Winter Solstice, 2019.

As we in the northern hemisphere prepare to welcome Winter Solstice 2019 on 21 December, in the southern hemisphere Summer Solstice will be celebrated. An urge to mark these points in time must be in our DNA. Humans have been doing so for as long as we are able to see into the distant past.

Countless structures around the world served ancient civilisations as natural calendars to mark solstices, equinoxes, and sites of sacred ceremony. The nearest such structure to our Oklahoma home is in New Mexico, the state adjoining Oklahoma's panhandle, to the west.

At the southern entrance to an area known as Chaco Canyon stands 443ft high Fajada Butte.

Here, in 1977, Dr. Anna Sofaer discovered the "Sun Dagger" - a petroglyph thought to have been carved some 1000 years ago by an ancient people who inhabited the area, the Anasazi, ancestors of the modern Pueblo peoples. The ancestral Puebloans were a prehistoric Native American civilization centered around the present-day Four Corners area of the Southwest United States, where Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico meet. The "dagger" is the only known site in the world that marks the extreme positions of both the moon and the sun.

"A large circular spiral and a small spiral are pecked in the cliff behind three large stone slabs. At midday on the summer solstice, the sun shines between the stone slabs and creates a dagger of light that bisects the large spiral. On midday of the winter solstice, two daggers bracket the large spiral. During the spring and the fall equinoxes, a small dagger of light bisects the small spiral. The slabs also cast shadow on the large spiral that marks the moon’s eighteen point six years cycle of its orbit" (Chaco Culture Brochure).

Arty Farty Solstice Friday ~ Masaccio

Masaccio, Painted by Himself, Lately Added to the National Gallery

The painter I'd decided to to feature this week was born this day,
December 21 in 1401, in a town close to Florence, Italy. The artist died aged 26, which could account for lack of more colourful information than the mostly fact-based and rather stodgy stuff I found at first. Then I found this lighter, yet still informative piece from The Guardian a decade ago, in 2008.
Masaccio, the old master who died young
A star of Renaissance Florence, Masaccio's artistic legacy helped shape western art. Thankfully, he avoided today's morbid personality cults.
by Simon Goddard.

A few snips ~

As the piece begins, the author is referencing the then (2008) flurry of stuff in the media remembering the untimely death of Kurt Cobain

If the world of art was stricken by the same incurable, anniversary-fixated old rope disease as the UK music press then, round about now, there'd be brainstorming editorial meetings on how best to commemorate the imminent 580th anniversary [ in 2008] of the untimely death of Masaccio - Renaissance Italy's hippest young gunslinger who more or less invented painting as we know it. Cue "The 20 Best Masaccio works ... as voted by the stars!", "580 Reasons We Love Masaccio" and the obligatory "What Masaccio Means to Me", wherein vacant twentysomething goons line up to pay tribute to one of the founding fathers of western art by mumbling hollow plaudits about him being "a proper geezer and all that".
Saints be praised, this isn't the case. But even if an art history equivalent of magazines such as Mojo or Uncut existed (Fresco? Unchiselled?) they'd be hard pushed to do a Kurt Cobain number on Masaccio. For while enough major works have survived to earn him a rightful place in the pantheon of Renaissance masters, his biography is the palest of sketches. We know, or rather we think we know, that he was born near Florence on December 21, 1401 and that he died, aged 26, in Rome some time in the latter half of 1428 (we don't even have an exact date). And that's it. History has failed to record whether Masaccio's fate was murder, bubonic plague or perhaps even suicide. All we have are the concrete facts that: a) just like Brian Jones, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Cobain, Masaccio never lived to blow out the candles on his 28th birthday cake (nor his 27th for that matter), and b) he was a total genius.


The vague accounts of his life that exist tell us he was born Tommaso (Thomas) Cassai and grew to be the archetypal teenage weirdo - socially inept, moody, withdrawn and so preoccupied with drawing that his bedraggled appearance became local legend. Accordingly, he earned the affectionate nickname Masaccio - the 15th century Tuscan equivalent of "scruffy git" (or more literally "silly Thomas"). By 19, he was deemed great enough to be admitted into the Florentine painters' guild and befriended both the sculptor Donatello and the architect Brunelleschi. What those men had already revolutionised in their respective fields, Masaccio would soon revolutionise in painting.

