Solstice is the perfect opportunity to spend time at your personal altar, whether that is inside through meditation, see the Earth Sanctuary meditation, or outside of you in the form of an actual physical altar you create. Visualize this sensation being rooted within you and then expanding outward to impact all areas of your life. Elsewhere around the world, celebrations range from the biannual appearance of the feathered serpent shadow on the pyramid at Chichén Itzá in Mexico to a range of floral-themed events in countries like Sweden and Latvia. Find out what the winter solstice is and why our ancestors might have built this extraordinary monument The northern solstice passed from Leo into Cancer in year −1458, passed into Gemini in year −10, passed into Taurus in December 1989, and is expected to pass into Aries in year 4609.

To do this, in addition to the four cardinal directions- north, south, east, and west- I like to also tune into Earth, Sky, and the light within.

Each of these rituals can remind you just how connected you are with all of life. Historically, by participating in rituals, people felt understood and simultaneously intimate with nature. About six months later, the Northern Hemisphere has its winter solstice while the Southern Hemisphere is at its summer solstice.

The term solstice can also be used in a wider sense, as the date (day) that such a passage happens. The solstices, together with the equinoxes, are connected with the seasons. In some languages they are considered to start or separate the seasons; in others they are considered to be centre points (in England, in the Northern Hemisphere, for example, the period around the northern solstice is known as midsummer). Midsummer's Day, defined as St. Johns Day by the Christian Church, is June 24, about three days after the solstice itself). Similarly December 25 is the start of the Christmas celebration, and is the day the Sun begins to return to the Northern Hemisphere. The traditional British and Irish (often) main rent and meeting days of the year: "the usual quarter days" was at first those of the solstices and equinoxes. Many indigenous tribes, and ancient cultures around the world have long observed and celebrated the directions. There’s a special kind of power you can tap into by tuning into them. On this day, the number of hours of daylight are at their maximum, while the number of hours of night are at their minimum.According to pagan folklore, evil spirits would appear on the summer solstice. To ward off evil spirits, people would wear protective garlands of herbs and flowers. Johnson, Anthony (2008). Solving Stonehenge: The New Key to an Ancient Enigma. Thames & Hudson. pp.252–253. ISBN 978-0500051559. Kelley, David; Milone, Eugene (2005). Exploring Ancient Skies: An Encyclopedic Survey of Archaeoastronomy. Springer Publishing. The seasons occur because the Earth's axis of rotation is not perpendicular to its orbital plane (the plane of the ecliptic) but currently makes an angle of about 23.44° (called the obliquity of the ecliptic), and because the axis keeps its orientation with respect to an inertial frame of reference. As a consequence, for half the year the Northern Hemisphere is inclined toward the Sun while for the other half year the Southern Hemisphere has this distinction. The two moments when the inclination of Earth's rotational axis has maximum effect are the solstices. Strabo. The Geography. II.5.1. sphairikē ... tēs gēs epiphaneia, spherical is the surface of the Earth

Sol Invictus ("The Unconquered Sun/Invincible Sun") was originally a Syrian god who was later adopted as the chief god of the Roman Empire under Emperor Aurelian. [21] His holiday is traditionally celebrated on December 25, as are several gods associated with the winter solstice in many pagan traditions. [22] It has been speculated to be the reason behind Christmas' proximity to the solstice. [23] Observation [ edit ] National Maritime Museum Free displays Pioneers: A Renaissance in South Asian Creativity A series of portraits of South Asian creative individuals, on display at the National Maritime Museum. Are you ready to meet the pioneers? Strabo II.5.2, "ho di'autēs (gē) aksōn kai tou ouranou mesou tetagmenos", "the axis through it (the Earth) extending through the middle of the sky"

Winter Solstice 2023 in the Northern Hemisphere will on Thursday, December 21 be at 10:27 p.m, Eastern Standard time or Friday December 22 at 5:27 a.m. Eastern European time , marking the first day of winter. Enjoy simply being, breathing, and reflecting on the qualities of the light. Begin to tune into the vast supply of light around you, as well as the light that you carry within at all times. The term heliacal circle is used for the ecliptic, which is in the center of the zodiacal circle, conceived as a band including the noted constellations named on mythical themes. Other authors use Zodiac to mean ecliptic, which first appears in a gloss of unknown author in a passage of Cleomedes where he is explaining that the Moon is in the zodiacal circle as well and periodically crosses the path of the Sun. As some of these crossings represent eclipses of the Moon, the path of the Sun is given a synonym, the ekleiptikos (kuklos) from ekleipsis, "eclipse". Winter Solstice Sunrise Observance at Cahokia Mounds". Collinsville Chamber of Commerce . Retrieved December 20, 2017. Although many of us hear the call of our inner desires and dreams, it is often difficult to find the path forward to our own awakening.