Judith Ashley is the author
of The Sacred Women's Circle series, romantic fiction that honors spiritual
traditions that nurture the soul.
For those of us who look upon the natural world
around us as proof of The Divine, Winter Solstice is an affirmation that on
some level all is right in the world. In ancient times, the people were
connected to the land in a way that most of today’s population is not.
Can you even imagine being so in tuned with the
world around you that you would notice the difference in the amount of light
there was between the Darkest Day and the next?
There were no clocks, no calendars in the day of the
hunter/gatherers or earlier. And yet our ancestors learned how to mark the
passage of time.
Winter Solstice marks the longest night and the
shortest day of our year. For me, personally, it is my New Year’s Eve because
it heralds the returning of the light. If you follow the waxing and waning of
the Moon, Winter Solstice starts the waxing of the Sun that represents light.
From now until Summer Solstice, the Sun gains in strength. On the Summer
Solstice that starts to wane as darkness becomes more a part of our lives.
One of the things that fascinates me is how our
ancestors kept track.
Stonehenge and other stone and wood henges, The
Great Pyramids of Egypt and pyramids and ancient temples are aligned with the
stars, planets and the position of the sun and moon on particular times of the
year like the Solstices and Equinoxes.
And when the Judeo-Christian religions took hold and
grew, many of the traditions from earth-based traditions were incorporated.
There are several books on the subject if you are interested in learning more.For those people who celebrate life, Winter Solstice gives them a focus.
For those people who have SAD (Seasonal Affective
Disorder) it is a sign the days will lengthen and we’ll be out of winter soon.
For those people who prefer heat to cold, it reminds
them that Spring/Ostara, the vernal equinox, when day and night are equal in
length, and flowers are not far away.
In my Sacred Women’s Circle series, my heroines
celebrate the 8 Sabbats, holy days that mark the turning of The Wheel of Life
(Samhain, Winter Solstice/Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Summer Solstice/Lithia,
Lammas, and Mabon). And, they each marry on a Sabbat. (For more information on Sabbats
and other earth-based spiritual practices, check out my Judith Ashley blog
where I post every Monday).
If you are curious about how Sacred Women Circles
come together, start reading Lily. In
her story, you can learn how to create your own Circle and your own Ceremonies.
Sign up for Connections, mynewsletter and get a free copy of Lily.
Regardless of your spiritual path, I wish you all
the light you need to show you the way to love.
Check out my Windtree Press
author page.
Follow me on Twitter: @JudithAshley19
© 2016 Judith Ashley
5 comments:
Interesting post, Judith. I'm all for more light and happy that we've turned the corner. Your concept for your series is terrific. Best wishes in the new year.
Thanks, Linda. Best Wishes for you also. 2017 will be a fantastic year for the Genre-istas!!!
Interesting post, Judith. Happy new year!
Thanks for stopping by, Robin. Happy New Year to you also!
Connecting to the natural rhythms of the earth can really make a difference in how you see the world. Since we've re-incorporated cats into our lives again, it's been interesting to see how they react to the changing of the days. They are certainly much more in tune than I am.
When hubby and I honeymooned in Scotland and Ireland, one of the places we visited was Newgrange in Ireland. It left a lasting impression on me. It is what is known as a burial mound, passage tomb constructed more than 5,000 years ago (before Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids). The passage and chamber are aligned with the rising sun at the Winter Solstice. At dawn, at the time of the Winter Solstice, a narrow beam of light penetrates a roof-box and reaches the floor of the chamber, gradually extending to the rear of the chamber. As the Winter sun rises further in the sky it eventually lights the entire chamber. This event only takes about 20 minutes.
Though we were there in May, they simulate the experience by turning out all the lights and then slowly lighting the chamber as it would at Solstice. It pointed out to me how important the seasons were to ancient people and how the solstice played a spiritual part in all ceremonies. This connection with the seasons and the earth and heavens is something I believe too many of us have lost. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the turning of the wheel.
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