The Winter Solstice

[Daniel]

...arrives on the 21st. Here's an interesting article about those who recognized it long ago.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=503384&in_page_id=1770

Will you observe the Solstice in any way?

I've been lighting a candle at dusk, symbolizing the bringing of light to darkness. God knows we need more of that.

[keltic63]

...arrives on the 21st. Here's an interesting article about those who recognized it long ago.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=503384&in_page_id=1770

Will you observe the Solstice in any way?

I've been lighting a candle at dusk, symbolizing the bringing of light to darkness. God knows we need more of that.

I find myself observing it, even if it is subconciously. I end up doing "something" out of need or desire or ritual.











and of course, if I get the opportunity, I'll build a bonfire and dance naked ;)

[Zerbie]

I guess sitting around airports and airplanes doesn't count as observing.
That's what I'll be doing.

At this time of year, I like to spend extra time sitting in quiet contemplation, and usually get to spend LESS time doing so b/c of having to be traveling around. So on Saturday, we'll be home, and I plan to spend most of Saturday sitting still. So I can observe the solstice one day late. :)

[BenL]

I suffer from seasonal affective disorder (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/seasonalaffectivedisorder.html) big time. Right now I'm counting the days until I begin to perceive lengthening daylight. Luckily, my office has large windows that let in a lot of daylight. And I have "natural" daylight bulbs at home. They keep me from hitting bottom at this time of year.

But, no, I don't ritualize the actual solstice.

[keltic63]

I suffer from seasonal affective disorder (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/seasonalaffectivedisorder.html) big time. Right now I'm counting the days until I begin to perceive lengthening daylight. Luckily, my office has large windows that let in a lot of daylight. And I have "natural" daylight bulbs at home. They keep me from hitting bottom at this time of year.

But, no, I don't ritualize the actual solstice.

I wouldn't say that I have SAD, but I've noticed how my mood changes as the amount of daylight decreases. I find myself looking forward to the solstice, telling myself to hold on, the light is coming!

[Zerbie]

Oh Ben, move to Arizona. You will not have that problem in AZ.

[Daniel]

and of course, if I get the opportunity, I'll build a bonfire and dance naked ;)

Maybe we can get Scotty to organize something? :D

I suffer from seasonal affective disorder (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/seasonalaffectivedisorder.html) big time. Right now I'm counting the days until I begin to perceive lengthening daylight. Luckily, my office has large windows that let in a lot of daylight. And I have "natural" daylight bulbs at home. They keep me from hitting bottom at this time of year.

I hear you! We have full spectrum bulbs too- Verilux. They aren't cheap, but I swear they make a difference. We have a 'dark' NYC apartment, with northern light only. Those babies are on all year round- morning, noon and night.

Here's to the light!

[Daniel]

This is really really cool- at least for those of you who love celestial stuff.

http://www.discoverychannel.ca/reports/rw/4060/Forget-the-hoax-Mars-really-will-be-closest-in-years-this-fall.aspx

[scott snedeker]

Of course I am attending a Pagan Drum Circle to celebrate the Sun Child's Birth and Renewal on the night of the Winter Solstice with hundreds of Pagan Faeries.

For millions of years the Earth has held a relatively similar tilt about Her axis and mean distance from the Sun both at Perigee and Apogee. Slight variations in Her course has given us greater seasons of Ice Ages and Warm Ages.

For some 20,000 years we have been climbing steadily out of our latest Ice Age. It is in this brief history of the ancient Earth that one of her many children, the human, has emerged as the most dominant of predators and changers of environment.

Through the masterfully creative craft of evolution we emerged out of Africa some 200,000 years ago and spread across the globe. We simultaneously found use for fire, although separated by Oceans. We empathically developed the technology of agriculture and domestication, even though we were separated by continents.



For the last 10,000 years or so we have moved from predominantly symbiotic cultures which knew ourselves as integral to the planet, to cultures whose mythologies promote a sense of separation and special, dominant position over the rest of Life.
The results of these cultural shifts are clear as we enter an era known as the Holocene Extinction Event, the latest of many great extinction periods that our ancient planet has experienced. This extinction event, however, is different in that it has been exacerbated by one species alone, the homo sapien primate birthed out of Africa. By our actions alone, and more specifically over the past few hundred years, the Ice Age that we already climb out of has been accelerated to a malignant velocity with unprecedented consequences.

Despite our history of destruction, we Humans are a miracle and a wonder, given tremendous power to bring concept into reality. We have astounding capacity to create, and to destroy. With that comes a lesson in responsibility for who we are as members of the organism of Life from which we can never be separated, no matter what our mythologies or philosophies might suggest.

..................................
We join together on this Sacred Night, the December Solstice – Winter to the Northern Hemisphere and Summer to the Southern Hemisphere – to strengthen and reinforce our awareness, to honor and give reverence to the Source which resides in all things as the masterfully creative Hand of Reality.

