Bringing Light Into The Season Of Darkness

Archeological indications are that the winter solstice in particular was a spiritually significant time. Neolithic observatories such as Stonehenge in England and Ireland’s Newgrange reveal that man has long known how to accurately calculate the solstices and equinoxes. During the early Roman Empire the winter solstice celebrated the birth of the Persian Sun god, Mithras or Sol Deus Invictus (The Invincible Sun) who was widely worshipped in the Mesopotamian provinces of the Empire. In the European regions, including the city of Rome itself, Saturn, the god of agriculture was honored with the Saturnalia Feast from December 17 through the solstice, which fell on December 24 or 25 of the Julian calendar.

In an agrarian society, the winter solstice marks a crucial point in the natural cycle. The word comes from the combination of Sol, the Latin name given to our sun, and ‘stitium’ a Latin word meaning ‘a pause’. For a few days twice a year the sun appears to do just that, pause in its journey through the sky. Full Story

Related: religion, wicca, pagan, spells