To mark the occasion Folk Horror Revival / Wyrd Harvest Press / Urban Wyrd Project have again charitably donated sales profits from our books to a Wildlife Trusts project voted for by some members of this group.This time around we are happy to grant The Scottish Wildlife Trusts £800 to help with their Beaver reintroduction project. Thank you to all who voted and…
Dec 21, 2021 -today is the winter solstice, when finally we will be heading into more days with more light in them.
This photo wasn’t taken today. It was taken Dec 17, the day before December’s full moon. It does illustrate though how dark it is at 5:49 pm these days, while on the afternoon dog walk. Darkness, wind, and cold temperatures, most of the time, make for an unpleasant dog walk.
I always look forward to the winter solstice, and the turn toward more light in our days again.
Thank you so much, @hexawen for sharing this beautiful photo of you wearing our backpatch! The site in the photo is the fantastic Grianán Ailigh hillfort, in the Inishowen peninsula, County Donegal. It’s great to see where our prints go, especially when they happen to be in the same places we loved and visited.
I woke up at 5:55 am, before my 6:00 am alarm. I was so excited, I woke up several times in the night to look at the clock and make sure I didn’t wake up late.
I layered on four skirts, black leggings, two sweaters and my winter coat. When I finally made it outside, it was still dark. I gathered all my magical items on my altar table and set up the candles by the light of my flashlight. Next, the fire was built so that I could light it as soon as the sun rose.
I cast a protective circle, called the elements and sat down to watch the sunrise. My coffee warmed my hands and the steam brushed my face. A plate of cookies sat nearby. Blankets were piled around my shoulders.
The sun touched the tree tops around me. They blazed like a torch. A signal that it was time to light the fire. I lit my yule log that had my hopes and wishes drawn in chalk.
I chanted a passage from my book of shadows. It spoke of the lengthening days and the end of the longest night.
Watching the sunrise was one of the most special moments of my life. I watched the sky turn from light blue, to pink, to orange, to blazing yellow. I felt the power of the rising sun run through my body. It left me feeling tingly and warm.
I cast a future happiness spell and filed my cauldron with pine branches and clear quartz.
I sat, covered in blankets, and watched the world brighten little by little. The fire continued to burn happily. All was beautiful and peaceful. The birds sang. I heard a roosters call in the distance. The cold wind bit at my nose. My outstretched fingers warmed by the fire. The sweet taste of jam cookies lingered in my mouth.
I felt happy and alive. The wheel of the year continued to turn.
Today is the shortest day, and the longest night. Welcome Yule! Today the year turns, and we start once more towards the light.
Today is also a very special solstice, because it is accompanied by another rare astronomical phenomenon! Look to the southwest sky just after sunset, and you will see the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. These two largest planets in our solar system will appear so closely together in the sky that to the naked eye they will look like one very bright star. (Through binoculars or a telescope, you will be able to see both in the same field of view, along with all of their moons.) While this happens approx. every 20 years, this year will be the closest observable conjunction of the two planets since the year 1226! The next time they will appear this close will be in 2080.
This is, of course, just the kind of thing that would get the Nerd Twins excited. ;-) If it’s cold where you are, be smart like the Pines, bundle up, and bring some hot cocoa out with you for some planet-spotting.
(original posted Dec.2020.)
Unfortunately, I didn’t get anything new done this year, so here’s a rerun.
No Great Conjunction this year, I’m afraid! Although Jupiter, Saturn and Venus have been putting on a show for the last month or so, appearing distinctly in a slanted line along the moon’s path (also Uranus? But I don’t think that’s visible to the naked eye in urban areas, like where I am). Their setting time is getting earlier, though, and thus it’s harder to catch them.
