#snowy summer solstice

[blueberry-gills]

Legend has it that if you hike up to the peak of Glaseado Mountain on your birthday, you’ll get to see a wonderful gift of nature—Diamond Dust.

Gill only realized she had fallen asleep when she was stirred into consciousness. Her skin curdled under the feeling of something pressing against her cheek. Slowly, she peeled open her eyes.

The Drifloon floated back from her head, seemingly satisfied. Gill blinked blearily at her. She could feel Sizzle’s claws around her neck, digging into her flesh in tandem with her breathing. In any other instance, she’d be terrified.

“…What’s the time,” she said blankly, knowing full well there was no one nearby that could answer her.

“Loooooon.” The Drifloon leaned backward. Her tendrils grew taught around Gill’s arm. Gill felt one of them loosen, untwining from his jacket as the Drifloon raised it up- She could untangle herself at any time? She was just hanging on for fun? Oh Arceus, I can’t feel my hand, is that a blood flow or cold or kidnapping soul thing-?

Pressed her heart to his chin-

Wait wha-

-And tilted his head upwards.

Gill barely had time to react before the first snowflake landed on his nose.

The sky was a cloudy gray. A vast expanse of off-white, a mirror to the earth beneath it. You could argue it looked more beautiful earlier.

But that wasn’t the point.

It was snowing.

Gill’s breath hitched in her throat.

She had seen snow before, of course. Despite her aversion to the cold, she had spent quite a good amount of time in the Polar Biome at Blueberry, thank you very much. She had suffered through artificial winds whipping as snow sliced against your skin. Through opening your mouth and catching a face full of ice. And even before that, her parents had brought her to Montenevera before. Glaseado Mountain was nothing new.

What was new, however, was Diamond Dust.

…It really did look like crystal.

It was soft, gentle even, not fierce or piercing. The snowflakes melted on her blazing skin with a quiet numbness, sparkles dancing in her eyes. As if someone had thrown glitter into the heavens. As if Gill was resting inside a gorgeous snowglobe. A gentle breeze tousled her hair.

It was dazzling. It almost hurt to look at. Gill lifted her free hand and watched as the flakes tumbled out of the sky like dazed Ribombee, gently landing in her palm.

Like shavings of sunlight.

It was beautiful.

It was cold.

It was gorgeous.

It was really cold.

It was decadent.

It was so, so cold. Gill couldn’t feel his feet. Or hands. And he was pretty sure the Drifloon was still trying to lead his soul astray.

But the tears still pooled in her eyes and the glitter danced in her vision all the same.

It wasn’t Lental. It wasn’t the desert. It wasn’t a party in some fancy restaurant surrounded by friends and family who cared.

But it was the best she had.

…And it wasn’t too bad.

The Drifloon hummed in satisfaction as Gill stood up, grabbing the Pokeballs at her waist. Sizzle dug her claws in deeper.

Happy Birthday, Gill. She’s turning seventeen by herself on a mountaintop, speckled with freezing cold Diamond Dust.

With her team beside her. With Pepper sniffing at the long-since-dead Whismur-lite and Salt wordlessly watching beside her, with Locke flitting around and prodding Sizzle, with Key resting a tacky hand on Gill’s shoulder as Sugar decorates a tupperware of berries in cream, with Spice and Baryon watching from afar while Junebug curls up by her bag. With a Drifloon looming over her. (She ought to start thinking of a name.) With regret still lingering in her heart, but a resigned peace nestled beside. Blistering cold and shocking warmth.

And so, the taste of mint and chocolate in her mouth, her skin abuzz with relief and frostnip, Gill wiped the tears out of her eyes and smiled to herself.

Maybe today wasn’t a disappointment, after all.

[mountainmagpie]

Just hear me out: bright, crisp winters and dark, rotting fruit summers.

[greenwitchcrafts]

December 2024 Witch Guide

New Moon: December 1st & December 30th

First Quarter: December 8th

Full moon: December 15th

Last Quarter: December 22nd

Sabbats: Yule: December 21st-January 1st

December Cold Moon

Also known as: Aerra Geola, Drift Clearing Moon, Frost Exploding Trees Moon, Heilagmanoth, Hoar Frost Moon, Little Spirit Moon, Long Night's Moon, Moon of Popping Trees, Moon Before Yule, Moon When the Dear Shed their Antlers, Oak Moon, Snow Moon, Winter Maker Moon, Wintermonat & Wolf Moon

Element: Fire

Zodiac: Sagittarius & Capricorn

Nature spirts: Snow Faeries, Storm Faeries & Winter Tree Faeries

Deities: Athena, Fates, Hades, Hathor, Hecate, Ixchel, Minerva, Neith, Norns, Osiris & Persephone

