In Persian culture, the winter solstice is called Yaldā (meaning: birth) and it has been celebrated for thousands of years. It is referred to as the eve of the birth of Mithra, who symbolised light, goodness and strength on earth. LIZ LOCHHEAD In the Mid-Midwinter ‘Tis the year’s midnight, and it is the day’s – from John Donne’s ‘A Nocturnal Read more about Winter solstice – the Hibernal solstice[…]

When the weather grows cold and the food supply finally dries up, black bears retreat to their winter dens. Males bed down around mid-December and emerge in mid-March; females, which give birth during the winter and stay with their cubs for two years, remain in their dens longer, from late November to mid-April.

Will you search through the lonely earth for me?Climb through the briar and brambleI’ll be your treasureI felt the touch of the kings and the breath of the windI knew the call of all the song birdsThey sang all the wrong wordsI’m waiting for youI’m waiting for youWill you swim through the briny sea for Read more about Keep looking[…]

The Essay, BBC Radio 4 Religions of the north https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b06s9dh1

Deep dark winter moon

Borrow God’s eyes

Yule 12th December is Lussi’s Night, a Northern European goddess and light bringer in the darkness. She is connected with a wild hunt horde called the lussiferda (lucifer?) rebranded and syncretised with Saint Lucia lussevaka, the night long vigil, to stay awake in vigil through lusinatt light carried around to ward off evil animals would Read more about Yule[…]

In Something Understood Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand argues that the central teaching of this festival of light is about having enough and the feeling of not having enough in a culture of materialism and abundance. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b09jbrv6