A Solstice Rose

As some of you may already know, the midwinter solstice is a date as important to me in many ways as Christmas. Although many folk say that Samhain (our modern Halloween) is the ancient Celts' New Year, I really feel that designation belongs at the midwinter solstice.

The sun has completed its great cycle and reached the end of its retreat away from the northern hemisphere. As astrologers know, when a celestial body changes direction there is a brief period when it is stationary. Of course it is not the sun but the earth that is moving, so perhaps we are the one who stops for a few seconds and then begins that slow roll back. At any rate, I still tend to feel as my ancestors did that it is the fiery orb which moves and thus like the planets, it pauses and then resumes normal motion rather than retrograde. I'm a very visual person and have to see things in pictures in many cases. so that is what I visualize!

Back to our ancestors, some had an elaborate mythology involving this. The sun was seen as a king or deity that was 'born' on the first morning after the midwinter's longest night and made his great journey only to 'die' when he set at the start of that longest night. Meanwhile, he had impregnated mother earth and she over that night gives birth to the new king who takes over the duty and rule. Okay, a bit fanciful but I like it anyway.

The southern most sunrise
a previous year

My very simple ceremony last night involved burning a small candle all night--an electric one that was safe in case you worried--and extinguished it when I got up about half an hour before sunrise, local. I watched through my north-east facing window as the first beams painted along the upper edges of the rugged hills east of town and slid slowly downward until they reached my street, my house. That was good.

Solstice Rose-
note date lower right

It was a clear, sunny day and there was not a lot of wind. Also good. Thus it was pleasant to sit out on my south-facing portio (that is porch and patio somewhat mingled)  and soak up those healing rays. I was so sitting when I looked up at one of my climbing roses. They are looking weathered now and most of the leaves going brown but there, right under the eaves, was a perfect and lovely little pink bud, just beginning to open! Now can you imagine--a rose blooming on December 21? Not quite a miracle, perhaps, but still a blessing. We've had several good hard freezes now, with lows down into the twenties. How did this little bud survive, form and bloom? It is in a sheltered spot and high under the edge of the roof but it still amazed me. That was my little personal "miracle" for today, perhaps a sign from The  Deity that I am remembered and that I should trust spring will come as it always has and with it many flowers in just a few months.

A similar sunset effect

The day ended with a gentle pastel sunset that turned bright in the last few minutes. Just streaks and feathers of cloud scattered across the sky that picked up and reflected the sun's final rays into a beautiful canvas. Yes, it was a very good day, Midwinter Solstice has come again and passed and for now all is right in my world.