Posts Tagged ‘solstice’

The Winter Solstice was celebrated in the ancient world in different traditions. It is known in pagan traditions, and others, as the ‘longest night.’ There are similarities in various world beliefs.

The sun moves into Capricorn at this time and it is the start of the new solar year. This solar occasion is often seen as the rebirth of the sun, symbolized by a Goddess and the birth of her son, celebrated as a festival of light. The ancient cultures of India, Persia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Ireland and Wales all shared the belief of a son, born near the winter solstice on the 25th of December, and who died in the spring.

In pagan Europe, this holiday was known as Jul, which means wheel, or Yule. The ancient Egyptian myths of Isis and Osiris repeats in the story of Mary and Jesus. The modern day celebration of the birth of Jesus, is what we know as Christmas. Read the rest of this entry »

The most recent Solstice took place on June 20th, marked with a rare Full Moon in Sagittarius. This signifies the perfect time for us to become ‘archers’ and use focus, courage, and persistence in manifesting our biggest dreams and visions for the second half of 2016.

Since March this year, we have all been struck with spells of confusion, exhaustion and scattered energy. You can thank the intense solar flares, two eclipses, and the ongoing retrograde activity in Mercury, Mars, and now Neptune, for some of your most frustrating moments. This planetary non-movement has been forcing us to slow down, prioritize and reassess our lives, to rid it of anything that isn’t helping us grow. Look at it as a blessing in disguise!

Once Mars goes direct today, on June 30th, it will release a fire of emotions and aggressive energy which are going to increase as we move closer to November. With two Full Moons in Sagittarius, back to back, we are being given the opportunity to change our world by removing the old, outdated ways of existing and replacing it with fresh, forward thinking. Read the rest of this entry »

Back in the Fall I posted a blog, titled Autumn Wishes, where I mentioned planting bulb, while wishing for a beautiful flower and praying for the fulfillment of a desire. At that time in October, it was my invitation for us to pause and notice the inexorable pull toward Winter Solstice. The days were growing incrementally shorter, ultimately culminating in the darkest day of the year.

But here we are now, and it is Spring again. Yes, it is the beautiful season of new beginnings, renewal and rebirth! Fresh buds are blooming, hibernating animals have been awakening and the earth seems to be coming to life again. Farmers and gardeners are now planting their future harvest, as temperatures slowly rise. Read the rest of this entry »

This year’s final Full Moon is today, on Christmas Day, December 25th, 2015. The Native Americans and the Celts traditionally refer to today’s Full Moon as the “Full Cold Moon” or the “Long Night’s Moon.” Neo-pagans also know it as the “Moon before Yule.”

This year the Winter Solstice took place on December 21st, 2015 – the date on which the day in the Northern Hemisphere is the shortest and the night is longest. Due to the long, dark nights at this time of year, and the fact that the Moon’s orbit travels a high path across the sky, the Full Moon stays in the sky a long time. It is worthwhile to look out for. This is the time of the year when the Northern Hemisphere is held in the icy grip of winter. Traditionally, most of the time around this period was spent in leisure pursuits: teaching traditions to the youngsters, and re-telling the stories of the ancestors. The Celts traditionally have a ceremony welcoming the return of the Long Days. Read the rest of this entry »

The miracles of the recent holiday season will hopefully keep our hearts alive with hope, faith and gratitude throughout the New Year.

Let our souls continue to rejoice with the miracles of joy, hope, faith and love of this most recent Christmas of the Christians; Yule of the Pagans; Candle-mas of the Celts; Hanukkah of the Hebrews; Eid ul-Fitr of Islam; Pan-African festival of Kwanzaa; and Hindu celebration of Diwali.

In the old days, before the reformers came, the Old Oak King conquered the Holly King every year around this time. Mother Earth would then sleep under a white blanket of snow, the quiet ice of still waters, everything waiting for the Summer Solstice, when the Holly King would win the battle in turn. Read the rest of this entry »

Good morning fellow seekers and believers. A warm welcome also to ye of little faith. It is indeed a blessing to greet you at the dawn of yet another perfect Solstice day in this miraculous annual progression of human history. It is December 21st, 2012 and it is exactly 11:11 GMT, the official time of the Solstice. Take a deep breath, you are indeed still alive!

If you are one of the more adventurous and spirited among us, you may very well find yourself today on a Mayan galactic alignment cruise or magical pilgrimage to the Chichen Itza in the Mexican state of Yucatan, or at Stonehenge in the United Kingdom, waiting for the first light to break on the horizon. I can only imagine how much fun you must be having! Read the rest of this entry »