© Storm Genevieve Black 2015. All Rights Reserved

Season: Winter

Date of alignment: Tuesday 21st June

Marking: The Mid-Winter Solstice

Local Time: 7:13pm

Dawn: 6:21-6:47am

Dusk: 5:01-5:28pm

Marking the longest night of the year. While this may not be the coldest day of the year it is the day with the fewest daylight hours. It is a time for looking forward. To the return the rising sun the following morning. When greenery is brought into the home to encourage the return of spring at the beginning of August. It is also a time for leisure. A chance to rest and recuperate in this busy life we lead today. A time for holidays and relaxation. On the mid-winter’s night, it was traditionally thought by the Celts that if they sang and danced, played music  and burned fires through the night, they would encourage the sun to rise again. There are also traditions of watching the sun set at your local stone circle, listening to the evening chorus as you do so, and then seeing if you can manage to stay awake to see the sun rise again the following morning. This is an excellent excuse for a feast to keep you going. However, this is not advisable the further south you go. Where eventually you would end up trying to stay awake for days.

Please note: all times and dates are calculated to local time for Glen Innes, NSW, Australia.