Animals: Bear, deer, horse & mouse

Birds: Robin, rook & snowy owl

Trees:  Cedar, evergreen, fir, holly & pine

Herbs: Bay, cinnamon, English ivy, frankincense, mistletoe, myrrh & sage

Flowers: Chamomile & poinsettia

Scents: Cedar, cinnamon, frankincense, ginger, lilac, myrrh, nutmeg, patchouli, pine, rose geranium, rosemary, saffron, violet & evergreen

Stones:  Aquamarine, bloodstone, cat's eye, garnet, jacinth, obsidian, peridot, ruby, serpentine, topaz, turquoise

Issues, intentions & powers: Dedication, devotion, love, peace, prosperity & strength

Energy: Alchemy, darkness, endurance, death&rebirth, higher education, reaching out to others, religious, spiritual paths, travel & truths

This full Moon has also been called the Long Night Moon (Mohican), as it rises during the “longest” nights of the year, near the December winter solstice. This name is doubly fitting because December’s full Moon shines above the horizon for a more extended period than most full Moons.

• This December is unique because there will be TWO new Moons. This is called a Black Moon.

A Black Moon is a special kind of New Moon, just as a Blue Moon is a special kind of Full Moon. Neither are astronomical terms; both are catch phrases for an unusual lunar calendar occurrence. For this reason, the definition of a Black Moon can vary and may refer to:

-The second new Moon in a month. This is the definition of Black Moon that’s used most often & it’s the most common. It occurs once every 29 months.

 -The third new Moon in a season of four New Moons. Every season (spring, summer, fall, winter) has 3 months & 3 new Moons. However, occasionally (every 33 months), there is a season with 4 new Moons. In this case, the third New Moon is called a Black Moon.   

-When there are NO new Moons in a month. This can only happen in February since it’s the only calendar month that is shorter (28 days) than the lunar month. When there is not a new Moon in February, there will be two new Moons for both January & March. It’s a rare occurrence (every 19 years or so) and the next one isn’t until 2033.

Yule

Known as: Alban Arthan & Winter Solstice

Season: Winter

Element: Earth

Symbols: Baskets of clove studded fruit, decorated evergreen trees, evergreen boughs, gifts, gold pillar candles, holly, mistletoe, poinsettias, wreaths & Yule logs

Colors: Gold, green, orange, red, silver, white & yellow

Oils/Incense: Bayberry, cedar, cinnamon, frankincense, myrrh & pine

Animals: Bear, boar, deer, pig, squirrel & tiger

Birds: Eagle, goose, kingfisher, lapwing, robin & wren

Stones: Alexandrite, bloodstone, blue topaz, cat's eye, citrine, clear quartz, diamond, emerald, garnet, green tourmaline, jet, kunzite, pearls & ruby

Angel: Auriel

Food: Caraway cakes, cookies, eggnog, fruits, gingerbread, ginger tea, nuts, pork, spiced cider, roasted boar, roasted chicken, turkey & wassail

Herbs/Plants: Bay, bayberry, blessed thistle, cedar, cinnamon, evergreen, frankincense, holly, ginger, ivy, juniper, mistletoe, moss, myrrh, oak, pine, rosemary, sage, valerian & yellow cedar

Flowers:  Chamomile & yarrow

Trees: Birch, cedar, chestnut, fir, holly, juniper, oak, pine & yew

Goddesses: Alcyone, Aphrodite, Ameratasu, Bona Dea, Brighid, Cailleach Bheur, Demeter, Diana, Fortuna, Frau Holle, Frau Perchta, Frigga, Gaia, Great Mother, Kolyada, La Befana, Idunn, Isis, maat & Tiamat

Gods: Apollo, Attis, Baldur, Bragi, Devak, Dionysus, Divine Child, Green man, Janus, Hel, Helios, Holly King, Horned One, Horus,  Lord of Misrule, Lugh, Mabon, Marduk, Mithras, Oak King, Odin, Ra, Saturn & Surya

Spellwork: Earth magick, happiness, harmony, love & peace

Issues, Intentions & Powers: Darkness, divination, light, messages/omens, purification, rebirth, renewal & transformation

Activities:

• Set up & decorate a Yule altar

• Clean, organize & cleanse before decorating your home

• Make witch’s balls to hang on your tree (protective & pretty!)

• Decorate & bless & Yule tree

• Stay awake until dawn to observe the cycles of nature

• Give gifts to your family & friends

• Donate your time or helpful items to charity

• Collect snow for winter/ snow magic

• Go caroling

• Hang mistletoe in your doorways

• Make Wassail

• Prepare a Yule Log

• Host a Yule feast

• Craft your own decorative wreath or garlands with oranges, cinnamon & pine

• Decorate your house with Yule colored candles

• Welcome the Sun

• Go on nature walks & leave offerings to nature

• Meditate & reflect on the passing year

“Yule” comes from Old English geol, which shares a history with the equivalent word from Old Norse, jól. Both these words referred to a midwinter festival centered around the winter solstice, which traditionally marked the halfway point of the winter season. After the solstice—the shortest day of the year—the days again begin to grow longer, so it’s thought that Yule was a celebration of the re-appearance of the Sun &the fertile land’s rebirth. 

