Solstice Morning

This morning at 7:04 EST was the moment of the Winter Solstice. At that moment the sun was the farthest in the sky that it can be from the Northern Hemisphere. It means that today is the shortest day of the year, and either last night or tonight will be the longest night. We are without the sun for longer than at any other time of year. Though, as I write this the sun is shining happily in the sky, and the morning is bathed in bright golden light.

Vicki Noble (co-creator of the motherpeace tarot) writes...

Christianity is the prevailing religion in the U.S., but there are also much more ancient images to confirm for us that this spiritual rebirth which we cherish at this time of year can be relied upon--and that the birth of the Solstice Child, the simple rebirth of the light, happens always at the moment of the year's most powerful darkness: Winter Solstice.

****
For those who follow the heartbeat of the earth, notice and celebrate the turning of the wheel, today is a special day.  It is the return of the SUN, the birth of the child of light...a concept which another certain religion co-opted to get the pagan folk to buy into their new holiday which occurs very near this time of year, the birth of the SON, the child of light...Tricky those folks...

Solstice is a time of renewal and hope, and with each day that passes, we know that a little more light has been gifted to us.

This morning, I find myself in a thoughtful mood.  M spent the night at a solstice party, where I am sure they drummed until dawn around a fire, although he rolled in at 5:30 or so.  Tonight we will go to a Solstice dinner with some friends.  We are bringing the salad and the mead...earth food and honeywine. It doesn't get more pagan than that!

We also have a Christmas tree up, and the house is starting to take on the cheerful look of the holidaze.  We are getting close to the New Year, and I am taking stock of my life. There are things I would like to work on for sure.  2009 promises change as we will be forced to move out of our beloved apartment in the old 1880 house. (Our landlord wants to expand up into our apartment.)  Hopefully I will graduate from school next December. (Predicated on that I will come up with something for the doctoral project...yikes...)  Most of us are worried about the dire state of the economy, and afraid that things will get much worse before they get better...I worry about the safety of my job.

But I want to end on a happier note than the economy.  Today is also the start of another holiday...Hanukkah.  This is another holiday about holding onto light in the darkness.  So in that spirit, here is a happy song to start out the day.