*** REPOST FROM THE ARCHIVES ***

The Wheel of the Year

The December Solstice, is known as the Winter Solstice in Northern Hemisphere; but since December is a Summer month in the Southern Hemisphere, 22 Dec is the Summer Solstice. As I currently live in Oz; the longest day of the year beckons. Both Solstices’ always reminds me of my Celtic homeland roots. I miss celebrating classic winter Yuletide vibes when the December Solstice occurs Down under - a warm Xmas is mind bending for this European!

So the Wheel of the Year is essentially a sun clock, with the eight wheel spokes pointing to seasonal markers, Celtic festivals and compass markers. It represents a continuing cycle of life, death and rebirth, reflecting the natural passage of life in the world. Personally see the Celtic wheel as a ‘code of living’; assisting us in live in tandem with seasons and beat to our internal circadian rhythm.

The Sun’s Path

Except for a few days around the time of the Solstices, the sun rises and sets in different positions along the horizon. The Earth orbits counter-clockwise around the Sun as viewed from the North Pole - the motion is measured from the ecliptic, illustrating the perspective  of the sun's annual orbit as viewed from earth. Newsflash, the sun doesn’t always rise true East or set True West every day. The sun, moon, stars and planets rise towards the East, due to the Earth’s rotational spin on its axis. 

The word Solstice means ‘sun’ + stit- ‘stopped, stationary’. The Winter Sun rises toward the South-East in the Northern Hemisphere while the Summer Sun rises toward the North-East. However, in the Southern Hemisphere it’s vice versa – the Winter sun rises towards the NE and the Summer sun rises toward the SE in the Southern Hemisphere. Hence why the Celtic Wheel of the year is flipped in the Southern Hemisphere and festival markers are celebrated in the correlating season.

KNOWING WHEN SEASONS COMMENCE

There are three methods used to decipher when a season starts – astronomical, meteorological, and phenological.

If you follow the astronomical method, the Wheel of Year uses the four cross quarter markers to indicate the beginning of the season by way of the Solstice and Equinox points. And the cross quarter points are indicators of where the sun shines on the earth’s surface.

Ireland iconic Celtic crosses offer great visual references and insights – especially Dunleek Celtic cross. A 9Cth stone carved cross, with it’s highly decorated East facing panel displaying seven raised spirals in the centre. They are believed to represent the dance of heavenly bodies around the sun, long before Copernicus put forward his heliocentric theory. All the spheres revolve about the sun, indicating their advanced knowledge, that the sun is the center of the universe. At the time it was believe there was only five planets plus the sun and the moon.

Meteorologists don’t use Solstices/Equinoxes to mark the first day of a season as calendar dates vary year on year. Australians tend to mark the first day of Winter on 1 June (1 December as Summer), roughly three weeks before the astronomical markers.

And finally Phenology, uses the changes in plant and animal behaviour - such as animal migration, types of plants, and changes in colours in the landscape - to determine when the seasons begin.

CELEBRATING THE SEASONS

The ancients celebrated the eight points of the year generally at a sacred site, showing reverence to the site and the rituals preformed in centuries past. I’ve written in a previous post of how I feel a strong pull to honour the Northern Hemispheres markers even though I currently live in the opposing hemisphere. And it’s the Winter Solstice astrological architectural magic the stirs me most.

In Celtic lore the Celt’s honoured the dead and celebrated the rising of the Winter Sun during the Winter Solstice, by building a rather sophisticated astrological calendar. Ireland is home to a megalithic monument, a tumulus that’s over 5,000 years old and it pre-dates the first phase of Stonehenge by 1,000 years and the Egyptian pyramids by 400 years!

It is called Newgrange, (Brú na Bóinne) on the river Boyne in County Meath, and the December Winter Solstice is celebrated on site, over a three day period. This piece of archeological and architectural genius is a burial chamber or tomb, with an entrance opening toward the Winter Solstice sun – South-East. Above the entrance to the passage of the mound there is an opening called a roof-box. On mornings around the Winter Solstice a beam of light penetrates the roof-box and travels up the 19-metre passage and into the darkened chamber. As the sun rises higher, the beam widens so that the whole chamber is dramatically illuminated. 5,000 years ago the light would have entered exactly at sunrise, today the first light enters about four minutes after sunrise. The inner chamber is laid out in the shape of a cross.

The site illustrates the Ancients deep symbolical relationship to the sun - its rising and setting, and its death at the winter equinox. The Celts believed in re-incarnation and the East, especially the South-East, where, after the winter solstice, the sun seems to be re-born or to rise out of the underworld.