• The celebration of Yule is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world. Ancient people were hunters & spent most of their time outdoors. The seasons & weather played a significant part in their lives. The customs & traditions associated with it vary widely. Scholars have connected the original celebrations of Yule to the Wild Hunt, the god Odin & the heathen Anglo-Saxon Mōdraniht (“Mothers’ Night”)

• Some believe it marks the rebirth of the Sun (the God) from the Earth (the Goddess) & the cold days of winter will soon begin to wane. The Goddess is seen in her virgin Maiden aspect

In towns and cities throughout Sweden during the Christmas season, large goats are constructed out of straw. It is thought that the tradition originated in ancient times, perhaps as a tribute to the god Thor, who was said to ride in a chariot pulled by goats. In Sweden the goat came to be associated with the Christmas celebration & the Yule goat is now considered by many to be a companion or counterpart to Santa Claus.

This connects to ancient proto-Slavic beliefs where the Koliada (Yule) festival honors the god of the fertile sun & the harvest. This god, Devac (also known as Dazbog or Dažbog), was represented by a white goat. Consequently the Koliada festivals always had a person dressed as a goat, often demanding offerings in the form of presents. A man-sized goat figure is known from 11th-century remembrances of Childermas, where it was led by a man dressed as Saint Nicholas, symbolizing his control over the Devil.

Related festivals:

•Christmas- December 25th:

An annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ as the son of God. For Christians, believing that God came into the world in the form of man to atone for the sins of humanity rather than knowing Jesus's exact birth date is considered to be the primary purpose of celebrating Christmas.

Hanukkah-December 25-January 2nd:

 A Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem & subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE.

Hanukkah is observed for eight nights & days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar. The festival is observed by lighting the candles of a candelabrum with nine branches, commonly called a menorah or hanukkiah. 

Kwanzaa-December 26th-January 1st:

An annual celebration of African-American culture, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga, based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of West & Southeast Africa. Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966. 

A Kwanzaa ceremony may include drumming and musical selections, libations, a reading of the African Pledge & the Principles of Blackness, reflection on the Pan-African colors, a discussion of the African principle of the day or a chapter in African history, a candle-lighting ritual, artistic performance & finally, a feast of faith (Karamu Ya Imani).

Saturnalia- December 17-23rd:

An ancient Roman festival and holiday in honour of the god Saturn, The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn, in the Roman Forum & a public banquet, followed by private gift-giving, continual partying & a carnival atmosphere that overturned Roman social norms: gambling was permitted & masters provided table service for their slaves as it was seen as a time of liberty for both slaves & freedmen alike.

 A common custom was the election of a “King of the Saturnalia”, who gave orders to people, which were followed & presided over the merrymaking. The gifts exchanged were usually gag gifts or small figurines made of wax or pottery known as sigillaria. The poet Catullus called it “the best of days”.

Other celebrations:

Feast of Epona- December 18th:

Eponalia is the feast day of Gaulish Goddess Epona, the Divine Mare & in the time of the Roman Empire

Epona is known to be one of a very few Gaulish deities whose names were spread to the rest of the Roman Empire. This seems to have happened because Roman cavalry units stationed in Gaul followed her & adopted her as their Patroness. This may have started because many of the cavalry troops were conscripted from Gaul as they were superb horsemen. From Gaul the Romans took Epona with them including to Rome where She was given her own feast day on the 18 December. They worshipped her as Epona Augusta or Epona Regina & invoked her on behalf of the Emperor. She even had a shrine in the barracks of the Imperial Bodyguard.

Hunting of the Wren-December 26th:

A traditional custom carried out on the Isle of Man on  St. Stephen’s Day. It consists of groups of people going around villages and towns singing and dancing a traditional song and dance around a decorated wren pole.

The earliest and most common folklore story accounting for the origin of hunt the wren tells of a fairy/enchantress/witch whose beauty lures the men of the Isle of Man to harm, for which she is chased and is changed into the form of a wren. It is therefore in punishment for her actions that the wren is hunted on St. Stephen’s Day

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

Wikipedia

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Encyclopedia britannica

Llewellyn 2024 magical almanac Practical magic for everyday living

[humanconditionpoetry]

Winter

Hello Everyone, I hope this post finds you well. I have decided to take a little break from writing about the human conditions and humanity. I will also be taking a break from writing poems for like a week as I am dealing with all sorts of things. I will still be active on my blog and plan to finish the Rest of December poems, I just need a little break from writing.