In rock'n'roll terms, his bequest to art was the equivalent of Elvis Presley's Sun recordings, a year zero foundation stone for future generations to develop and perfect. Masaccio was the first to fully master depth and perspective on a two-dimensional surface. Before his arrival, paintings were flat, ornamental images beholden to staid Gothic tradition. After him, they became windows on walls, peering into another universe of similar spatial dimensions to our own. Significantly, his frescoes were a vital influence on Michelangelo. The latter's close friend, the great Florentine biographer Vasari, was still swooning over Masaccio's legacy 140 years after his inexplicable death. "Everything done before him can be described as artificial," frothed Vasari, "whereas he produced work that is living, realistic and natural."



It seems the greatest tribute to Masaccio is that, ultimately, he needs no "Who killed Kurt?" coffin-raiding industry to sustain his legend. His death is forever a puzzle but his achievements have resonated for centuries beyond the grave.

A couple of Masaccio's paintings - one appropriate to the current season:

 Madonna & Child with St. Anne c.1424.

The Madonna and Child with St. Anne, also known as Sant'Anna Metterza, is a painting by the Italian Renaissance painter Masaccio, probably in collaboration with Masolino da Panicale. The painting is in the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence, Italy, and measures 175 centimetres high and 103 centimetres wide. (Wikipedia)

Tribute Money shown above is a classic example of the expert realism captured in Masaccio's work. Click on the image to bring up a larger, clearer version.


For any passing reader curious about the astrology of this artist, there's a natal chart at astro.com.

Solstice

Winter Solstice

The dark shadow of space leans over us. . . . .
We are mindful that the darkness of greed, exploitation, and hatred
also lengthens its shadow over our small planet Earth.
As our ancestors feared death and evil and all the dark powers of winter,
we fear that the darkness of war, discrimination, and selfishness
may doom us and our planet to an eternal winter.

May we find hope in the lights we have kindled on this sacred night,
hope in one another and in all who form the web-work of peace and justice
that spans the world.

by Edward Hays from Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim.

Solstice

“And so the Shortest Day came and the year died
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive.
And when the new year's sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, revelling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us - listen!
All the long echoes, sing the same delight,
This Shortest Day,
As promise wakens in the sleeping land:
They carol, feast, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And now so do we, here, now,
This year and every year.”

By Susan Cooper

The Zodiac's Fairytale/Pantomime Characters

Attempting to be seasonal, Christmassy and astrologistic at the same time is tricky, and can be repetitive. During previous "Holiday" seasons I've attempted to link zodiac signs to various styles of a couple of seasonal items - Christmas cards and Christmas tree decor. What's left for that kind of treatment ? Not much. Another seasonal regular, in Britain, is the pantomime. My archived post on that tradition is HERE. General definition of pantomime: theatrical entertainment mainly, but not exclusively, for children, with music, topical jokes, satire and slapstick. Gender of actor/character is often reversed (i.e. male plays female, female plays male). Themes are from fairy tales or nursery stories. Panto productions are usually produced around Christmas-time, in both amateur and professional mode, the latter starring at least one "celeb" performer.
I haven't tried to link popular pantomime characters to zodiac types.....yet.

I realise that any passing reader in the USA will be unfamiliar with pantomime, but they'll surely recall the fairy tales upon which irreverent pantomimes are based. Let's see - for instance, who's the Cinderella of the zodiac? Or who is the zodiac's Sleeping Beauty, Jack of the Beanstalk tale, Puss in Boots, Dick Whittington, Aladdin, or Beauty, and naturally, the Beast?

Hmmmm.....

Aries - enthusiastic, impetuous, energetic, aggressive. How about Jack of Jack & the Beanstalk ? Story is HERE

 Illustration by Walter Crane 1875

Taurus - reliable, steadfast, artistic, earthy... probably not one of the lead characters in fairy tales or pantomimes, more a supporting part. In pantomime, a father, as in Baron Hardup (Cinderella's dad), or maybe Buttons, usually an audience favourite, the Baron's servant and loyal, loving friend of Cinderella.

 Illust: Margaret Tarrant

Gemini - the communicator, social butterfly, trickster. There are lots of tricksters in fairy tales and pantomimes. I like Puss in Boots for Gemini! Story is here

Cancer - caring, sensitive, sentimental, clingy, often taken for granted.....doesn't that say Cinderella?







