is coming up THIS SUNDAY – the 21st in Northern Hemisphere. Indeed, this Sunday is Winter Solstice as well as a New Moon – quite an auspicious day:)
Specifically if you are in San Francisco/Silicon Valley Bay Area … note the exact time of Winter Solstice to be 3:03 PM PST,
but most people celebrate the whole day as the Winter Solstice as I would:) In reality, I have come to learn that the Solstice occurs at a specific time – when the Sun is exactly overhead the Tropic of Capricorn.
– photo credit to http://theartof12.blogspot.com/2013/12/winter-solstice-december-21-2013.html – beautiful photos to sigh over.
“The Sun Stands Still” – The term “solstice” apparently comes from the Latin word solstitium, meaning the Sun stands still. This is because on this day, the Sun reaches its southern-most (or northern-most during the June Solstice) position as seen from the Earth. It seems to stand still at the Tropic of Capricorn (and Tropic of Cancer during the June Solstice) and then reverses its direction.
– excerpt from time & date.com http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/ten-things-december-solstice.html
So now that you know Sunday is Winter Solstice, what are you going to do?
Celebrate !
Of course:) Will share some ideas with you in the post that follows…
– photo credit to http://www.wattention.com/archives/ise-jingu-shrine-2/
NOTE: In Japan, Winter Solstice = 冬至＝ “TOUJI” = literally the characters reads “Winter” “Comes” or “arrives” … The most famous celebration may be the one held at Ise Grand Shrine where apparently if you stand on the Uji-bridge, the sun rises from the middle of the Torii, the gate of the temple …and awash you with the sense of renewal – ridding self of the past, to bring in a fresh start with the coming of light…a reminder that suffering and pain may bring about darkness, it may even appear that shadows overtake BUT shadows are there because there is light, bright light whether hidden and underneath the layers and veils … light returns … BRIGHT & there’s renewal and rebirth.
It is believed from the old Eastern calendar that October is laden in Yin-energy, in November, subtle Yang-energy revitalizes … and Winter Solstice marks the lengthening or the strengthening of the Yang-energy to bring about a “balance” which is ironic because it’s the shortest day of the year … but a re-start of a cycle. This is a sign that a new year is coming along with the hope of sun rising on the horizon, warming our souls. There’s a spiritual meaning signifying the message of the faith in the cycle of coming season – that of rising sun, lengthening days coming ahead – that no matter how wrought with pain and suffering the past year may have been, any bad luck of the past year – its all to be washed away and there remains the purified Self – a NEW DAY of restored hope … a turning point from darkness to light and as always, Japanese celebrates with foods of significance to mark the day …
Yes, I am looking around for “Yuzu”… for the bath; making red beans rice risotto; and kabocha… Golden Orange … is the color evoked. Sun, sun, sun – Love.
