some light in this saying (sorry - the pun was truly accidental), but I am reminded of the fifteenth of Roger’s Rules of Ranging:
“At the first dawn of day, awake your whole detachment; that being the time when the savages chuse to fall upon their enemies, you should by all means be in readiness to receive them.”
To this day, the US military still conducts Stand To in the darkness before dawn, because dawn is when the enemy is most likely to attack. So keep your powder dry ladies - we have another three years of darkness before the dawn is upon us.
D. Eden
“Hier stehe ich; ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir.”
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
We don't know the actual date Christ was born.
Interestingly enough, Christmas and Winter Solstice are related. We don’t actually know the exact date that Christ was born. The Roman Catholic Church was in the habit of supplanting pagan holidays with Christian. The Church was actively trying to covert the area of what is now Germany where the pagans made a big deal about winter solstice.
Christmas is celebrated near the winter solstice because Church chose December 25 to coincide with existing pagan festivals that celebrated the return of the sun and the lengthening of days after the solstice. This date was also linked to various cultural traditions that marked the midwinter celebrations, making it easier to convert non-Christians to Christianity.
U.S. Catholic Wikipedia
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin ein femininer Mann
Jesus probably wasn't born in December
according to my confirmation priest. Around Bethlehem, that is in the Palestine highland, winters get pretty cold so sheep (and shepherds) stayed indoors. Besides, the Bible apparently gives conflicting references to the year Jesus was born. Apart from that ...
As for the dawn that is not necessarily three years away. One of the defining traits of the last year has been a supine congress. Some people are starting to realise that the golden age is not coming and may vote in a congress that actually is a check and balance.