Leo - ambitious, likes to lead, loyal, vain, pretentious... lots of these types in fairy tales and panto too, surprisingly not usually the lead character though. Snow White's vain and wicked stepmother with her magic mirror qualifies for the darker side of Leo. Peter Pan, the eternal boy, has Leo connection too, Leo holds sway over 5th house of pleasure and children.

 Sculpture by George Frampton in  Kensington Gardens London.

Virgo - conscientious, meticulous, precise, fussy...Cinderella's Prince Charming springs to mind; his meticulous search for a foot to fit the glass slipper is nothing if not Virgoan!














Libra - peaceful, indecisive, gracious, diplomatic
Scorpio - passionate, loyal, suspicious, obsessive
Tongue firmly in cheek... my first thought for Libra and Scorpio was Beauty and the Beast! I'd never been clear about the full story of B and the B - it's here:

Sagittarius - independent, adventurous, a traveller, kindly, optimistic (sometimes overly so).
Sagittarius has the makings of the hero or heroine of of any fairy tale or pantomime. Aladdin (re the flying carpet) or Dick Whittington?









Capricorn - responsible, ambitious, serious. As with Taurus, I don't see Capricorn as taking the lead in a fairy tale or pantomime, the sign's characteristics better fit supporting roles such as merchant (as in father of Belle in Beauty & the Beast), or a landowner, aristocrat, employer etc.

 Photograph from 2014 French film of  ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (La belle et la bête).
Belle played by  Léa Seydoux, her father,  the merchant, by  André Dussollier

Aquarius - inventive, stubborn, political, logical. Aquarius can share Dick Whittington with Sagittarius. Dick did become Lord Mayor of London, and that's about as political as fairy tales ever get!

Pisces - compassionate, dreamer, sensitive, imaginative...Pisces represents the fairy in fairy tale (Tinkerbell, Fairy Godmother etc). Alternatively, Sleeping Beauty? It wasn't her fault, still....she was dreaming!

AND~~ Sunday 21 December is Winter Solstice this year for us in the north, Summer Solstice for the southern hemisphere....

SOLSTICE & A Look at Lewis Spence

I've posted this poem at Winter Solstice once before - 5 years ago. I like it a lot, so here it is once more:

Toward the Winter Solstice
by Timothy Steele

Although the roof is just a story high,
It dizzies me a little to look down.
I lariat-twirl the cord of Christmas lights
And cast it to the weeping birch’s crown;
A dowel into which I’ve screwed a hook
Enables me to reach, lift, drape, and twine
The cord among the boughs so that the bulbs
Will accent the tree’s elegant design.

Friends, passing home from work or shopping, pause
And call up commendations or critiques.
I make adjustments. Though a potpourri
Of Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jews, and Sikhs,
We all are conscious of the time of year;
We all enjoy its colorful displays
And keep some festival that mitigates
The dwindling warmth and compass of the days.

Some say that L.A. doesn’t suit the Yule,
But UPS vans now like magi make
Their present-laden rounds, while fallen leaves
Are gaily resurrected in their wake;
The desert lifts a full moon from the east
And issues a dry Santa Ana breeze,
And valets at chic restaurants will soon
Be tending flocks of cars and SUVs.

And as the neighborhoods sink into dusk
The fan palms scattered all across town stand
More calmly prominent, and this place seems
A vast oasis in the Holy Land.
This house might be a caravansary,
The tree a kind of cordial fountainhead
Of welcome, looped and decked with necklaces
And ceintures of green, yellow, blue, and red.

Some wonder if the star of Bethlehem
Occurred when Jupiter and Saturn crossed;
It’s comforting to look up from this roof
And feel that, while all changes, nothing’s lost,
To recollect that in antiquity
The winter solstice fell in Capricorn
And that, in the Orion Nebula,
From swirling gas, new stars are being born.

(Find it HERE.)

In a search for something else to add to this Solstice posting I noted a quotation from a book by one Lewis Spence, "British Fairy Origins":

“...some evidence seems to exist that an idea prevailed that in the fairy sphere there is a reversal of the seasons, our winter being their summer. Some such belief seems to have been known to Robert Kirk, for he tells us that 'when we have plenty they [the fairies] have scarcity at their homes.' In respect of the Irish fairies they seem to have changed their residences twice a year: in May, when the ancient Irish "flitted" from their winter houses to summer pastures, and in November, when they quitted these temporary quarters.”

