Winter Solstice Greetings

Dear Friends, 

This is the holiday season and there are many faith-based celebrations to share. But, the  Solstices are Planetary Moments,  events recognized by humans (and non-humans) everywhere since we gained consciousness. It is a moment that brings into our consciousness our place in Space, in the Solar System, our relationship to the Sun, and the uncanny forces of Gravity and momentum. On December 21 I will celebrate the Solstice with a fire to represent the beginning of the return of our Sun, and a sparkling cold beverage to remind me of the cold days ahead. I’ve attached a little story I wrote last year. I hope you can share it with the kids on Winter Solstice, 2021. The best to you, and us all in the new year, and thank you for your help and support, 

Mr. Leki


Winter Solstice

P. Leki


Long time ago,

before Hanukah,

and Christmas,

and Diwali

and Kwanza.

In fact, before humans roamed the Earth,

the planets and the Sun did their dance,

circling around and around each other,

in a tipsy celebration of Time.

On Earth, creatures big and small,

plant and animal,

watched the dance carefully.

And they noticed that at a part of the year, 

the days started getting shorter,

And the Sun didn't come up so high into the sky like before.

A Snapping Turtle was talking to a Great Blue Heron.

"Feels like there is a chill in the air. I'm thinking about taking a deep breath and hunkering down in the mud for a long nap."

Heron looked with her big eye and said:

"Well, I ain't doin' that! Get's too cold.  I'm out of here. Goin' south"

A nearby Black Willow said, in a creaky tree voice:

“Happens every year, this time.  Days get short,

my leaves fall off, I suck in all the chlorophyll I can handle,

and take MY rest, too."

 

But alot of animals worried, especially the young ones.

A Skunk said to a Possum:

"You notice how each day gets shorter?

And the Sun keeps sinking and sinking?

Now what if, I'm just saying, what if it kept sinking and the daylight disappeared totally?

Then what?

Then what? Why, you'd freeze, and I'd freeze. No Sun, no heat."

"What we gonna do Skunk?"

Skunk scratched his head, and neck, and tail, and then said:

"Let's talk to Bur Oak"

"Scuze us! Hello! Scuze us ma'm”, Skunk said to Bur oak.

Nothing. 

Possum and Skunk looked at each other, and Possum began to cry, then wailed : "Yahhhhhhh"

"What? What?" said bur oak, wakened from the start of her winter nap.

"What is it?"

Skunk and possum explained about the days getting shorter and the Sun going down further, and it getting colder....

Bur oak groaned a cranky groan, like a mom or dad might do when waked up by a whining kid in the middle of the night. 

"Now, why do you think you got those nice fur coats??? All stylish and warm? Do YOU think YOU are the first people to go through a Winter??? Have you noticed that EACH day the Sun is slowing down as it lowers itself in the sky?"

Skunk and Possum looked at each other, a little embarrassed. 

"No" said Possum, "We didn't. We were busy playing. I was hanging by my tail. And Skunk was spraying her perfume on a coyote. We just noticed the Sun and got to thinking..."

"Well", said Bur oak, "pay attention. In a few days it will be the Winter Solstice. The Sun will stop its journey to the south. The days will STOP getting shorter. And slowly, gradually, the Sun will start back up into the high sky, and the days will get longer, and, in a month or two, you will start to feel the first warm breath of spring.

Possum and Skunk looked at each other.

"But how do you know????" asked Skunk.

"Go on away with you. You know how old I am??? I been through this for more than 350 cycles and I can tell you, for sure, this is the BEGINNING of the END of Winter. Oh, there will be cold days ahead, wind and snow. But there's no stopping it. Spring is on its way."

Skunk and Possum's eyebrows shot up. "Yeah! Let's go and play. You play dead," said Skunk.  And I will play perfume counter...."

"Oh my" Bur Oak moaned. "Let me sleep"

What Bur Oak predicted, came to pass. And each year after, Skunk and Possum shared this wisdom with their own worried children. And instead of worrying, on the day of the Winter Solstice, they danced and sang, and ate and drank, watched the Sunset, and the Moonrise, and the stars circling in Space.

 

December 15, 2020