Thanks for understanding and Thanks to all those who followed me. I really Appreciate you guys and I hop you guys enjoy the rest of your week 💜!

With that said, here is the poem titled Winter. I really liked this poem and I hope you all will too!

Here is also another one with more friendly fonts for my neurodivergent out there!

Winter: The snowy fields. That shrine a sparkle. The relief of heat and humidity The opposite of summer. Longest night, a winter solstice.  The air seems refreshing. Britter and unyielding.  Yet screams of joy are relenting.  The season of comfort and warm loving homes. Hands held together in passionate flames braced from the cold.  The peaceful scenery and happiness that spring joy during the school breaks and holidays. One of giving, not taking... And a new beginning is around the corner… So, what do the holidays bring and what new adventures would unfold?

[toaarcan]

I did some Sonic-centred worldbuilding thoughts and ended up accidentally creating an idea where technically Mephiles is Mobius' version of Santa Claus.

Okay hear me out here.

It started with me in my frequent "Hurgleburgle I hate it when settings that don't have Christianity have Christmas" grumbling.

Because that doesn't make any sense, no matter how secularised Christmas has become it's ultimately rooted in the Happy Birthday Big J origins. More than that, porting exclusively Christmas into fantasy settings and nothing from other cultures is, well... it says things about writers.

Nonetheless, midwinter festivals are commonplace in cultures where winter is usually bleak and snowy. It would make sense for at least parts of any world to have some sort of festival around that time.

Obviously the easy option there is to centre it on the Winter Solstice, given that it's literally the middle of Winter, the shortest day of the year.

Since this is relating to the sun, in a Sonic sense, shouldn't this be a Solaris thing? Solaris is the only sun god we've seen.

Also there's a Summer Solstice, and Solaris is a dual-god, composed of two entities.

So therefore it makes sense for bright and fiery Iblis to be associated with the Summer Solstice, and cold and dark Mephiles to be associated with the Winter Solstice.

The Winter Solstice is a festival day for Mephiles.

Mephiles is Santa and also the Krampus.

The secularisation of the Winter Solstice is probably a good thing actually.

If someone says "Keep Mephiles in the Winter Solstice" they're probably a cultist.

Also I guess the Equinoxes are probably also Solaris-related festivals.

Lmao Sonic got killed by Santa

Mephiles takes the Naughty List very seriously.

"Timmy if you don't be good this year then on Solstice Night, the eldritch master of time and darkness will creep out of your shadow and stab you through the heart with a laser beam."

I suppose it could be the other way around, they pray to Mephiles in the summer for relief from the blazing heat, and Iblis in the winter to warm the dark, cold nights, but this way is funnier.

Even if Solaris in general does have a bit of a "Yeah we worship it to stop it eating us" vibe.

I have worldbuilder's disease and it's terminal, I have spent way too many braincells on gods that only exist because SEGA were having a Final Fantasy phase (affectionate).

[linnoya-writes]

Zutara Childhood-Friends-to-Lovers Alter-Egos Forbidden-Romance AU (part II)

It was Zuko's idea, to write the first letter.

It had arrived to the Southern Water Tribe by a very cold and shivering messenger hawk, folded by wax stamp of a blue theatrical demon mask nobody had recognized. Nobody, except Katara, and she tried to keep her pounding heart from giving herself and her childhood friend away.

In the years that they had been allies, Katara only recalled the Fire Nation sending messenger hawks to the arctic tundra under dire circumstances (an island's epidemic in need of more healers, a village's drought in desperate need for ice)... and so she noticed the brilliance of her friend's gesture easily. How, in spite of their feuding nations, there was no need to let an innocent creature freeze to death by being turned away as soon as it arrived.

It was Sokka who read the content of the letter. "Her name is Caiduri. She likes fish." Their father had been with the tribal council, and so Sokka was left to decipher the significance of this letter and the writer. "We're supposed to keep this enemy bird?" Sokka deduced. But Katara jumped in immediately to calm Caiduri's annoyed ruffling of feathers, and the bird seemed to find a home on the girl's pelted arm. "She's not our enemy! She's sweet. And she should stay with us until the summer solstice." That meant they would have the bird for months, and Sokka shook his head in disbelief.

"Dad's not gonna like this."

"Well, Dad doesn't have a choice, does he?" She smirked at her brother knowingly.

"Yeah. Well don't get too attached to it. Once it goes back, it's not coming back here."

"It's a she, stupid." But Sokka had already left their hut before he could hear that. Katara groaned, but then yelped as the bird started nipping at her ear. And it hit her that she suddenly had something to take care of-- something else, anyway.

After feeding her the last scraps of their salmon dinner, Katara took Caiduri out with a lantern towards the snowy forest that encompassed the tribal village-- a forest that sang of screeching snowy owl-cats and howling distant polar bear-wolves. The girl had grown accustomed to these sounds, they didn't phase her anymore... but the bird perched on her shoulder trembled from all of the new.

