Winter Solstice

Dec 21 is Winter Solstice

The winter solstice is an astronomical event that occurs annually around December 21st or 22nd in the northern hemisphere and around June 20th or 21st in the southern hemisphere. It marks the shortest day and longest night of the year.

It occurs when the Earth's axial tilt is farthest away from the sun. In the northern hemisphere, the North Pole is tilted directly away from the sun, resulting in the lowest position of the sun in the sky and shorter daylight hours. Conversely, in the southern hemisphere, the South Pole is tilted directly towards the sun, leading to longer days and shorter nights.

During the winter solstice, the sun reaches its lowest point in the sky at noon, and the length of daylight is at its minimum. This phenomenon occurs because of the Earth's axial tilt, which causes variations in the amount of sunlight received by each hemisphere throughout the year.

The winter solstice tends to be more significant in non-equatorial regions because the changes in day length and sunlight are more noticeable. In these regions, the winter solstice marks the turning point of the seasons, with colder temperatures and shorter days leading up to it. Culturally, this transition has been associated with themes of rebirth, renewal, light, and the hope for the return of warmth and longer days.

Fall Equinox

The Fall equinox (September equinox, autumn equinox,fall equinox) is an astronomical event that occurs annually around September 22nd or 23rd in the northern hemisphere and around March 20th or 21st in the southern hemisphere. It marks the moment when the sun crosses the celestial equator; the Earth's axis is not tilted toward or away from the sun. As a result, the sun appears directly over the Earth's equator, and day and night are approximately of equal duration across the globe.

Rituals and celebrations associated with the fall equinox tend and be more significant in regions that are further away from the equator; where the changing of seasons, including the transition from summer to fall, is more noticeable, and the equinoxes have a greater impact on day length and seasonal shifts. However, variations of rituals and celebrations related to the fall equinox can be found across different latitudes and cultural backgrounds, reflecting the significance of this celestial event in various traditions.

• Harvest Festivals: Many cultures celebrate the fall equinox as a harvest festival, giving thanks for the abundance of crops and the bountiful harvest season. Examples include Thanksgiving in North America, Chuseok in Korea, and the Harvest Moon Festival in China.
• Mabon: Mabon is a neopagan festival that is often celebrated around the fall equinox. It is a time to honor the balance between light and dark and to express gratitude for the harvest. Rituals may involve feasting, making offerings to deities, and communing with nature.
• Day of the Dead: In some Latin American countries, including Mexico, the fall equinox coincides with the beginning of the Day of the Dead celebrations. This multi-day festival involves honoring deceased loved ones, creating altars, and participating in processions and ceremonies.
• Mid-Autumn Festival: The Mid-Autumn Festival is widely celebrated in East Asia, including China, Vietnam, and other regions with Chinese cultural influence. It typically falls around the fall equinox and is marked by the lighting of lanterns, family gatherings, moon-viewing, and the consumption of mooncakes.
• Pagan and Druidic Traditions: In certain pagan and druidic traditions, the fall equinox is known as "Mabon" or "Alban Elfed." It is considered a time of balance, with rituals centering on themes of thanksgiving, reflection, and preparing for the coming winter.

Day meets night, in a dance of equinox light

where seasons change in harmonious flight

Summer Soltice

Sun's longest sojourn

Heat waves dance in the daylight

Melting ice cream dreams.

The summer solstice is an astronomical event that occurs annually around June 20th or 21st in the northern hemisphere and around December 21st or 22nd in the southern hemisphere. It marks the longest day and shortest night of the year.

Astronomically, the summer solstice happens when the Earth's axial tilt is most inclined towards the sun. This means that the North Pole is tilted directly towards the sun, resulting in the sun appearing at its highest position in the sky, and the rays of sunlight falling more directly on the northern hemisphere. Conversely, in the southern hemisphere, the South Pole is tilted away from the sun, leading to shorter days and longer nights.

During the summer solstice, the sun reaches its highest point in the sky at noon, and the length of daylight is at its maximum. This phenomenon occurs because the Earth's axis is tilted approximately 23.5 degrees relative to its orbit around the sun. As the Earth orbits the sun, this tilt causes the amount of sunlight received by each hemisphere to vary throughout the year, leading to the changing seasons.

Many western european cultures celebrate the summer solstice. Some examples. 

• Stonehenge, England:  People gather to witness the sunrise aligned with the ancient stone monument.
• Midsummer's Eve  in Scandinavia (countries like Sweden, Denmark, and Norway) is celebrated with bonfires, traditional dances around maypoles, and feasts. It is a significant holiday in these cultures, often associated with fertility, love, and the celebration of nature.
• Sankthans (St Johns Eve), Norway: is celebrated on June 23rd in Norway. People gather around bonfires, sing songs, and enjoy traditional food and drinks. It is a time for community bonding and merriment.
• Fête de la Musique (Music Day), France:  musicians of all genres perform in the streets, parks, and public spaces. It is a day of music appreciation and open-air concerts.

