Merry Solstice

actually Solstice was the ORiginal reason for all the hoopla surrounding this time of year...based on...tada
the SUN coming back....so tommorrow, the sun comes back a little more, then a little more each day..
Guess the ancient peoples were keeping an eye on the sun ..anyway, I sure am tired of darkness and will be glad to see the damned SUN come back...
Bout dang time.

One of these days, it will no longer be pitch black when I leave work. Yay!!!!

:D

God, I hate winter. The lack of light has really weighed on me this year. I can't wait for spring.

...and put a picture of the Earth Mother and the Horned God on it with a words "The God and Goddess...the real reason for the season."

I've also thought taht "The return of the Oak King...the true reason for teh season" would be nice too.

took Rome and its holidays and used them as a cover so we really used dates from them.Same with what things looked like. Holyland that we think we know and the people in it come right out of Italy and its people. The Church was the big guy in the field. It produced the art and writings. Early Puritans had nothing up for Xmas by-the-way.

until about 1850, in fact.

"The Christian Religion Has Pagan DNA"

Happy Solstice to all!
:toast:

To me, it's the most "human" holiday of them all - the triumph of humankind's knowledge over the unpredictability of the future. Our ancestors recognized the patterns, and knew the sun would come back, and on what day the night would be at its longest.

It is definately earthier, bit less "mystical" too.

"" The Winter Solstice ceremony of the Druid tradition is known as Alban Arthan-which can be poetically translated as "the light of Arthur" . Here Arthur is equated with the Sun-God who dies and is reborn as the Celtic "son of light"-the Mabon-at the Winter Solstice.
             The Name of this ceremony, therefore, encapsulates or epitomizes the essential theme of this rite. During the ceremony the apparent death of the sun is mourned, and then as the fire is lit at the actual or symbolic time of Solstice, the rebirth of the sun, and by association, the return of Arthur, is celebrated.
       This is an old act indeed. The Christian Nativity story is but a recent version of the theme of the sun's rebirth."

http://www.stonehengeusa.com/Events.htm

May we find sol-lace on the solstice!

What Tradition? How old is the act, and what is the documentation for it?

Just curious.

My Cornish ancestors took the surname "Arthur" and I'm always interested in finding out more about the symbolism behind the once and future King.

to all my Pagan friends. Happy Hannukah to my Jewish friends. Late Eid and Dulavi to my Muslim and Hindu friends.

As the light comes back in the sky in the northern hemisphere, let us hope that the light of reason comes back to the American people this year and we get a sane Democrat elected President without any electoral hanky-panky.

can all agree on.

I hope you won't begrudge me a Merry Christmas, also?! :hi:

Here's some interesting links in case anyone is interested in reading up about the holiday:

A good overview
http://www.candlegrove.com/solstice.html#turta

Pagan roots and relationship to Christmas
http://www.circlesanctuary.org/pholidays/SolsticeArticle.html

Complete guide to a saturnalia ritual
http://www.cs.utk.edu/~mclennan/BA/Saturnalia.html