"Don't worry-- you're safe here." Katara reassured, grazing the birds' feathers with a finger. "I just want you to see what I've been working on since the summer."

The little lantern light directed Katara towards a centuries-old pine tree, its trunk leaning back as if basking in the blanket of stars. The tree was as thick as the Fire Nation eastern redwoods that Katara had seen as a child... and it was that memory that had granted her the idea: a tree that thick must have a village of roots underneath, so vast, it can bring up soil a good distance away. And so Katara had searched for a cavern... a bungalow... any place where animals had long abandoned and could still shelter soil and warmth for a foreign seed. Her plum seed was precious; she couldn't just plant it half-heartedly. She tested potential spots with local shrub seeds, first, and then, if it succeeded... with cranberry bushes... and finally, in a little damp bungalow a short hike west of the leaning pine, Katara boldly planted Zuko's gift. All she did was give water and a prayer.

She had done this every night, for weeks.

And when Katara introduced Caiduri to her secret bungalow, the seed's stem was beginning to sprout. Tiny leaves were shining against the lantern light like dew drops.

Katara let the hawk scrunch into her warm pelted hood.

She couldn't help but laugh, thinking that Zuko had been the one to beat her at the first message, the first gift.

It was only because her gift was taking a bit longer to make, and she would've sent it through a private courier or a a stowaway shipment towards the islands. She would've found someone to vouch for her, made up some story to get this gift to the palace after so many levels of clearance.

But Katara had to give it to Zuko; the hawk was a brilliant idea.

By summer solstice, Caiduri returned to the Fire Nation palace. A tiny tropical plum neatly wrapped around the bird's leg. The image of a woman's face obscured by a veiled hat was the first thing Zuko recognized, drawn with ink on the wrapping.

Zuko tried to hide his grin while his uncle and his advisors tried to decipher the strange message.

"As it turns out... she likes plums, too."

[kellanved-ammanas]

TF2 Drabbles: Scout/Sniper - Matters of Perspective

Summary: If we're talking holidays, there's Sniper having grown up with summery Decembers while his boyfriend is from snowy New England. Fun little comparison of what they associate the holidays with.

~

Scout had been warned it would be hot, Sniper had said he lived in one of the hotter parts of Australia. Being confronted with it was entirely something else. It made the New Mexico dessert in summer seem not quite as bad. The AC in their rental car struggled to keep up with it but based off how hot it had been outside during their last stop, it was still a great boon.

Outside the passenger window, the desert rolled by uninterrupted. More red than any desert Scout had seen before, it had been an interesting view at first. After more than an hour of driving though, it was kind of boring. Sniper really had grown up in the middle nowhere, huh? No wonder large gatherings made him uncomfortable. Also how mostly unbothered he’d always been in the heat completely tracked.

“If this is how hot it is here during the winter, I can only guess how much worse it is in the summer. How do you people survive out here in this craziness?” Scout surely wouldn’t have been able to.

Sniper didn’t take his eyes off the road as he replied. “This is summer so this is as bad as it gets. Not that winter’s particularly cold but it’s better.”

“But it’s December so it’s winter.”

“Nah mate, seasons are flipped on this side of the world.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Why would they be flipped?” Though since Scout didn’t know much about how the seasons worked in general, why wouldn’t they be flipped. This was the opposite side of the world so everything could just work the opposite way here.

Sniper shrugged. “Something to do with the angle of the Earth as it spins. I don’t really know. My parents might though so you could ask them when we get there.”

Even if they did explain it, Scout probably wouldn’t understand it, he hadn’t become a mercenary because he’d done particularly well in school after all. This revelation did bring one more bombshell though. “So not only have you never experienced a white Christmas, Christmas is also in the summer time for you?”

“Yep.”

“That ain’t right. Christmas is a winter holiday.” Originally it had celebrated the winter solstice – whatever that was – before everyone randomly decided it was a religious holiday instead – though few people Scout knew treated it like one. So it not being in winter made no sense.

“Christmas in winter don’t feel right to me. It’s a summer holiday.”

“Australia’s weird.”

“Or maybe America’s the one that’s weird.”

It was another one of those ‘matters of perspective’ things that Scout was experiencing more and more since leaving Boston. Befriending so many people from different countries and different walks of life really made the world feel like a much bigger, more diverse place than he ever would’ve imagined. And there were still whole other parts of the world he knew almost nothing about. Scary in a way with how small that made his personal bubble of experience feel but also exciting because maybe one day he’d get to go to some of those places and see them for himself. Or at the very least, if he kept up this line of work he evidently had a good chance of meeting people from such places. Like how he was due to meet Sniper’s parents here real soon.

[musingsbyserena]

Yule 🎄

In the Northern Hemisphere, Yule is December 21st. In the Southern Hemisphere, Yule is June 21st.

