Winter Solstice by Jody Aliesan Grief Sweat, Broken Moon Press 1990 Thinking only makes the heart sore. – I Ching when you startle awake in the dark morning heart pounding breathing fast sitting bolt upright staring into dark whirlpool black hole feeling its suction get out of bed knock at the door of your nearest … Read more
The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper (author of The Dark is Rising) 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 … Read more
Join together beneath the mistletoe. By the holy oak whereon it grows. Seven Druids dance in seven time. Sing the song the bells call, loudly chiming. Ring out these bells. Ring out, ring Solstice bells. Ring Solstice bells. — Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull ©1977 The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year in … Read more
If you are a Capricorn, you belong, not to the sign of the goat, but to the sign of the sea-goat; a mythical creature that lives in two worlds – that of land and of sea. Although the myth about Capricorn people is that they are far too sensible and down to earth (translation: dull) … Read more
This is the Eve of the Winter Solstice. This is the great celebration of Mother Night. As far as we know, our ancestors did not have atomic clocks or satellites to help them dissect Time to the nanosecond. Instead, they had to figure by their keen observation, by dead reckoning, by the plants and animals, … Read more
From base to summit, gay and bright, There’s only splendor for the sight. O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree! Thy candles shine so brightly! We are moving into the deepest darkness of the year, with Winter Solstice only a few days from now. Now we embrace the Halcyon Days and we step aside from our … Read more
The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach is joy. There is radiance and glory in the darkness could we but see – and to see we have only to look. — Fra Giovanni Giocondo, 1433-1515 C.E. We are now in the deepest darkness of the year, with … Read more
I said to my soul, be still, and let the dark come upon you which shall be the darkness of God. — T.S. Elliot We here in the Northern Hemisphere are in the deepest darkness of the year, with the arrival of yesterday’s New Moon and then the Winter Solstice less than a week away. … Read more
Dark of the Moon New beginnings Dark of the Moon Plant a seed tonight Dark of the Moon What we envision Will come to be By the Full Moon’s light. There is really only one thing that I hope you will weave into your magic spells on this New Moon. Saving life as we know … Read more
There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do. – Freya Stark, The Journey’s Echo How did you do on the workaholism quiz from Friday? Frankly, I am busted on almost every question. Having done this work before, you would think I would have been much … Read more