Photo credit:Springintolife.ie
“The night might seem endless, but dawn is surely near, and with it, the promise of light.”- Hafez, the Persian sage, poet and philosopher of love
The winter solstice is the day of the year with the fewest hours of daylight. In the northern hemisphere this date falls in December every year. In 2025 the winter solstice will occur on Saturday 21 December.
‘Embracing the Winter Solstice: A Time for Reflection and Connection’
‘At its core, the Winter Solstice embodies a moment of transition and transformation — a shift from darkness to light, from cold to warmth and vitality- breathing life back into the dormant landscapes. It is a time of introspection, where individuals and communities alike pause to contemplate their journey, express gratitude for the past year's harvest, and set intentions for the coming seasons. Many ceremonies and practices associated with the Winter Solstice centre around light — the lighting of candles, bonfires, or the use of symbolic representations of the Sun. These rituals serve as poignant metaphors, illuminating the darkness within and without, symbolising hope, renewal, and the promise of new beginnings. They serve as a testament to humanity's innate yearning for warmth, enlightenment, and spiritual awakening. Furthermore, nature connection practices are often deeply intertwined with the Winter Solstice and emphasise this interconnectedness between humans and the natural world. Shamanic traditions, indigenous rituals, and earth-based spirituality view this celestial event as a powerful opportunity for spiritual renewal and alignment with the rhythms of nature. By attuning ourselves to the Earth's cycles, we acknowledge our place within the larger tapestry of existence.’-Read more
‘This image, a composite of dozens of photographs taken by Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2021 entrant György Soponyai, shows the changing arcs of the Sun throughout the year. The smallest arc at the bottom marks the winter solstice, and the largest one at the top the summer solstice. The band in the middle is the 'equinox', with roughly equal hours of day and night.’- Photo via Royal Museums Greenwich
Welcome, Yule!
Happy Winter Solstice!
Photo:amazon
The Shortest Day
'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, 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, feast, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And now so do we, here, now,
This year and every year. Welcome, Yule!'-Susan Cooper
‘The two great celestial milestones of the year, the Summer and Winter Solstices, are perhaps humanity’s most ancient ritual observances. People paused at these times to reflect upon the journey of life, with its trials, blessings, hopes and promise.’- Paul Winter*
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”- Annie Dillard
'In a sense, Winter Solstice is a turning point in the battle of dark versus light.'
This is how the sunrise on Winter Solstice looked like in Newgrange in 2019. Photo: John Lalor/Via RTE
‘Celebrating Our Journey With the Sun’*
‘To live at all is miracle enough’
The Shortest Day calls us to hope beyond despair, as days get longer, lighter and warmer,
the return of colour and beauty lifts the spirits
Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year for people living in the Northern hemisphere.
The Solstice —derived from the Latin solstitium meaning standing sun — marks the moment the sun shines at its most southern point.,
and for centuries the Solstice has been recognised as a time of celebration and rebirth.-Photo: Medium
‘The winter solstice, with the rebirth of the sun, offers a time for healing and hope, a time to celebrate community and relatedness,
and a time to honour the diversity and the unity of this great cornucopia of life on Earth.’- Yale Forum on Religion & Ecology
‘Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.’― J.K.Rowling
‘If the last 200 years have been shaped by industrialization, materialism and disparity, may the coming era be characterized by regeneration, stewardship and sharing. Decades from now, we may look back on this year with new understanding – as a great pause that seeded deeper awareness and new capacities.’
I wish to mark and celebrate the solstice by sharing a poem that says a great deal about our place on Earth.
Words That Inspire: ‘The Wild Geese’ by Wendell Berry, which paints a colorful image of Earth's bounty, inspiring the beloved poet and farmer to be thankful that all we need is around us.
Photo:pinterest
‘Horseback on Sunday morning,
harvest over, we taste persimmon
and wild grape, sharp sweet
of summer’s end. In time’s maze
over fall fields, we name names
that went west from here, names
that rest on graves. We open
a persimmon seed to find the tree
that stands in promise,
pale, in the seed’s marrow.
Geese appear high over us,
pass, and the sky closes. Abandon,
as in love or sleep, holds
them to their way, clear,
in the ancient faith: what we need
is here. And we pray, not
for new earth or heaven, but to be
quiet in heart, and in eye
clear. What we need is here.’