A passing reader might decide this blogger has temporarily slipped "away with the fairies". Not so - well no more than usual anyway. I looked further into the author of that whimsical quote, and his book.

Lewis Spence, ( 1874-1955) a Scot, journalist and fairly prolific author on such fascinating topics as occultism, druidism, the magic arts, Atlantis, mysteries of Mexico, mysteries of Egypt, Scottish folklore, British fairy lore....and much more. Some of his work is still in print but much is now forgotten, although many recent authors have likely used his work for reference, inspiration or as a spring board.

A couple more fairy-related quotes from his book British Fairy Origins

“In my view the study of fairy origins assumes a greater degree of importance than popular opinion is wont to concede to it. Indeed, the ideas associated with it strike at the very roots of human belief and primitive methods of reasoning. It is scarcely to be questioned that the explanation of fairy origins is of the utmost value to the better comprehension of primitive religion. Later it will be made clear that, for the writer at least, the whole tradition of Faerie reveals quite numerous and excellent proofs of its former existence as a primitive and separate cult and faith, more particularly as regards its appearance and tradition in these islands.”

Another ....

“But this is not to say that a highly specialized body of belief such as that associated with Faerie is not capable of subsidiary explanations apart from this very general conclusion, specially in connection with those later and accretive ideas which must have grown up around it. Admittedly there is a common basis for the origin of all beliefs associated with the origin of spirits, which is to be found alone in the doctrine of animism. This notwithstanding, and with all due respect to the warnings of Krappe, Hartland, and others concerning the risks accruing to the scientific classification of spiritual forms, certain types of spirits with markedly separate characteristics have assuredly been conceived, and have been given diverse denominations and descriptions by those who believed in their existence. Of this the fairy type is indeed a case in point; and however correct it may be to say that it cannot basically be separated from the ghost, the goblin, or the demon, it has, in the course of ages, assumed characteristics which in a secondary sense distinguish it sufficiently from all of these to permit the scientific observer, and to some extent the peasant or the savage, to rank it as a separate variety of spirit, if not as a distinct species.”
― Lewis Spence, British Fairy Origins

More information and illustration of some of his book covers can be found at Controversial.com here.


His natal chart with data from Astrotheme:

Early Sagittarius Sun with Moon in Gemini and Libra rising, in a chart capable of multiple patterns: oppositions, trines, sextiles, sufficient to form what my software calls a Seer Geocentric pattern, made up of Grand Trine (3 harmonious 120* aspects), two oppositions (180*)
four sextiles (60*) all tightly or in some cases a little more loosely linked. I have one of these in my own chart but have never been able to find out exactly what it signifies other than a chart with lots of links, most fairly positive in interpretation. Astrologers would interpret this pattern as, I guess, a mix of the interpretations of two patterns contained within the "Seer": Grand Trine and Mystic Rectangle.

In Mr Spence's case the planets involved are: Venus, Jupiter, Uranus, Moon and Neptune. The artistry in his writing (Venus in Sagittarius) is well-linked and in more than one way, to Jupiter (ruler of Sagittarius) for philosophical ideas and the spread of his writings; Uranus, his interest in "out of the ordinary" subjects - thought by some to be somewhat eccentric; Moon in Gemini: Moon his inner self; Gemini from whence the inspiration to write arises; and Neptune - his creative imagination. Many harmonious links are involved, held together by a couple of oppostions: Jupiter/Neptune and Venus/Moon which, rather than opposing in the usual sense, might more positively be seen as offering a balancing effect.

His natal Sun in Sagittarius doesn't form part of the "Seer" formation, but tunes him into the general feel of "harmony" through sign and element.

Saturn at 9 Aquarius opposes Uranus at 15 Leo - the two rulers of Aquarius, one balancing the other - a tricky job indeed: new thought attempting balance with the old and well-established is one way to put it. In Mr Spence's case, though, he was actually making the truly old become new again: ancient beliefs polished up and brought to the fore.

