Today is the shortest day!

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Always gives me a bit of a boost that lighter days are on the way!

Any Solstice babies called Sol or Sunny or Luz?

Solstice Blessings.
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Amidst all the busyness of this time of the year, let's remember to settle into the stillness of this season, and honour the invitation to go within at this time of the longest night, and connect with the song of the land and the winter's dream.

It is a time of rest and renewal so that the glowing embers in our soul may be ready to shine bright as powerful flames in the year to come. ⠀⠀
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Happy Solstice!

I got up to watch the sunrise today. It totally failed me, hiding behind a blanket of grey cloud. Sigh.

Good heavens. Where are you?

8:23/15:48 here. Earliest sunset was a couple of days ago, 15:47. Latest sunrise is yet to come - it will go to 08:25 by Christmas Day and stay there for a week, while by 3rd Jan sunset will be back up to 16:00. Solstice greetings to all. However dark it is, we are now in the getting lighter stage!

This is my favourite day of the year. I loathe winter -deffo a SAD sufferer, as I just shut down mentally and physically but this day is such a boost knowing we’ve turned the corner from tomorrow. Plus seeing all the shoots starting to push through, I can feel my mood lifting.

My favourite day too, and I love new year. New beginnings, spring and summer on the (distant) way. DH has bought me a SAD lamp for Christmas, which I requested. Really hope it helps. ☀️

Yep, the whole process is not symmetric..

Today is the shortest day/longest night but the evenings started drawing out about a few days ago OTOH we've not yet got to latest sunrise.

Also maybe worth bearing in mind when comparing sunrise/sunset times that east/west also makes a difference..there's about a 20 min GMT/UTC difference in sunrise/sunset between London and Cornwall.

😄 One of the girl names on our list was Lucy. Though in all honesty I was too busy giving birth to an overdue baby, to realise the significance of the date they eventually arrived on.

It’s a beautiful, bright day. I’ve got yellow winter jasmine blossom, white snow berries and red cotoneaster berries peeping out from all the grey sticks in my garden. And a tray of 23 mini choc chip cupcakes waiting for my dc to come down for a birthday brunch. This evening we’ll take them out to dinner. It’s a lovely midwinter day.

Happy Winterval, everybody. ☺️

It's not symmetric, but over a year you get 50% day and 50% night.

And (although it's all I've known) I like the way in the northern hemisphere you gain your daylight in the mornings after the winter solstice so you can feel the days lengthening quite quickly.

Much speculation that the earths tilt may play a part in why there is life here. Some even intelligent so they say.

🍾🎊 YAY 😃😃🎉🍾🎊

Finland. And there's no snow this year so it's really dark and miserable. I think I've only actually seen the sun 3 times this month!

@Natsku interesting, is having no snow unusual for you ?

This looks like a picture postcard, how lovely.

So happy!

spending the day resetting my space and intentions, prepping a decent meal for the next few days before Christmas, and taking it slower. Brighter days are coming!

Today, our journey back to the light begins.

And it is long overdue

It’s actually on time. 😂

One of my favourite days of the year.

We have turned the year.

Ironically though as I always feel much more like myself in the winter months, I love the solstice and it feels much more of a "new year" than 1st Jan.

We mark it every year, I usually watch the Stonehenge streaming on YouTube but haven't had chance yet today, I'm about to head into the garden to top up the bird feeders and just pottering around, then around 3pm we are heading for a walk on the beach as it gets dark.

Just back from a nice dog walk gathering some evergreens to decorate the house and table. Feel proper Pagan now! 😂

Well yes 😂 I just hate September - December. Dark, miserable and depressing

🥳 yay!
I’ve had SAD much worse this year for some reason, can’t wait for the light nights.
( although I was out driving yesterday and saw some daffodils already out in bloom on a grass verge😮)

Lovely day of hope, this last back-end seemed longer and darker than usual because we've had so many rainy days and there's so much mud everywhere (I'm in rural Ireland) BUT I have my first snowdrops.

Of course, of the three sorts I planted this year it's the ones in the nasty plastic pot that are first, not either of the ones in pretty terracotta.

There are other snowdrops and crocuses pushing up, and a few clumps of rich purple violets. Roll on Spring.

Loathe this time of year and it was so dark this morning. Roll on summer.

Yeah there's usually a good covering of snow at this time of year but it's been unseasonably warm this early winter, just the occasional snowfall then it goes above zero again and all melts away. Hate it.