Day 80: As a creature of the seasonal calendar, I celebrate festivals of a different sort: the Solstices and Equinoxes, the appearance of Pussywillows, the First Day of Skunk Cabbage and of course September Morn. Many do not have a set date, a fact which lends them an element of surprise lacking in traditional observances. Wild Ginger comes when it will, on a schedule all its own, and the Grosbeaks arrive on a timetable so complex that the human mind cannot hope to understand it. There are, however, those milestones in the year which occur at a specific second, if on a rotation of days, and none is more significant than Winter Solstice. Winter Solstice brings renewal in character of Light. Imperceptible at first, within ten days or two weeks, the lengthening of daylight is noticeable to anyone attuned to the progression of the seasons. By mid-January, it is apparent to all but the dullest eye.
For many people, Solstice may be associated with a physical element, whether man-made (Stonehenge, for example) or natural. From my vantage point, the Solstice Moon rises behind Mount Rainier, a perfectly magical conjuncture should the weather permit it to be seen.
Celebrate with me the Returning of the Light!
Dance the holly,
Dance the mistletoe!
The Light is now returning
And dark nights quickly go.
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