Last year the woman I loved was found murdered in the street where she lived. A week later on All Souls’ night I stood on the top step of a church and looked down at the people in the street holding candles for the “Take Back the Night” vigil. Wondering if her killer might be among them, I thought, “I’ll find you, whoever you are. However long it takes, I’ll find you.”
The winter solstice “occurs exactly when the Earth’s axial tilt is farthest away from the sun at its maximum of 23° 26′. Though the winter solstice lasts only a moment in time, the term is also a turning point to midwinter and the first day of winter.”
That moment occurs tomorrow, December 21st, at UTC 17:11 or 11:11 a.m. Central Time, which is my time zone.
Of course, that is the scientific explanation. We know better!
Twice a year, on the solstice holidays, Basement Cat and Ceiling Cat are locked in mortal combat over the Light. At summer solstice, Basement Cat prevails and the light starts receding … gradually at first and then more quickly until the autumnal equinox, when the light and dark are equal.
Crossposted with permission from Blue Pagans
By Rita Moran
This evening, after a great supper at the Mercury Cafe (witchy, hippy hangout, great food, well worth visiting when you’re next in Denver), I had the privilege of attended a Circle for Peace in Downtown Denver.
As someone far more used to holding ritual surrounded by trees, I’ll admit I had a few misgivings. How could we create the same feeling of closeness to Nature in a downtown parking lot? No problem. If the people involved truly believe in Peace, and in each other….if those in the circle connect with Nature as it exists in that parking lot, the circle just might work.
And so it did.