All in all, in the eloquent words of Mervyn Peake, we all discovered that indeed, ‘To Live is Miracle Enough.’
Painting by Simon Drew- PENGUINS TO LIVE AT ALL IS MIRACLE ENOUGH
‘To live at all is miracle enough.
The doom of nations is another thing.
Here in my hammering blood-pulse is my proof.
Let every painter paint and poet sing
And all the sons of music ply their trade;
Machines are weaker than a beetle’s wing.
Swung out of sunlight into cosmic shade,
Come what come may the imagination’s heart
Is constellation high and can’t be weighed.
Nor greed nor fear can tear our faith apart
When every heart-beat hammers out the proof
That life itself is miracle enough.’ -Mervyn Peake, To Live is Miracle Enough
…...
Illustration by Sara Mulvanny
In conclusion, GCGI welcomes you wholeheartedly as we chronicle this continuing journey of Love&Hope, when we take actions in the interest of the common good.
Annie and I are grateful to all those who have journeyed through this year with us, in various ways. Friendship, love, caring and solidarity are ever more precious in these uncertain times! Thank you for being who you are.
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Shabe Yalda: The Longest Night of the Year
A night of love, light, and rebirth of the sun. A night of celebration, hope and healing
Shab-e Yalda: When Light Shines and Where Goodness, Beauty and Wisdom Prevails
'The story of Yalda may be interpreted as a tale of courage and effort during darkness, a triumph
of light and human warmth that ultimately causes the spring to bloom in hearts.'
Shab-e-Yalda - an ancient winter solstice celebration that commemorates the triumph of Mithra
Ancient Persians believed that evil forces were dominant on the longest night of the year and that the next day
belonged to the Lord of Wisdom, Ahura Mazda.
‘Because Shab-e Yalda is the longest and darkest night, it has become to symbolise many things in Persian poetry; separation from a beloved one, loneliness and waiting. After Shab-e Yalda a transformation takes place - the waiting is over, light shines and goodness prevails.'
'The sight of you each morning is a New Year
Any night of your departure is the eve of Yalda' (Sa'adi)
'With all my pains, there is still the hope of recovery
Like the eve of Yalda, there will finally be an end' (Sa'adi)
Continue to read and be inspired: Happy Shab-e Yalda
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May you find joy in the simple pleasures of life and may the light of the holiday season
fill your heart with the hope for a better world
“…there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.” —Ecclesiastes 3:12
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A must-read book
'This text gives meaning not just to Christmas, but to the whole winter season. Folklore expert John Matthews traces the history behind many of the sacred traditions of the holiday season and provides refreshing and practical suggestions for celebrating the winter solstice as a joyous, life-affirming, spritual festival. Matthews explores the surprising multicultural origins of Santa Claus, the Yule Log, carolling, mistletoe and the Christmas tree. Many of these are Pagan in origin: the winter solstice sees the rebirth of the year and the return of the sun and the sun god after the darkness of winter. The traditional meanings of the twelve days of Christmas are explored, and practical ways of celebrating each of them given. This intertwining of myth and religion partly explains the depth and significance of the Christmas seasonal celebrations. John Matthews brings myth and spiritual significance to life in this text. He revives old traditions and suggests new ones to help you celebrate the passing of the winter season and the coming of spring.'
But this Book HERE
Photo:amazon
‘In this seasonal treasure, Newbery Medalist Susan Cooper's beloved poem heralds the winter solstice, illuminated by Caldecott Honoree Carson Ellis's strikingly resonant illustrations.
So the shortest day came,
and the year died . . .
As the sun set on the shortest day of the year, early people would gather to prepare for the long night ahead. They built fires and lit candles. They played music, bringing their own light to the darkness, while wondering if the sun would ever rise again. Written for a theatrical production that has become a ritual in itself, Susan Cooper's poem "The Shortest Day" captures the magic behind the returning of the light, the yearning for traditions that connect us with generations that have gone before -- and the hope for peace that we carry into the future. Richly illustrated by Carson Ellis with a universality that spans the centuries, this beautiful book evokes the joy and community found in the ongoing mystery of life when we celebrate light, thankfulness, and festivity at a time of rebirth. Welcome Yule!’
Buy this book HERE
See also
‘‘The Shortest Day: A Lyrical Illustrated Invitation to Presence with the Passage of Time, Our Ancient Relationship with the Sun, and the Cycles of Life’