Personally, I feel it fitting that the illuminated passage fills the chamber with the seed of light, on the day of the deepest darkest part of winter . . . offering hope of rising again – being reborn?  Think of the Taiji symbol (yin and yang diagram) - with the white dot of male yang (seed of light) in the centre of dark female Yin. Brú also means womb in Old Irish and the 85mt diameter mound is thought also to visually represent a womb. The tiny spark of yang sun - that travels through a phallic tunnel to a dark yin chamber and impregnates Mother Earth – the womb. The Sun grows in light after the solstice.

Ancient Aboriginal Astronomy site

In the Southern hemisphere, the Summer Solstice (21/22 Dec) is celebrated at an ancient Aboriginal site, at a secret location in the Victorian bush that could possibly be the oldest astronomical observatory in the world! Scientists studying the Wurdi Youang stone arrangement say it could date back more than 11,000 years. The arrangement of shallow stones are thought to map the movement of the sun throughout the year. It’s roughly egg shaped, 50m in diameter with approx. 100 basalt marker stones- ranging in size from 20cm to 1m high. Certain stones mark the setting sun at the Solstice and Equinox.

Solstice in Feng Shui Terms

Feng shui consultants, use the solar aspect of the Chinese luni-solar calendar. The marking of a Winter Season is one of the most important festivals, celebrated with the Dong zhi (Extreme Winter) Festival. Eating small round sweet dumplings marks the Winter Festival in December. Older Chinese people believe they are a day older on the Solstice, instead of waiting until the Lunar New Year.

A Chinese calendar charts numerous cycles of time in various increments. One cycle divides the year into 24 seasonal markers – two markers per month – indicated by the sun’s position on the ecliptic. The origin of the Chinese luni-solar Calendar was to mark the interplay of the two opposing yet complementary forces of yin and yang energies - a philosophy of balance in the cosmos. After the Winter Solstice, daytime light – the sun (the male and Yang energy), will grow increasingly longer – the yang sun energy grows, in the deep dark yin winter night. The June Summer Solstice changes again with the yang (day) waning and the Yin (night) waxing. To the Chinese, Solstices’ are a culmination marker and not the beginning of a season.

Feng Shui wise the two most important seasonal markers are the ‘Coming of Spring’ (4th Feb.) and the ‘Summer Solstice’ - Yin Dun (June). The dawn of Spring marks an energetic change in cycles rather than the Chinese Lunar New Year's Day. (In 2023, the first day of the Lunar New Year was 22 January). The Chinese Lunar New Year usually falls on the second new moon after the Winter Solstice.

To a Flying Star Feng consultant, it means a little more – should we need to calculate a daily flying star chart. This energetic blueprint chart for a built structure uses permanent, monthly and annual stars to calculate the flying stars chart for a home. But Daily Stars (energies) are generally used less frequently, as it’s such a brief energy. The two Solstice’ markers influence how to calculate the daily stars fluctuating directional energies; mirroring the phenomenon of Yin and Yang - waxing and waning naturally occurring at this time. The number sequence progresses in reverse order on the Lo shu, at the beginning of the Summer Solstice, with a specific fixed digit always assigned to the Central Palace. The activation strength of Yin and Yang energies in a building also alter, through the course of winter and summer seasons. The element of Water is at its strongest at the Winter Solstice and Fire at its strongest at the Summer Solstice.

How to celebrate the day

As previously mentioned, the June Solstice is known as the Winter Solstice in Australia, and as the Summer Solstice in Northern Hemisphere.

Marking the day with light and darkness of some form is a suggestion. For peeps with a Northern latitude bias the shortest day of daylight sets in, followed by a long night. Perhaps focus on position of the morning Sunrise on your local horizon. Or consciously note where the moonrises on the horizon; note its phase and then pursue suitable activities according to Luna’s phase.

Sitting fireside or rugged up sitting outdoors by a fire pit is also ideal. Take the opportunity if you’re outdoors to look up into the deep dark inky sky and star gaze, learn a few constellations. If you’re indoors, then read or dine by candlelight and acknowledge the yin sparks of light. Decorating fruits of the harvest- like citrus fruits, which represent the fiery sun with cloves is also a traditional Solstice craft. Or if you feel like feasting then roast outdoors on a spit or if you fancy the warmth of the oven indoors then bake a Yule log. A gathering of friends, family or like-minded folk is also a traditional ritual and a cheeky spiced mulled wine is a fitting tipple to offer your guests.

And to mark the Solstice I am continuing my promotion - 21% disc - on our Space Clearing service. A sacred space clearing is a great opportunity to clear and cleanse the energies of a building before a New Year begins. Offer closes for bookings - 22 Jan 2022.

How ever you choose to celebrate the Solstices - Enjoy it!

ⓒ FENG SHUI ISM 2023 - Originally written In June 2018 - updated in 2023.