We come together with the shared intention of raising consciousness amongst our species so that collectively more of us come to the realization of our Greater Being, which is Gaia, the Earth.

[scott snedeker]

"All of life is interconnected. We are all caught up in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied to a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly."


~ Dr. Martin Luther King
________

[andrewlittle]

"All of life is interconnected. We are all caught up in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied to a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly."


~ Dr. Martin Luther King
________

Scotty, I am betting you like Daniel Quinn. Am I right?

[Alecto]

I actually did get invited to an all-night solstice party this year. I'll let ya know how it goes.

[tdogg]

This is really really cool- at least for those of you who love celestial stuff.

http://www.discoverychannel.ca/reports/rw/4060/Forget-the-hoax-Mars-really-will-be-closest-in-years-this-fall.aspx

Mars has been gorgeous up in the sky lately! And sounds like it's going to get a little more gorgeous in the coming days. Cool!

Don't really celebrate the Winter Solstice, but I do anticipate the date as it means the days begin to be longer. I'm a summer kinda girl. :D But with my new umbrella, I must say the rains haven't been as troublesome for me. It's strong, and purple, and fairly large, and sits close to my head so the wind doesn't whip so much underneath. :rolleyes:

This year I'll be on my way to Hawaii on the 21st, but will arrive around lunchtime. So, in honor of the Winter Solstice and the coming longer days, I'll take some deep breaths of fresh ocean air, have an appreciative look around at the beauty of nature, and wonder....should I get naked and dance on the beach tonight??? :eek:;):D:love:

[HarmlessEccentric]

I celebrate Christmas, but I also celebrate the Solstice by gathering up every candle in the house and lighting them all for an hour or so, just as a reminder to the light that it's time to start its journey back into our lives. I don't take my little ritual entirely seriously... but I still do it.

[Jennifer5]

My celebration just occured and last about 5 seconds.. in my mind I think "YAY!!! Daylight!"

[Progo35]

The ritual associated with advent, which involves lighting a candle for the four weeks leading up to Christmas, reminds me of this. This time reminds me to think of my own committment to God and how I've been doing in my spiritual journey.

[Daniel]

I actually did get invited to an all-night solstice party this year. I'll let ya know how it goes.

So....How's it go? What happened?

Mars has been gorgeous up in the sky lately! And sounds like it's going to get a little more gorgeous in the coming days. Cool!

I've been stymied....it's been cloudy every night this week..and it's raining for the next few days here. Haven't seen a thing. :'( Really wanted to see Mars travel behind the moon. Anybody catch that?

[Alecto]

It was fun. Meeting a whol buncha people, hanging out, drifting and talking for awhile. There was a circle-y ritual thing which was really interesting because I've never been to one before. And we discussed some of the universal similarities between religious rites. And then it was food and party and fun and staying up till sunrise. :)

[Gennee]

Oh Ben, move to Arizona. You will not have that problem in AZ.

What is Phoenix like this time of year?

Gennee

[scott snedeker]

Scotty, I am betting you like Daniel Quinn. Am I right?
I googled Daniel Quinn and came across Ishmael which seems to be a pagan environmentalist form of Dan Millman's The Peaceful Warrior.

Gonna hafta buy it now!

Thanks for the idea!

[pnggrad79]

I have never been diagnosed with SAD, but I would swear I have it. I dread October when daylight savings time ends because it gets dark really quick. I am a teacher and have an inside room meaning I have no windows. By the time we get out of school at 4:15-4:20, we only have an hour more of daylight before it starts to get dark and although I get used to it, I am depressed when it gets dark and the sunlight fades. Rainy days don't make it any better. Is there anything that can be done about this? It really meses with my head.

[Alecto]

You might start by seeing a trained psychologist / psychiatrist who might be able to diagnose you. Treatments for SAD involve pretty much the same treatments as other depression, plus some special light therapies with brighter-than-usual lights.

(That said, most psych disorders are a particular thing that happens to EVERYONE, except that for some people it happens a lot more extremely. Not saying you're perfectly fine, but...you might be perfectly fine. I know it has always messed with my head when I go in somewhere with artificial lighting and it's light when I go in and dark when I come out, but then I do fall under "mentally interesting" too). <-- longest parenthesis ever

[pnggrad79]

OMG!!! Me too! It really messes with my head when that happens. I hate taking a nap when I get home from work and it is light outside and waking up and it is pitch black. That freaks me out!!! It is almost like I have to say goodbye to the day, and talk myself into accepting the night. Total wierdness, I know.

My sister lives in Anchorage, AK and she said that on the shortest day, Dec. 21, the sun rose at 10 AM and set about 3 PM. She said places like Nome and Barrow had about 30 minutes of daylight. I told her Alaska may be beautiful, but I couldn't live there. It would make me crazy.

