Winter Solstice

"Yule, is when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half.   Starting the next morning at sunrise, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day.  Known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, much celebration was to be had as the ancestors awaited the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, the Giver of Life that warmed the frozen Earth and made her to bear forth from seeds protected through the fall and winter in her womb.  Bonfires were lit in the fields, and crops and trees were "wassailed" with toasts of spiced cider."

 I love this time of year, for its cosiness, its special sunny bright light, sparkling on the morning frosts, the clean vista of the first snows, the the appearance of tracks left by the wild life, not normally seen so clearly.
I love to close my shutters early in the evening lighting the candles and the fire, sipping soup watching the flames dance showing their colours, seeing castle's and dragons playing there in my hearth, fire faeries flying up.
The cats and the dog, curl up snoring gently (most of the time, sometime the snoring becomes quite raucus) this soothes my soul and calms my fears.
And if there is nothing else I can be sure of, I know that the evening will be getting lighter and the Spring will come, then I will find joy in the new life appearing, and look forward to longer evening walks.
I could not live anywhere that did not have defined seasons, I lived in LA for a while, the blue sky day after day, not even any interesting clouds, every morning I new what the weather would be doing, it drove me a little nuts.
I look forward to the snow especially for this reason, that I can be slightly lost, my usual natural sign posts are disguised and I have to work a little harder at placing my feet, minding fallen logs, use a stick to test the depth of snow my peaceful walks become exciting and adventurous for a little while, and if I sit still my ears feel as if I have got cotton wool in them, an unusual sensation and I like it.
So, I shall be celebrating the Winter Solstice this evening, and thinking of whats to come, and say my thank you's for what has past.