Like Samhain, Yule, also known as the winter solstice, is a rather large holiday in the Pagan calendar, but it is also has a large presence across the world. The biggest shadow looming over Yule is, of course, Christmas and Christmas Eve. It's the Christian celebration of Jesus’s birth, but we all know that it’s the Catholic church’s way of shoehorning pagans into celebrating Christmas. Those who are blatantly against the celebration of Christmas celebrate Newtonmas, which is the same basic idea, but in honor of Sir Isaac Newton and science instead. Alternatively, you could join the Festivus gang for people who are fans of Seinfeld. Other holidays include the Jewish Hanukkah, which honors the miracle of lasting oil, the Ancient Saturnalia, a festival for Saturn and the coming of longer days, and Kwanzaa, which is actually a holiday started in America to celebrate African culture and family in much the way Christmas does. There are also a number of other holidays of varying names, and religious backgrounds that all celebrate the same core idea of family, beliefs, the coming of summer, and giving back.

At its heart, the Solstice signals the coming of longer days and shorter nights. In the midst of the dark days of winter, Yule is the promise that it won't last forever  The God has been reborn, and as a symbol of the Sun, he brings a stronger one. A sun that will melt the snow and bring new animal and plant life. Now that the Goddess has ensured the survival of nature, she can rest for the rest of the season. It is a time to celebrate hope and the power of community in surviving the hard times.

Traditional decorations really take the concept of the new sunrise and run with it. Bonfires, candles, Yule logs, and even Christmas lights all come from the same idea of bringing light back into the darkness. You could even be as obvious as hanging sun symbols and using citrus fruit in decor pieces. Pinecones and evergreens are included for the symbolization of being “ever green” and the hope of new life. We’re just looking for the general feeling of life going on through the winter, and bringing the sun back into our lives, also incorporating the standard “Christmas” colors like red, green, gold, silver, or even blue if you want to bring in the cold and snowy element.

[dertaglichedan]

Mars orbiters witness a 'winter wonderland' on the Red Planet (photos)

Hoping for a white Christmas this year? Well, even if there's no snow where you live, at least you can enjoy these images of a "winter" wonderland on Mars.

Taken by the German-built High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Express orbiter in June 2022, and by NASA's NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter using its High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on September 2022, these images showcase what appears to be a snowy landscape in the Australe Scopuli region of Mars, near the planet's south pole.

But the "snow" seen here is quite different from what we have on Earth.

In fact, it's carbon dioxide ice, and at Mars' south pole, there's 26-foot-thick (8-meter-thick) layer of it year-round. (These image was actually taken near the summer solstice, not the winter one — it's very cold here all year long.)

[mossbuck]

In my region, we have six seasons that I honor with ritual. In addition to spring, summer, fall, and winter, we have “stick season” which is shortly after autumn but before the snow begins to fall, and we have “mud season,” which is between winter and spring when the thaw freeze cycle does not yet allow for plants to grow.

I chose some names for these seasons to use in my practice so they are a bit more formal, because I like that sort of thing. Precursor- I didn’t follow latin grammar very closely, I chose what sounded nice to me. More under the cut.

Bruma/Brumal - from a roman winter solstice festival Brumalia. Also the root of “Brumation” refering to the dormant state of reptiles and other creatures as the temperatures drop. I use this word for stick season, which usually lasts until about the solstice where I am.

Hibern/Hibernal - from the latin “Hibernus,” winter. Root of “hibernate” a familiar word for certain mammals who become dormant over the winter. I use this word for the snowy season.

Prever/Prevernal - shortned from “Prevernal”, literally “before spring.” The season of thaws and cold mud

Ver/Vernal - shortened from “vernal” literally spring (like the vernal equinox). Vernal pools are places where frogs have their young, and then dry up in summer. For classic spring, blossoms and rain showers.

Aestas/Aestival - literally “summer” in latin. Aestivation refers to summer dormancy some animals, like crabs, to avoid droughts. Hot, heady summer.

(I do not currently deal with the lingering summer season, referred to as Serotinal (late summer), because I don’t observe this season all that much in my region, but with climate change, who knows!)

Autumn / Autumnal - this one is pretty self explanitory, if it isn’t broken etc.

[hpdrizzle]

🌈 HP Drizzle Fic 🌧️

☔ The Doe Between Us 

💧 Pairing: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter  💧 General Audiences, 11468  💧 Weather: Rainy, Snowy  ⚡ Warnings/Tags: silver fox?, stag harry, Patronuses, Hogwarts Professors, headteacher harry, Animagus, Animagus Harry Potter, Hogwarts Forbidden Forest, Banter, Camping, Centaurs, Christmas, Boys Kissing, Hogwarts Setting, HP Drizzle Fest 2023, Alcohol, Drinking

☔ Summary: 

Draco's teaching career is taking off alongside his friendship with Harry Potter. The rain that had endured all of summer time turns to snow as the winter solstice comes nearer, and the two of them spend a few chilly nights in the Forbidden Forest.