SOLSTICE

In the northern hemisphere Winter Solstice this year will occur, for us in US Central Time Zone, at at 11:30 PM - tonight. In the UK, at the same point, clocks will say 5:30 AM GMT on 22 December. We've arrived at the shortest day, longest night - after which light will begin, slowly, to return. In the southern hemisphere, of course, Summer Solstice is being celebrated. Wherever you are,
SOLSTICE GREETINGS TO ALL!


An urge to mark and honour solstices and equinoxes - has to figure somehow in our DNA. Humans have been doing so for as long as we are able to see into the distant past. Indigenous people of every corner of the world had an awareness of the Sun's changing path through the sky. Their lives relied heavily on the Sun's lighting and warming of the land, and on its part in producing life-sustaining vegetation and crops.

Countless structures, still visible, served ancient civilisations as natural calendars to mark solstices, equinoxes, and sites of sacred ceremony, honouring the Sun. Britain's Stonehenge is one of the most famous of these. I read an article just this week on the BBC website, concerning expert research on the source of the stones. It appears that some of them originated in Wales. How the dickens those massive stones could have been moved to Wiltshire in England remains a fascinating mystery to which we shall never know the answer.

Here in Oklahoma, nearest natural structure used for tracking the Sun's path is in New Mexico, the state adjoining Oklahoma's panhandle, to the west.

At the southern entrance to an area known as Chaco Canyon stands 443ft high Fajada Butte, where in 1977 Dr. Anna Sofaer discovered the "Sun Dagger" - a petroglyph thought to have been carved some 1000 years ago by an ancient people, the Anasazi, who inhabited the area. Archaeologists still debate when a distinct Anasazi culture emerged, but the current consensus suggests they first appeared around 1200 B.C. The Ancient Puebloans first settled in the plateau area where water was plentiful, with their initial locations at Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, and Kayenta. Later they spanned across the entire Colorado plateau including northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado.
The Anasazi were ancestors of modern Pueblo peoples. (See also HERE)


We haven't visited Chaco Canyon, but we've been close to it. In 2005 we visited Mesa Verde, in the same general area, though now it lies across the manmade state border in Colorado. The Anasazi abandoned the area around 700 years ago, for reasons unknown, one possibility is crop failure due to climate deterioration.

It was about a 40 minute drive from the highway, along winding roads up to Mesa Verde, then a long walk downhill to reach the dwellings site, and an exhausting one back up, at 7,000 ft. above sea level, and in the heat, the thinner air gets to you! We explored the remains of ancient Anasazi cliff dwellings, 3 photos from our trip are below - that's my back in #4. the first photo is not one of ours, but from HERE.

Artwork at THIS website gives an idea of the populated cliff dwellings in ancient times.

SOLSTICE ~ YULE

SOLSTICE GREETINGS!

I'll leave it to our astrologers and other bloggers to interpret 2010's Solstice (Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere, Summer Solstice in the soutern hemisphere). Related planetary doings make this year extraordinarily special, with a lunar eclipse adding more spice to the occasion. I'm going to take a look at some other aspects and motifs of this time of year.

In some ways it's a pity that Christianity got itself tangled up with Yule, instead of making for itself a festival closer to the date of Christ's real birthday, inasmuch as that could have been established. Although the idea of goodwill and peace at what we call Christmas does reflect the true Christian message, even so, the traditions of the season do not necessarily stem from that message - it's a bit like putting the cart before the horse. Traditions of giving, loving and helping others pre-date Christianity by thousands of years.

In Europe, and later in the USA, traditions rooted in the pagan Norse and Celtic Yule, from long before the time of Jesus, have persisted over many thousands of years. Yule represented the moment when the days would again become longer, when light would return to the land, and people had reason to be thankful as spring was on its way, with the birth of new animals, and the softening of the soil for planting. Such winter festivals exist in most other parts of the world too, each with their own motifs and traditions, all rooted in the past.

