Happy Winter Solstice! (Northern Hemisphere)

Winter Soltice - "the shortest day of the year" and at 10:59am we in the northern hemisphere are the furthest from the sun. How do you feel? Is it gloomy and dismal outside? Do you find yourself thinking of things you'd like to change in your life? Looking to improve the future? Do you feel hopeful?

In some ways I feel like today is the REAL New Year's Eve, because it's like a new birth as we move towards longer days and shorter nights. In any case, lots of traditions in cultures throughout history celebrated 'the birth of the sun' as people worldwide recognized this as the day the sun stopped moving south in the sky and stalled in preparation for its journey back to them.

What's up with you today??

Merry Yule!

The sun is shining here today, which is nice, since it is about 31F right now.

I have plans tonight to celebrate yule at home.

Funny, to me, February always seems so dark and gloomy, even though we are heading back in the "sunny" direction.

I feel the same way, about the "New Year".

Sunny and 31 degrees here in Independence, Missoura.

We should be getting about four inches of snow here between eleven in the morning to two thirty in the afternoon. I will have to go out and plow about two oclock. We could get another two or three inches up to tomorrow morning here. No sun in the forecast.

At least we are not having a snowstorm this year or lots of the heavy wet snow, this snow is dry and not too heavy. I wouldn't even be plowing today if we weren't scheduled for a propane fill on our tank this week, I would wait till it was all over.

I like the winter solstice, it means that the daylight hours will be increasing, but up here it also means the real cold weather starts which seems kind of strange to me.

a reply to: new_here

I've been real crabby lately, but this morning I woke up in the best mood.
I'm going to clean, eat great food and have fun with family today.

I will also plan some gardening for the spring. To answer your question,
Do I feel hopeful? Today I do.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
I've been real crabby lately...

NO!!!!!!! The hell you say.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: new_here

I've been real crabby lately, but this morning I woke up in the best mood.
I'm going to clean, eat great food and have fun with family today.

I will also plan some gardening for the spring. To answer your question,
Do I feel hopeful? Today I do.

Now that you mention it, I have noticed that you have been a little fired up in your threads you created lately. Usually you are a lot more mellow. I wasn't going to mention it until this though, I was afraid you might chew my head off.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

NO!!!!!!! The hell you say.

I'm actually a pretty happy go lucky person, but yes the last year was just too much.
I'm slowly getting out of the slump and looking forward to the new year.

For some way up in the north it's not just the shortest day but eternal night...

So i consider myself lucky to have a gray day as usual at least it's short...

originally posted by: JAGStorm
I'm actually a pretty happy go lucky person, but yes the last year was just too much.
I'm slowly getting out of the slump and looking forward to the new year.

Let's just get drunk, I know a couple guys in Vegas who can join in and help.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Let's just get drunk, I know a couple guys in Vegas who can join in and help.

I bet

a reply to: new_here

I didn't expect a chance to show off the card on here that my sister-in-law sent me for the winter solstice. She knows my tastes even better than my wife.

The image is said to have been the work of Sotatsu Tawaraya during the Edo period. It depicts Fujin, the kami of the wind, and Raijin, the kami of thunder.



Happy winter solstice!

Absolutely. Happy new year!
My favorite lake is under construction so no naked bath this time.
I had to improvise a lot this year so it fits nicely. Next full moon or new moon I'm outta here somewhere in the nature. Gotta force myself lately tho

a reply to: rickymouse

At least we are not having a snowstorm this year

I have to LOL, because where I live what you described is called a snowstorm!

But I agree it is weird that the brunt of winter comes after the days start getting longer!

a reply to: rickymouse

They are saying that we might get some snow here, too. It usually only snows once a year here. My dogs love to play in the snow, so I'm hoping for a good one.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I didn't realize you were feeling crabby, but if that is the case, it has produced some good threads for me to read.

a reply to: JAGStorm

This is what I'm talking about! It's moments like this that let me glimpse how biologically/mentally/spiritually attuned/effected we are to cosmic forces. On a deep level beyond words, we sense the turning of our sphere back towards the life-sustaining source of the sun. Just as they did in days of old.

I hates winter
if I had the $ I'd spend it in Florida or someplace similar.

well it is what it is.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

NO!!!!!!! The hell you say.

I'm actually a pretty happy go lucky person, but yes the last year was just too much.
I'm slowly getting out of the slump and looking forward to the new year.

That's the Spirit! And me too. Just imagine if all the people of the world started having the same feeling. And suddenly had no place in their life for the massive negativity, and just noped out of being effected by it and on to better things.

a reply to: tamusan

Great card, intricate... never heard of those gods but ok!!
You've got the Spirit!