Winter Solstice

Totally cheesy solstice design thanks to chatGPT

Happy Winter Solstice, the day with the least amount of light in the northern hemisphere of this blue ball that we are travelling on. Stirling at around 56.1° N gets less than 7 hours of sunlight, assuming the sun makes an appearance which by the looks of today is unlikely due to cloud cover. Striling is one of the darker parts of Central Scotland during the winter solstice but is far better of than someplace like Thurso (58.6° N) which gets less than six hours.

The winter grows noticeably longer the farther north you travel. Take Shetland, for example—often overlooked on maps of Scotland, yet it represents the very northern edge of the country. At its northernmost point, around 60.8° N, daylight lasts only about five hours, a stark reminder of how dramatically the seasons shift as you approach the Arctic.

At this time of year I always feel that winter solstice gives me time to slow down and reflect on the previous year and to take stock if anything has changed with myself, a little older, fatter and balder are my day to day observations, At this time of year gives me pause for deeper reflection, about what has grown, shed and where I see my direction for the next year.

As AI is the. hot topic just now I let chatGPT design the artwork for this post, a change from my normal solstice artowrk, but I like the AI design for it’s cheesy and a. little over the top desgin. Can’t wait till the machines ruse up, can’t be that long now 🤣.

The daylight gets longer from here on in, enjoy.

Winter Solstice

Today represents the arduous descent to the day with the shortest amount of light, the winter solstice. The peak of Saturnalia as represented by my light ‘candle’. As much as I love winter I do enjoy the sunlight being a bit longer as 8:45 is ridiculous for sunrise…

I hope that you are enjoying the Saturnalia festivities that you may have going on, or any other pagan rituals that you are into!

Winter Solstice

In what can be described as feeling like the longest year ever, I am happy that Winter solstice is finally here, marking the day with the least amount of light before the earth’s axis starts tilting back to summer again.

It seems ironic that at the start of the year most people were sick of hearing about Brexit on the news and were wanting something new in the headlines. I guess you should be careful for what you wish for. Interestingly both Brexit and COVID are about to cause a major clusterfuck at the end of the year with no imports or exports into the UK due to COVID and the (oven ready) No Deal with Europe.

It would be hard to believe that 2021 can be any worse.

Unfortunately for most in Scotland we will not be able to see the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn tonight, it’s very cloudy, I actually wonder if it was cloudy on the night 400 years ago when they last met like this. I look forward to the videos and photographs tomorrow!

After the year that has been we should take a moment to acknowledge the solstice, knowing that the darkest day eventually leads to the lightest.

Summer Solstice

It’s hard to believe that we are at the Summer Solstice. So little and so much has happened since the winter solstice. The summer solstice is one of my favourite days of the year, the sun does go down at this latittude but the light never disappears. I can see the sun go down over the western horizon and rise again on the eastern horizon, living on the top floor of a block of apartments has it’s advantages.

As I sit writing this at 3 am I can see that the sky to the west is already a deep orange colour that changes into a light blue above me. When I lived south of the border this was one of the things I missed most about Scotland in the summer, the first light of morning and the long summer days.

Winter Solstice

Possibly my favourite day of the year, the Winter Solstice marks the shortest day in the northern hemisphere. For me it marks the start of ‘proper’ winter, January and February always feel the coldest in Scotland. It also means that the days start lengthening again up until the June summer solstice.

For many winter is the hardest part of the year due to the lack of light and coldness. When I hear people complain about winter I often think of the poem There’s a certain slant of light, by Emily Dickinson.

There's a certain Slant of light,
Winter Afternoons –
That oppresses, like the Heft
Of Cathedral Tunes –

Heavenly Hurt, it gives us –
We can find no scar,
But internal difference –
Where the Meanings, are –

None may teach it – Any –
Tis the seal Despair –
An imperial affliction
Sent us of the Air –

When it comes, the Landscape listens –
Shadows – hold their breath –
When it goes, 'tis like the Distance
On the look of Death –

Whatever your feeling about winter, Happy Solstice.