Winter Solstice

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:32 am

Yule Blessings, Pinky!!!

Summer solstice here!!! All upside down!!!

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:39 am

I love what you wrote !!!!

It's really quite strange being widdershins or whatever. Sort of like seeing the seasons in a mirror. Very magic too.

I have a holly tree here in my garden which actually produces red berries in December. In mid summer. It is somehow hemispherically challenged still.

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:52 am

Yes, festivals are different in the northern hemisphere, and I feel it when I'm there. Easter is a Spring Festival, and here it's autumn. Halloween is a harvest festival, and here it's spring. Much Christmas symbolism, as you note, is based on the winter solstice.

caesar777 · Post by **caesar777** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:56 am

So we don't disagree about everything then Pinky.

This is the belief system that I find most similar to my views. I don't practice as I don't know anybody who does, but I would like to find out more about it.

Uncle Kram · Post by **Uncle Kram** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:58 am

As I was born on the Summer Solstice, that makes me 46Â½ today

Remember my Nan phoning me on this day in 1967 to tell me my Grandad, who I'd only just met, had died. Like most dates, it sticks in my mind.

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:05 am

I think the Christian church, Pinky has always been amazingly good at recycling the belief systems it 'replaced'.

Just look at the old agrarian tales in English folklore like morris dances of the killing of the king, so he can be reborn. John Barleycorn. The burying of the seed, so new life can come forth etc.

The chopping up of the God Osiris and casting of his body to the four corners of ancient Egpyt...

The mother goddess and child.

Isis and Horus. etc etc

There seem to be some ideas which are part of the human subconscious and crop up all over the world.

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:07 am

I'm sorry, Unk.

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:12 am

Absolutely, Hammy.

England is full of churches sporting the most awesome Green Man carvings.

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:25 am

I can't remember which of Paul's letters it's in, ? Ephesians?, but there was a big stink in the early Church about the number of people still apparently worshipping the Mother Goddess, old as the earth. Funny how that all sort of developed too. A very masculine based new religion and people, especially out in the country, just refused to abandon the goddess. Though of course she was sanitised.

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:33 am

The Green Man....one of my favorite icons.

Pinky, thank you for your cool post. You know, I didn't know that previously about the holly berries. I learned something new!

Uncle Kram, I am very sorry this day is sad for you.

May it pass quickly for you.

Also, if I may, happy half-birthday to you!

:-4

Uncle Kram · Post by **Uncle Kram** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 5:01 am

RedGlitter;492884 wrote: The Green Man....one of my favorite icons.

Pinky, thank you for your cool post. You know, I didn't know that previously about the holly berries. I learned something new!

Uncle Kram, I am very sorry this day is sad for you.

May it pass quickly for you.

Also, if I may, happy half-birthday to you!

:-4
Thanks for the Â½ birthday wishes :wah: . Not sad really, it was 39 years ago and he was an old & ill stranger. I've never really thought of what could have been. I'm glad today has some relevance to Pinky and like-minded folks

Galbally · Post by **Galbally** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 12:55 pm

They had a piece on tonight about the lucky people who have been on the waiting list to see the setting (or rising) of the sun in the Newgrange Megalithic building in Co Meath, its a sun portal job, the largest and oldest in the world apparently, circa 3,500 BC, and on this day the suns rays filter into the burial chamber in the middle of this very large building, and apparently the quality of the light is very golden and its quite a unique experience (hence the 15 year waiting list), I have been in the chamber and around the site (which is massive and also contains the Nowth and Dowth megalithic buildings), its actually amazing and is one of those places where you really get the shivers just from how old it is, and its still perfect, it hasn't been damaged at all, the stones are made from limestone so its white and quite beautiful, and it still even works after 5,500 years, thats an impressive warranty for any timepiece you would have to say. Pinky you would love that place, nuts for it you would be!

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 12:57 pm

I wish you a great celebration, Pinks!

AussiePam says: "I have a holly tree here in my garden which actually produces red berries in December. In mid summer. It is somehow hemispherically challenged still."

+++++++++++++++++ Ya' gotta' love a holly tree which knows the rules and BLOOMS WHERE IT'S PLANTED!

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 1:20 pm

I do love that holly tree. It is one of the most mysterious trees in my rather odd garden.

Many properly brought up people here have lovely formal gardens. Politically correct people have gardens full of Australian native plants only. (Most of us these days of course have gardens full of wilted, brown or expired plants but I digress)

My garden started off with a few neat silver birch trees, some roses, camellias grafted by my Dad, a couple of maples and some gum trees. But it didn't stay that way. Perhaps it's because some of us sometimes dance naked in it at full moon, or play me tin whistle perched on a rock.

Anyway.. somehow ivy grew over things in this antipodean Tanglewood. Herbs sprung up willy nilly. The roses gave up and instead rowan trees (from bird droppings??) grew. And holly. My kids loved all this and mowing got to be considered a crime. There were tigers in the overgrown azaleas. Bunyips frolicked among the tansy. Every weed had a magic name.

And when the moon is full ................ or at summer um winter solstice ... anything can happen.

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 1:51 pm

AHHHH...native Australian plants are so interesting! I love an "overgrown" look, myself and don't like trimming, pruning, MANAGING living things. It's fun to imagine the full moon on your garden....tell me, do the Aboriginal people ever see fairies?

Do you?

Galbally · Post by **Galbally** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 6:44 pm

Pinky;493435 wrote: I KNOW!!!! I keep reading about the place every year, and I'd love to see it n one of the solstices...maybe I will one year. I'm fascinated with newgrange...I would love to see it for myself!

I can tell you that when you actually see it its very very impressive, far more than I realized before I actually went there and saw it myself, its quite a spine-tingling experience to see the place for the first time, its so ancient, yet so untouched, I've never been anywhere quite like it, and I've seen quite a few amazing places (including Stonehenge, well as near as you can get to it nowadays). Its also quite (for want of a better word), very mystical in a way I can't really describe, while also being very real, its not really what I expected at all, and you know me, I'm not one to be very mystical about anything, but Newgrange is just "special".

Lulu2 · Post by **Lulu2** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 8:32 pm

Photos, please!

Chookie · Post by **Chookie** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 2:53 pm

Pinky;492907 wrote: 'Heathen' is more commonly used to refer to someone who doesn't believe in Christianity, ..........., like you're sub human if you don't!

Chookie is a heathen - but ahmunrae sub-human.

By the ways folkses, the solstice was on the 22nd not the 21st )still: laissez le bon temps roule)