Read on AO3

[blueberry-gills]

Gill couldn’t make it up the whole mountain. Of course not.

Flakes of ice whirled in his lungs with every breath. His lips dried under the blistering, freezing sun, splitting beneath the dry air. He flexed his fingers, cold and numb. He slipped his hands into his coat’s pockets the best he could, inadvertedly dragging the Drifloon closer to his face. Her rubbery skin bumped softly against his eyelashes. Before him, the water on the Whismur-lite stove bubbled and boiled.

Gill craned her neck to the empty sky. The sky that was supposed to be full of clouds. Sizzle squeaked, nestled in the crux of her jacket’s collar.

This was a disappointment.

She should’ve expected this. Of course she wouldn’t be able to make it up to the peak. Of course the forecast would be wrong. Of course she wouldn’t get to see that stupid dust. Really, she was an idiot if she ever thought otherwise.

He just had to settle with staring into nothing with his skin feeling freezerburnt as a Ghost Pokémon surely drained his lifeforce.

Gill groaned, looking around at the makeshift camp he had set up. Just a chair, his Whismur-lite, and his bag. Nothing special. The bottle of Primeape Energy Rye so “lovingly” gifted him rested on top of the bag, already coated in a light dusting of snow.

…Gill assumed that was from the wind. There wasn’t a cloud in sight.

Anyway.

She leaned forward and pulled the pot full of water off the stove. The steam from it rose up in thick white clumps, the moisture sizzling in the air. With her metal mug in one hand (already full of hot chocolate mix), she carefully poured the water in. The Drifloon didn’t seem to mind being waved around.

“Loooooon.”

Gill was still on the fence on whether the Ghost Pokémon was planning on dragging his soul to the afterlife or not. She was a pretty Pokémon, to be sure- he had never seen a Drifloon be so clingy, too- but. Her tendrils were really starting to dig into Gill’s arm. He absently wondered if she was going to leave scars.

He turned off the stove and leaned back. He absently stirred his hot chocolate with his finger, too tired to reach for his spork in his bag. This worked fine. Even if his hand was getting to the point where the cold and the warmth felt the same. Even if the tip of his finger ended up feeling raw.

…

……

It was quiet up here. Gill lifted her head.

She had found a natural alcove. A hill exacerbated by a snowdrift, angled in such a way that she could only look out over the rest of the mountain. At the snow slopes leading down, down, down, disappearing into greenery and stone below. A few lone pine trees stood guard.

The air was still. The trees’ branches only cracked under the weight of the snow occasionally. The sound of Gill’s jacket rubbing against itself sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Not even the sounds of wild Pokémon permeated the air.

It was quiet.

It was lonely.

…tch.

Isn’t that what she wanted? She scoffed at herself and tilted her mug back. She bit too hard on the metal and she swallowed a clump of dry powder.

She wanted to be alone. She wanted to have this day for herself. She deserved it. No hearing people complain, no trying to cater to anyone else, no judgmental stares, no Susanne, no parents…

Nothing, really.

Gill sighed even louder this time in a desperate attempt to break the silence. The Drifloon glanced at her. Sizzle mumbled in her sleep.

The silence remain undaunted. If anything, it only got worse.

…

Disappointing.

Pathetic, even.

Happy Birthday, Gillian. He’s turning seventeen all alone on top of a fucking mountain, pointlessly freezing to death because he foolishly trusted the weatherman.

Because he couldn’t go to Lental. Because he couldn’t stand on Voluca Island, wishing on shooting Minior as the Sandshrew milled amongst the cacti. Because he didn’t want to spend another celebration sitting in that house.

Because he couldn’t do what he wanted to do, so he had to settle for scraps.

And it didn’t even work out in the end. Gill choked down another sip from her mug.

I bet Susanne’s having a nice day. Back at home, nice and warm. Probably hanging out with Mom and Dad. Waiting in line for Kofu Lounge. Celebrating with her friends, she thought with a rush of envy. Celebrating their little golden girl.

Gill was their golden girl, once. Well. Son. Something something gifted child burn-out.

(…But she wasn’t burnt out. Susanne just started shining brighter, she guessed. Or maybe that day in the desert knocked her down a peg in her parents’ minds.)

(Why was she thinking about her sister? This was supposed to be her day.)

(Some day it was turning out to be.)

This is why she hated being alone.

I should’ve just spent the day in Asado Desert. At least I’d be comfortable there.

But it was too late. She was already up here. She bit the bullet, didn’t like how it tasted, but had to swallow it anyway.