However, summer solstice festivities tend to be less common or less significant in regions closer to the equator (eg: parts of Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia). This is because the equatorial regions experience relatively consistent day lengths and sunlight throughout the year, with only minor variations so the seasons are less pronounced. As a result, the solstices do not bring about significant changes in the length of the day or the angle of the sun, as they do in regions farther from the equator. 

There are however some festivals in these regions that somewhat align and happen around the time of summer solstice. 

• The Massai of East Africa (Kenya and Tanzania): A traditional  warrior dance called Adumu (jumping dance) is performed during special occasions, including the solstices, as a way to celebrate and mark important events in their calendar.
• The Kukuya of Central Africa (Congo): have a solstice ritual called the "Iboundji" ceremony where people gather around a sacred tree and engage in traditional dances and songs to honor the sun and its role in their lives.
• The Dayak of Borneo: The  "Gawai" festival is held around June 1st coincides with the rice planting season and the beginning of the rainy season, and includes various rituals and celebrations that pay homage to the sun, earth, and spirits for a bountiful harvest.
• The T'boli of the Philippines:  During the summer solstice, people perform ceremonies and rituals related to the T'nalak art form (traditional weaving of abaca fibers into intricate patterns), which is believed to have spiritual and cosmic significance. 

Retrograde Motion

A Matter of Perspective - Retrograde Motion

Sometimes Mars seems to move backward - every wonder why! Perhaps its a matter of Perspective

Time to Recalculate - Your Zodiac Slipped

We are all aware of the 12 Zodiacs Signs which are basically the 12 constellations in our sky. Ancient astrologers arrived at these 12 zodiacs based on calculations of their view of the sky during their times.

Our view of the sky has changed since - in fact we now have 13 Zodiacs. There is a new constellation called Ophiuchus.

The zodiac you knew all along could just be off by a month or you could be in a brand new zodiac too. How about that?

Precession of the Equinoxes

We are all familiar with the first 2 motions of earth The Earth orbits the Sun in a 365 day cycle
The Earth rotates on its axis in an approximate 24 hr cycle.

But there is a third and less known motion of the Earth known as the Precession of Equinoxes. The axis of Earth itself wobbles /gyrates like a top in a 26,000 year cycle. It stands to reason that our view of the night sky will change as a result over time.


Polaris, our current north star for instance, is 1 degree off the North Celestial Pole. In around 12,000 years, our north star will be Vega. We will be back to Polaris again when the cycle completes.


Celestial Sphere and Ecliptic: For an observer on earth, our visible sky seems to move around us in a counterclockwise fashion on the inner surface of a giant imaginary Celestial Sphere. The Ecliptic is basically the apparent annual path of the sun against the background of the stars or the projection of Earth’s orbital place on the celestial sphere.


Traditional Western Astrology, gives us the 12 zodiac signs. The zodiac sign corresponds to the position of the sun relative to constellations on the Ecliptic. ie: which constellation was the sun in the day you were born. Ancient Astrologers calculated that each constellation was approx 30 degrees in the ecliptic, 30 deg for Aries, 30 degrees for Taurus etc… starting in around 600 BCE. Under this system


Aquarius Jan 20- Feb 18, Pisces Feb 19 - Mar 20, Aries Mar 21 - Apr 19, Taurus Apr 20 - May 20, Gemini May 21 - Jun 20, Cancer Jun 21 - July 22, Leo July 23 - Aug 22, Virgo Aug 23 - Sep 22, Libra Sep 23 - Oct 22, Scorpio Oct 23-Nov 21. Sagittarius Nov 22- Dec 21, Capricorn Dec 22 - Jan 19


That is, a person born on Feb 22 (me) would fall under the Pisces astrological sign. The same method of calculation has however continued over the millennia without taking into account the Precession of the Equinoxes. The celestial equator (projection of our equator on the celestial sphere) has also moved due to the Precession of the Equinoxes. (Where the celestial equator meets the ecliptic are the vernal and autumnal equinoxes.) The intersection of the celestial equator and the ecliptic has moved off west by almost 36 degrees (approx 1/10 of its cycle) currently. So all the zodiac signs have slipped off by around a month. So when we correct for the Precession of the Equinoxes, the correct zodiac sign for the Feb 22nd born per today’s sky is Aquarius.


In fact there is a 13th constellation visible in the ecliptic now. The southern part of constellation Ophiuchus or the Serpent bearer appears between Scorpius and Sagittarius during spring and summer.


Capricorn - Jan 20 - Feb 16, Aquarius - Feb 16 - Mar 11, Pisces - Mar 11 - Apr 18, Aries - Apr 18 - May 13, Taurus - May 13 - Jun 21, Gemini - Jun 21 - Jul 20, Cancer - Jul 20 - Aug 10, Leo - Aug 10 - Sep 16, Virgo - Sep 16 - Oct 30, Libra - Oct 30 - Nov 23, Scorpius - Nov 23 - Nov 29, Ophiuchus - Nov 29 - Dec 17, Sagittarius - Dec 17 - Jan 20


The zodiac you knew all along could just be off by a month or you could be in a brand new zodiac too. How about that?