The Solstice
The Stone Tapes & Solstice Dance
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"Solstices occur twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is directed towards or away from the Sun, causing the Sun to appear to reach its northernmost and southernmost extremes. The name is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstices, the Sun stands still in declination; that is, its apparent movement north or south comes to a standstill".
The term solstice is also used to refer to the date or day that such a passage happens.
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As you can see here, the summer and winter solstices, along with the vernal (where 'vernal' comes from the Llatin word 'vernalis' or 'vernus', meaning 'of Spring') and autumn equinoxes are connected with the seasons. To some they are considered to be the start of, or that they separate the seasons; to others they are seen as the centre points (e.g. in the Northern hemisphere the period around the June solstice is known as midsummer, with Midsummer's Day being 24 June and about three days after the solstice itself). Similarly 25 December is the start of the Christmas celebration, which was originally a Pagan festival in pre-Christian times marking the 'Rebirth of the Sun' (where the giving of sprigs of yew and holly, and other evergreens was to ensure the 'fertility' of the coming year), and is the day the sun begins to return back to the northern hemisphere. There were many 'fire festivals' practised in the late part of the year - the 'darkest part - and with these lights and fires it was hoped that this would encourage the Sun to return.
Summer Solstice Avebury - - -Stonehenge |