Our western traditions and their roots:

Giving to the Needy- This tradition may have come from the Saxons who had 2 tables at the door of the banquet hall during their feasts. One was for all to take food, and the other was to leave alms for the poor. This meant to symbolize the unity of all human lives and to remind the Saxons that what one gave was returned 3-fold. Even today it is a Christmas custom to give food to the needy and for this act of kindness we can thank the Saxons.....~Tala~ (Robin Paladino)

Gift Giving- seems to originate from the Winter Solstice holiday, Saturnalia (which honored the God Saturn) which was long established by the Romans before they invaded Britain and was celebrated from December 12-17th. It was a time when Masters waited on servants at mealtime, gifts of light were given, particularly candles. Other traditional gifts included coins, honey, figs, and pastry. Gifts were also given in honor of loved ones who died the previous year. Early Roman explorers carried this tradition throughout Europe.

Feasting- had several purposes: to acknowledge the return of the season of growth, to give physical expression to the hope for abundance in the year to come, and finally to alleviate boredom and depression. As Christianity gradually usurped Pagan ways of worship, the custom of Advent (a month long fast before Christmas) reflected the times when people had to survive on eating very little. It became custom to feast on the 25th and to mark this day with acts of hospitality and generosity. The rich were expected to open their doors for all, and this could well have been the precursor to the tradition of helping those less fortunate.

Yule Log- is a small log of usually oak, with a flattened bottom that is decorated with evergreen and holly, after it is inscribed with symbols that represent wishes and what you want to bring into your life in the coming year. It is than burned on Yule after it is charged, or "wished upon." It is kept in the house all year to protect its inhabitants from illness or any adverse condition, and than it is used on the following year to light the new Yule log. Some Yule logs today are usually the same except for 3 holes drilled down the center, to place candles, as many people today do not have fireplaces. Cakes in the shape of Yule logs are a 20th century nod to this tradition.

Christmas Trees- were originally Yule trees. The Celts believed they stood for the everlasting life because the trees did not "die" in the winter. They stood for protection, prosperity and were the symbol of renewal and the hope for the sun to make the earth green again. Because of their massive height, they were a symbol of eternity. It was from these beliefs that the decorating of Yule trees, now called Christmas trees by many, evolved. Yule trees were decorated with images they wished the coming year to bring for them: nuts for fertility, love charms for happiness, fruit for a successful harvest, and coins for wealth.

Lights- on houses and Christmas trees is a modern version of the Pagan custom of lighting candles and fires to "lure back the sun." The Saxons may have been the first to put candles on Yule trees.

Red candles- symbolize the fire and heat of the returning sun.

Wreaths- signify the "wheel of the year," a circle with no beginning and no end.

Pine cones are the male aspect of fertility, and the fruit signifies the female aspect. They were initially used by Scandinavian Pagans 4,000 years ago.

Mistletoe- symbolized peace, prosperity, healing, wellness, fertility, protection and rest. It was placed around the fire and helped women to conceive. It was believed to be an aphrodisiac (magickally, not medically, its poison!), and if left hung up all year, it would bring good luck. It was also dubbed the "golden bough" by the Druids. Kissing under the mistletoe was originally a part of hand fasting, and all legal matters were sealed beneath its boughs. Hence a couple who kissed beneath them, were announcing their intent to get married. Then they would kiss under it again after the official ceremony, to further seal their vows.

Holly- symbolizes the old solar year, the waning sun, and good luck.

Jingle bells- were used by the Norse to herald in the dawn after the long dark night. They also used them to ritually frighten away the powers of darkness that they felt reached their peak at Yule.

Santa/Father Christmas has multi-cultural roots with characteristics of Saturn (Roman Agricultural God), Cronos (Greek God known as Father Time), The Holly King (Celtic God of the dying year), Father Ice/Grandfather Frost (Russian Winter God), Thor (Norse Sky God, who rides the sky with a chariot drawn by goats), Odin/Wotan (Scandinavian/Teutonic all-father who rides the sky on an 8-legged horse), Frey (Norse Fertility God), Tomte (a Norse land spirit known for giving gifts to children at this time of year),. Santa's reindeer can be viewed as forms of Herne (the Celtic Horned God), and Frau Holde (a Goddess from Germany that was believed to ride on the wind in a sleigh on Yule eve and give gifts to her followers.




Source
http://community-2.webtv.net/stormlght/YULE/

Winter Solstice on Music Monday

SOLSTICE GREETINGS!







An extract from School of the Seasons

Celebrating Yule
You should enjoy yourself as much as possible on the Winter Solstice because this will bring back light (and lightness) into the world. Different traditions mention feasting, gambling, playing pranks, giving gifts, visiting, drinking, dressing up, fornicating, putting on plays and staying up all night. During the dark of winter, invoke all the forces of pleasure and love which make life worth living.

