Friday, December 23, 2011

Happy Winter Solstice!



The Shortest Day
By Susan Cooper
And so the Shortest Day came and the year died
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive.
And when the new year’s sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, revelling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us – listen!
All the long echoes, sing the same delight,
This Shortest Day,
As promise wakens in the sleeping land:
They carol, feast, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And now so do we, here, now,
This year and every year.



Welcome Yule!
Hope you enjoyed and embraced the darkness. The sun has returned and we can begin to welcome the light. Our days will now slowly grow longer. It's a wonderful time to rest, relax, eat good, hearty nourishing food (especially fermented foods), and drinks a lot herbal tea.
Take the time to feed the local wildlife, enjoy a warm fire, read some good books, and thank the Earth for providing for us even during the cold winter months ahead.