Glenn and I launched this site on the Autumnal Equinox (for the northern hemisphere) and I wrote about balance. We are now approaching the Winter Equinox here in the North. The Sun moves into Capricorn at 12:30 am East Coast time on December 22, 2011 – about two hours from now as I write. This equinox gives us our longest night/shortest day in the North and the opposite in the South. The Sun is as far to the South, rising and setting along the Tropic of Capricorn, as it ever gets. It is at its extreme southern crossing.
The Ancients looked to this time (and I’ll speak now as a Northerner for the remainder of this post) as one for celebration: after this longest night the Sun begins its slow journey back to the north, back toward the Equator (Equinox) and the Tropic of Cancer (Summer Solstice). The days get longer with the Sun’s return. Yule Fires were lit to recognize this phenomenon. Greens were brought in to remember the return of a greening Earth. It was a happy time with a confidence in the lengthening days. The long nights of inward searching and introspection were coming to an end.
And now we celebrate many over-lapping and inter-mixed holidays across religions and traditions: Christmas, Yule, Hanukah, …, are all centered around this Solar event each year. It is a time to remember there is Hope in the World, originally stemming from this expectation that the Sun will return. And it is a time to consider Peace for the World as the long nights offer time for reflection and deep thoughtfulness.
But unlike the equinoxes, which can be times of balance, too often we get caught up in the extremes of the solstice season: too many parties, too much consuming, too many distractions. We lose sight of the insights that can come with Winter’s stillness; the “Silent Nights” are filled with the noise of over-indulging. This is not to suggest we need to give up the celebrations! Rather it is to say we need to remember what we are celebrating, we need to honor the season with observations about the natural movements we are a part of and witness the extremes. Notice where the Sun rises and sets over the next few days; note how far to the south along the horizon the Sun comes up and goes down. Then make a note over the next few days to see if you can see when it begins to rise and set farther to the north; it’s a slow journey of six months until it reaches the Tropic of Cancer again!
As we come into harmony with these natural relative movements of the Sun and Earth, even to these extreme positions, we move into a place of balance with our environment, with ourselves and with each other. We become sensitive to the complexities of Life and we learn to acknowledge the powerful forces of nature within which we live.
May the Hope of the Season and the Peace of these long nights be with you all!