For the solstice

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 so do we, here, now,

This year and every year.

Welcome Yule!!

--Susan Cooper

If you've never read The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper, I highly recommend it at winter solstice and over the Christmas holidays. Although it's a children's book, it's full of midwinter magic.

Midwinter Nights

I know several other bloggers have shared the following poem, but it's one of my favorites this time of year and I wanted to post it here for those who may not be familiar with it. It's from my one of my very favorite midwinter reads, Susan Cooper's "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 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.
Welcome Yule!~ The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper

 

 

These days and night surrounding the solstice have been appropriately dark, cold, and wet. Brooding, chilly fog has been hovering over the area every day, and it's been perfect for lighting the fireplace to chase away the chill. Holiday lights glow warmly in the gloom. Our house smells of cookies and cakes baking, spices, and oranges. We're grateful for all of our comforts and the love of family and friends during these short, dark days while we wait for the light to return.

 

Peace.

Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve, the day when we await the imminent birth of the newborn sun (or son, if you happen to be Christian. I am not.) I love the sense of anticipation, possibility, and magic that always permeates this night, no matter how old I get. I love the deep, quiet joy that always seems to arrive in the wee small hours of Christmas morning. I love knowing that although the night is long, and dark, and cold, the sun is already returning, albeit slowly.

Speaking of special midwinter births, a distant cousin of mine became a first time father three days ago. His son was born on the day of the solstice, the 21st of December. My (small) extended family is just thrilled with this little boy's arrival.

This photo was taken shortly after the baby's birth. This is the new dad, embracing his mom (the new grandmother). I love this picture. The sense of joy and relief is palpable, and beautiful to see.

And here is the new baby, going home just in time for Christmas. The reason for a whole lot of joy in our family this year. A special midwinter blessing. His name is Cohen.

Happy Christmas Eve. May you be filled with all the joy and hope of the season!

Midwinter morning

A fragrant cup of coffee, a good book, and a cold January morning outside my window....a husband sleeping peacefully in the next room....the sound of birds at the feeder outside chattering to each other....and a warm, cozy home to enjoy it all in...I am content.

What a peaceful, lovely way to begin the day. All I have is all I need.

Winter flowers, winter reading

Today I picked the first camellia blossoms of the winter. I love these flowers simply because they bloom and thrive during the deepest darkest part of the year. I made a small arrangement for our main bathroom.

There have been a lot of new books purchased around our house recently. I have ordered a copy of The Dark Is Rising series by Susan Cooper and am excited to read this again after many years. It was recently recommended by Cate at  http://www.beyondthefieldsweknow.org/ as a good yule/midwinter read. I had forgotten about these books, which I read when I was about 12, and loved. I am excited about reading them again!

In the meantime, I found this little gem buried in the Cultural Studies section of the bookstore where I work. I had to bring it home with me:

I am interested in native plants, and the use of them by early peoples as medicine. This is a nice little reference book to have and I'm sure I will refer back to it often.

Books and flowers--those are the simple things making me happy today.

Full Cold Moon

There is a beautiful full moon outside tonight. In the wee hours of the morning there was a lunar eclipse, which wasn't visible to those of us here on the east coast. The rest of the country should have had a good view of it, though. With or without an eclipse, each full moon of the year is special and worth honoring.

December's full moon is traditionally called the Full Cold Moon, or Long Nights Moon. Hal Borland, one of my favorite nature writers, wrote about the many hours this full moon has "to rule in cold splendor". It's really winter now; the trees are bare as bones, the cold air stings, the night seems endless. The human instinct is to draw closer to hearth and home and loved ones, to keep the dark at bay.

I like to give my own names to full moons, to reflect what is happening in my part of the world. In addition to Moon of Long Nights and Cold Nights Moon, I like: Solstice Moon, Storytelling Moon, Moon of Short Days, and Midwinter Moon.

Whatever you call it, tonight's full moon marks another turning point on the great wheel of time. A short walk outside after dark was my way to do a bit of midwinter moon gazing. Tonight's full moon is cold, distant, and absolutely majestic.

Here is a link to a beautiful picture of a midwinter moon I found:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/greg_foster/6486368867/

Solstice Day

It is finally here-solstice, or the point of the year when the darkness reaches it's pinnacle, and the longest night arrives. After this week the light will slowly begin to return, but for now the sun seems to "stand still" in the sky, and the darkness holds sway.

Today I am doing the last bit of shopping for the holiday (mostly food items) and some last minute house cleaning. Then I plan take Ginger for a quiet winter walk late in the afternoon. It's a cold, cloudy day here that feels right for the season. Almost everyone in our neighborhood has decorated their yards and porches. Despite the cold I love walking around and looking at all the lights as the sun goes down. After it gets dark, I plan to mark the longest night by lighting candles all over the house and keeping a warm fire burning in the fireplace. It's a night to gather around the hearth with loved ones and enjoy the warmth and light we can create for each other.

Happy Winter Solstice to all! May the returning light bring you hope, joy, health, and happiness in the upcoming new year!