Decorating for this festival is easy since you can use all your Christmas decorations. Evergreens and wreaths represent rebirth and the circle of life. Fill your home with candles and Christmas lights. Place them on mirrors, hang up lots of sparkly ornaments and prisms and tinsel so you can create as much light as possible.

Well now - there are activities there to satisfy all tastes. We should get to it then!

"So the shortest day came, and the year died,
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive,
And when the new year's sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, reveling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us - Listen!!
All the long echoes sing the same delight,
This shortest day,
As promise wakens in the sleeping land:
They carol, fest, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And so do we, here, now,
This year and every year.
Welcome Yule!!"
(Susan Cooper, The Shortest Day).

It's also Music Monday, so: Jethro Tull backing this rare animated video: "Solstice Bells". Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull's leading light, is well qualified to sing about the Solstice. In his natal chart Sun plus 3 planets are all in Leo, ruled by the Sun!

SOLSTICE

We've reached one of the year's four cardinal points, a seasonal shift. Nights will not grow longer now. It's downhill from here! More cold and damp weather to come though, at least in the northern hemisphere. Our friends down south experience the opposite and are getting out their summer gear, while we bundle up for a few more months, but always in the knowledge that we're heading for the next shift - into spring. The lights of Hanukkah and Christmas brighten the nights and our spirits. Those lucky enough to live near an ancient site of solstice celebration will have seen the season turn, in slow motion, before their eyes.


Winter Solstice - it's a romantic, magical time, its echo travels back thousands of years, beyond Christianity, beyond the Roman and Greek Empires, beyond anything we have recorded - and therein lies magic. The theme has inspired at least two novels in recent years - both titled simply "Winter Solstice", one by Irish author Lucy Costigan, the other by novelist Rosamunde Pilcher. The opening chapter of Lucy Costigan's "Winter Solstice" can be read at a pdf HERE


Lucy Costigan's book begins as the heroine leaves home on a short journey to see the Sun rise on 21 December at Newgrange in County Meath, Ireland. A 5,000 year old site where, in a passage under a large burial mound, the Sun, as it rises at Winter Solstice shines through an opening in the roof to illuminate the pathway. Entrance to the site is strictly controlled, only a few observers are allowed to actually witness Solstice there nowadays. The tomb is said to be more than 600 years older than the Giza Pyramids in Egypt, and 1,000 years more ancient than Stonehenge.



The Winter Solstice inspires poets too - here's an example from Poets.org:

Toward the Winter Solstice
by Timothy Steele

Although the roof is just a story high,
It dizzies me a little to look down.
I lariat-twirl the cord of Christmas lights
And cast it to the weeping birch’s crown;
A dowel into which I’ve screwed a hook
Enables me to reach, lift, drape, and twine
The cord among the boughs so that the bulbs
Will accent the tree’s elegant design.

Friends, passing home from work or shopping, pause
And call up commendations or critiques.
I make adjustments. Though a potpourri
Of Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jews, and Sikhs,
We all are conscious of the time of year;
We all enjoy its colorful displays
And keep some festival that mitigates
The dwindling warmth and compass of the days.

Some say that L.A. doesn’t suit the Yule,
But UPS vans now like magi make
Their present-laden rounds, while fallen leaves
Are gaily resurrected in their wake;
The desert lifts a full moon from the east
And issues a dry Santa Ana breeze,
And valets at chic restaurants will soon
Be tending flocks of cars and SUVs.

And as the neighborhoods sink into dusk
The fan palms scattered all across town stand
More calmly prominent, and this place seems
A vast oasis in the Holy Land.
This house might be a caravansary,
The tree a kind of cordial fountainhead
Of welcome, looped and decked with necklaces
And ceintures of green, yellow, blue, and red.

Some wonder if the star of Bethlehem
Occurred when Jupiter and Saturn crossed;
It’s comforting to look up from this roof
And feel that, while all changes, nothing’s lost,
To recollect that in antiquity
The winter solstice fell in Capricorn
And that, in the Orion Nebula,
From swirling gas, new stars are being born.

SOLSTICE GREETINGS TO ALL !