Besides, it could be worse. At least the Drifloon was cute. At least Sizzle felt warm against her neck. At least she got gifts this year. Lots of gifts. From Arven and Drayton and Susanne and even-

Swallowing back the bitter taste of regret, Gill took another draw of her hot chocolate.

(She wasn’t counting Rye’s delivery as anything.)

So. Yeah. She should quit complaining. She was having a good time.

The Drifloon hummed, as soft as the wind.

[glitter-force-holidays-au]

i'm assuming this is based off of glitter force doki doki so can you make a little fairy baby please

You're right and sure^^

Meet The Solstice-fairy twins, Sunny and Snowy they represent the Winter and Summer solstice

(Yes they are based off of Snow miser and Heat miser a bit)

[junbunetc]

Summer solstice means more time to melt! 🌞 Channel cooler weather by sticking these snowy stickers all over yourself to become a bonafide snowman! ☃️ If it's winter in your country, even better! Show off your weather, and send the postcard to all your summer friends to gloat. 🫠

[shamandrummer]

Saint Nick the Flying Shaman

Have you ever wondered about the origins of modern Christmas traditions? What is the origin of the Christmas tree, decorations about, and all the brightly wrapped presents beneath? This Christmas, as it's been done for generations, stories of Santa and his reindeer will be told around the world, including tales of how Saint Nick flies around on his sleigh in the middle of the night delivering presents to all the good children while they sleep snug in their beds. Where do these stories come from--and better yet--what are we actually celebrating on Christmas morning?

Although most people see Christmas as a Christian holiday, many of the symbols and icons we associate with Christmas celebrations are actually derived from the shamanic traditions of nomadic reindeer herders in Siberia and the Arctic Circle. John Rush, Ph.D., author of Mushrooms in Christian Art and professor of anthropology at Sierra College in Rocklin, CA., suggests, "Santa is a modern counterpart of a shaman, who consumed mind-altering plants and fungi to commune with the spirit world." He believes the story of Santa and his flying reindeer can be traced to shamans in the Siberian and Arctic regions, where the practices of the Indigenous shamanism have uncanny resemblances to the traditions of Christmas. In particular, the red and white mushroom, Amanita muscaria, is a significant connection between the two. Indigenous shamans would visit locals on the Winter Solstice, an astronomical phenomenon strongly related to modern-day Christmas, with gifts of dried hallucinogenic mushrooms.

According to scholars who study Arctic cultures, Indigenous shamans would pick the Amanita in summer, hanging them to dry on the evergreen trees growing above them. The mushrooms may also be taken inside to dry by the fireplace, leading to comparisons with stockings and a Christmas tree surrounded by red and white parcels. The drying of the mushrooms was one way to remove the toxins found in Amanita muscaria, while increasing the potency of psychedelic compounds. Come late December, on the Winter Solstice, the shaman would gather up the dried Amanitas and make use of the mushroom's psychoactive effects to commune with the spirit world and bring gifts of healing to the families, as they set intentions for the new year. If the hut's doorways were covered in snow, the shaman would enter through an opening in the ceiling.

Upon comparison, the similarities in ancient and modern Christmas traditions are undeniable: a Winter Solstice celebration in the snowy North Pole region where reindeer are prominent, consisting of evergreen trees, fireplaces hung with colorful decorations, rooftop chimney entrances and communal gift-giving. Regardless of where the origin of Santa Claus comes from, Christmas is a time of year for rebirth, inward reflection, setting intentions, gifting to loved ones, communing with family…and perhaps, unknowingly, celebrating a psychedelic mushroom.

[nordictwin]

🖊 + raye, alloy, and foxglove’s favorite holiday and/or season?

Good question!

Foxglove: Foxglove loves winter, which is ironic considering how he's got a feud with them by proxy through Raye. He loves looking over the snowy landscape, knowing that his people have been kept safe and well-fed for another year. His favorite holiday is New Year's, which he welcomes in with a grand feast.

Of course... winter is also a great time for hunting, and Foxglove isn't one to shy away from the temptation to engage in a few wild activities. He is a fae king, after all.

Raye: Raye is fond of summer - another bit of irony, since her entire thing is dancing on ice. And sure, she likes winter as well, but when she starts living in the Labyrinth, she falls in love with spending those long summer days just running around the winding paths and eating apricots to her heart's content.

Before becoming Goblin Queen, her favorite holiday was the Lunar New Year, which she still celebrates as well. After going Underhill, though, she's fallen in love with pretty much all the holidays that involve feasting and dancing. But to name one in particular, she thinks the Summer Solstice in the Goblin Kingdom is absolutely amazing.

Alloy: Alloy, prior to certain events in the story, likes spring for all the new beginnings it brings. Alloy after certain events in the story, however, favors autumn for the same reasons.

His favorite holiday is a secret at the moment, but he also enjoys the Lunar New Year a lot.