. . . AND I SAY, IT'S ALL RIGHT

I am feeling sort of like comedian John Candy, the bumbling houseguest who wears out his welcome. But somehow he redeems himself, making his exit with enough grace and affection to get a thin but real invitation to, “Come back again.” It seems, in the weeks since Thanksgiving that I’ve worn friends and family thin with my enthusiasm for Winter Solstice. I have the self imposed task of promoting Solstice. If I don’t do it, who will? Western (Christian) civilization has systematically supplanted Baby Jesus’s birthday in place the world’s oldest, longest continuously celebrated holiday. Baby J was born in the spring if the biblical account is correct. Shepherds were back out in the fields with their flocks; it was tax time in the Roman Empire, spring time. Christmas is awesome with wonderful stories to suit everyone’s appetite but my mission, if I accept it (Mission Impossible), is to restore a calendar correct Honoring for the first begotten Sun. 

So for those who have forgotten, for sure in the past 6,000 years and certainly long before that, humans have noticed the sun’s orbit sinking lower and lower in the south (Northern Hemisphere) as summer slips into fall and the onset of cold weather foretells the approaching winter. Way down in Africa of course, where it all began, the shadows stretched north. They saw it coming and knew the hardships that came with it. As shadows lengthened, old people in their 30’s and even kids would commiserate; “Oooh man, it’s gonna’ get cold, really, really cold.” Then, when the resident Shadow-Shaman noticed, the shadow cast by the sacred post or rock stopped its longer-ing and began to shorten. The Sun was on the rise again and that was good news. It would take a long, hard winter before it got high overhead again with warm breezes and mild weather but you gotta’ have faith. Every year, same-o same-o; they counted the days and there was a pattern. So they were able to anticipate the awesome day that the Sun started coming back. It did not spare them the hardships of winter but like other mysterious, unexplainable, miraculous things, it also carried the promise of Spring. Devout believers of all religions are still invested in promises of one kind or another. Something really troubling is going to get a lot better if you can stick it out a little longer. 

I will celebrate that shortening of shadows here in a few hours. I usually have company where we sit around a wood fire, commune with dark chocolate and brandy, listen to Sun significant music, stand up and shuffle our feet if it feels just right. I think about my long-distant forbearers, what it must have been like when you were educated if you knew the difference between 20 and 25 and you were really old if you lived long enough to see your grandchildren. But they were every bit as smart as the 21st Century smarty pants. They just had to know for sure about a jillion things that are no longer relevant. When snow is on the ground we don’t have to know where to look for leeks or dandelion root. 

I remember how good it felt to sing with my class mates, “. . . above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.”  Now I take comfort singing along with George Harrison, his song “Here Comes The Sun”  My solstice song goes, "It seems like years since its been here. Little Darlin’, here comes the sun, here comes the sun and I say, it’s all right." I like the heretic’s life, it is a good fit. Take away believing in the unbelievable and the Obedience clause: doubt doesn't address the hereafter but it's really liberating in the here and now. Not to fault anybody’s religion. If it fits wear it, go in peace, judge not lest you be judged, do no harm and live as best you can. 

Tomorrow the daylight hours will have increased by a few seconds, not that we will notice but it is the implied promise and year after year, it hasn’t failed in all of human history. By tomorrow night I will have shifted completely into Christmas mode. My family will be celebrating Christmas together with sinfully rich food, plenty of outrageous foolishness and my pagan tendencies will either go unnoticed or be forgiven.