During the winter months, I hate a dark house, with all the lights off. I turn every freaking light on.

Am I nuts?

[andrewlittle]

OMG!!! Me too! It really messes with my head when that happens. I hate taking a nap when I get home from work and it is light outside and waking up and it is pitch black. That freaks me out!!! It is almost like I have to say goodbye to the day, and talk myself into accepting the night. Total wierdness, I know.

My sister lives in Anchorage, AK and she said that on the shortest day, Dec. 21, the sun rose at 10 AM and set about 3 PM. She said places like Nome and Barrow had about 30 minutes of daylight. I told her Alaska may be beautiful, but I couldn't live there. It would make me crazy.

During the winter months, I hate a dark house, with all the lights off. I turn every freaking light on.

Am I nuts?

Not nuts at all - actually you may have been nuts if you didn't do this.

I do have SAD and you mentioned a couple of things that are effective for me. Saying goodbye to the day, as odd as that sounds, is what I do. It is more a preparation for night, I guess - in my case, befriending my "demon".

Lighting is very important to me, and I've spent big bucks on special lights in the past. Now, however, with the advent of flourescent globes, I get to save electricity and have the house brighter than a supernova.

Until I got the SAD thing figured out, I did think I was crazy. I would turn into Mr Hyde in the winter and be a mess.

[pnggrad79]

I have always been afraid of going to a doctor for this depression. A male doctor would just assume it is hormones, premenopausal stuff, or anything else associated with being a female. I actually had a female doctor say to me once, "What the hell do men know about women?" I laughed but thought, "How true! How could a man possibly know what a woman goes through much less feels." Anyway, living in Texas in a part of it where we have possibly 3 weeks of winter, cold one day, warm the next week until another front comes through. It doesn't stay cold where I live. So I surmise any doctor would look at me and think it is just normal depression and not SAD. But I swear it gets worse in the winter time. :(

[Alecto]

My understanding is that it's more to do with hours of daylight and a lot less to do with temperature. That said, maybe it's SAD, maybe it isn't, but if it IS a definite problem in your life, you should try to work on it whatever it is, right? If it's not all that intrusive, then maybe it's not a big deal, but if it is, then it's probably worth at least trying.

[Daniel]

Was listening to the radio this morning about this subject: the treatment is light- light and more light! And the more one can get ligtht in the AM the better. VERILUX has some good products that help, but there are other systems too. The point is to expose one's self to a bright light (full spectrum) for at LEAST 30 minutes. This has a HUGE affect on the brain. At this point, there is no need for anyone to suffer. The technology is available right now. Yeah- it costs something, but my sense is that the benefits outweight the energy bill (which isn't that great btw).

Let there be light!

I love my full spectrum bulbs- and I can't wait until they are able to make them in a more energy efficient way. They've already figured out how to make bulbs that use a minute amount of energy, but they are only available in 'colors', not 'white' light. But it's coming! The wave of the future!

[Zerbie]

PNG, if it fact it's SAD, then it's from the lack of light. Houston is often cloudy too, so on top of shorter days, the light is partially obscured. Maybe that's why. Can you spend an hour outside in the afternoon right after school lets out? Before the light goes away? I found being outside, even on cloudy days, gives a dose of sunlight regardless of cloudiness. That might perk you up.

What's Arizona like? Sunny. Bright bright bright sun. (Although, uncharacteristically, we had quite a bit of rain showers and clouds a couple weeks ago.) AZ winter can be cold, is very VERY dry, very sunny, and lasts for a short time. The Phx seasons kinda go: winter, summer, monsoons, summer, winter. . . . well, sorta. :p:p

[pnggrad79]

PNG, if it fact it's SAD, then it's from the lack of light. Houston is often cloudy too, so on top of shorter days, the light is partially obscured. Maybe that's why. Can you spend an hour outside in the afternoon right after school lets out? Before the light goes away? I found being outside, even on cloudy days, gives a dose of sunlight regardless of cloudiness. That might perk you up.

What's Arizona like? Sunny. Bright bright bright sun. (Although, uncharacteristically, we had quite a bit of rain showers and clouds a couple weeks ago.) AZ winter can be cold, is very VERY dry, very sunny, and lasts for a short time. The Phx seasons kinda go: winter, summer, monsoons, summer, winter. . . . well, sorta. :p:p

I try to spend as much time in the sun that I can, but I still feel really blue a lot of the time. Maybe I am just crazy.:rolleyes:

[Alecto]

Depends on your definition of "crazy". (I have a tendancy to refer to diagnosable mental disorders as a collective as "the crazies"). Could be a different flavor of mood disorder. Could be a part of your personality. Could be lots of things. ;)