Merry Midwinter everyone.

[Izi]

Just wanted to wish everyone a very merry midwinter.

For those of you who are celebrating tonight, I hope we have a dry night with a warm wind.

We are lighting the "garden incinerator" ( old dustbin with holes in strategic places ) later on and hope to spend some of the evening sitting in a wheelbarrow with a large glass of something alchoholic.

OOOH I love tonight.
Izi.

[BrideXIII]

Just wanted to wish everyone a very merry midwinter.

For those of you who are celebrating tonight, I hope we have a dry night with a warm wind.

We are lighting the "garden incinerator" ( old dustbin with holes in strategic places ) later on and hope to spend some of the evening sitting in a wheelbarrow with a large glass of something alchoholic.

OOOH I love tonight.
Izi.

bit similar to us then, cooking is all done, stacks of ribs in sauce, jackety spuds and marshmallows ready to roast over the incinerator

apple wine is decanted, and a couple of bottles of mead ready.

have a snappy solstice!!!

[scarey55]

I don't know exactly what the greeting is to all you Pagans out there but I wish it to you all - have a great time folks!

[BrideXIII]

I don't know exactly what the greeting is to all you Pagan's out there but I wish it to you all - have a great time folks!

'its my round' or 'do you wanna drink ?' is always acceptable as a pagan greeting in most quarters

[BrideXIII]

OOOHHH result, my ex next door neighbour collected wood BIG trunks... when he moved he left loads in the wood store, Emma who moved in a month or so ago, has just been round and told us to take what we want for tonight.

MAHOOSIVE yule log retreived should burn thru dawn.

( we have permission to jump the fence and take more if it doesn't)

[Snadger]

Just wanted to wish everyone a very merry midwinter.

For those of you who are celebrating tonight, I hope we have a dry night with a warm wind.

We are lighting the "garden incinerator" ( old dustbin with holes in strategic places ) later on and hope to spend some of the evening sitting in a wheelbarrow with a large glass of something alchoholic.

OOOH I love tonight.
Izi.

Sounds a bit like my living room!

[Snadger]

OOOHHH result, my ex next door neighbour collected wood BIG trunks... when he moved he left loads in the wood store, Emma who moved in a month or so ago, has just been round and told us to take what we want for tonight.

MAHOOSIVE yule log retreived should burn thru dawn.

( we have permission to jump the fence and take more if it doesn't)

Are you not supposed to do a little ceremonial thing with the yule log? You know, green man thingy and all that?

Lit my log burner at the lottie and had a drink of grape juice.........does that count for anything? Built a wall of my cold frame......symbolicaly walling off one part of the year from the other as well!

[zazen999]

I'll be lighting the wood burner later after dinner and when Mr Z is doing the washing up.

I put garlic in today to mark the occasion...and dug over a bed with himself, and moved a gooseberry that had been heeled in.

It was a lovely day today all in all - also dug up my other Oca plants, to find much bigger tubers under there - much to my amazement. And some parsnips, had a right cracker and one is now roasting in the oven.

[Glutton4...]

Yes, a happy Winter Solstice to you all, Pagans and non.

It's been a beautiful day here, hopefully the start of things to come - dunno why I feel so optimistic all of a sudden. I wish I could get my folks interested, but they're 'dyed-in-the-wool' types, even though they only go to church for weddings and funerals.

I hope the following year brings bountiful harvests to all!

Jane.X

[BrideXIII]

Are you not supposed to do a little ceremonial thing with the yule log? You know, green man thingy and all that?

Lit my log burner at the lottie and had a drink of grape juice.........does that count for anything? Built a wall of my cold frame......symbolicaly walling off one part of the year from the other as well!

the green man bless his little ivy face is........... a very recent invention, well he isn't, his supposed significance is ( don't get me started read ronald hutton), i like him though.
lighting logs is as close as you can get, to bringing back the sun, thats why we do it ( we as in me and mine)

i think what you did, is absolutely right if it felt right to you.

we do penates and lares, which is the roman form of house 'gods', more ancestors, halloween, means more to us cos its the time of year we connect to our dead, but midwinter is a Bright festival, we bring back the sun, and the growing season.

there is no right or wrong way, just what speaks to your heart. go for it.

[BrideXIII]

Yes, a happy Winter Solstice to you all, Pagans and non.

It's been a beautiful day here, hopefully the start of things to come - dunno why I feel so optimistic all of a sudden. I wish I could get my folks interested, but they're 'dyed-in-the-wool' types, even though they only go to church for weddings and funerals.

I hope the following year brings bountiful harvests to all!

Jane.X

my mum bless her soul is high church, and a choir member, not to mention a lay preacher, even she does solstice its just a celebration, and its fun.

[Glutton4...]

my mum bless her soul is high church, and a choir member, not to mention a lay preacher, even she does solstice its just a celebration, and its fun.

It's good that she's open-minded. My Dad is very set in his ways and beliefs, even though, if you met him, you'd think he'd never set foot in a church in his life!

Nowt so strange as folk!

[FionaH]

my mum bless her soul is high church, and a choir member, not to mention a lay preacher, even she does solstice its just a celebration, and its fun.

Solstice is a time for everyone to celebrate, longer days are a good enough reason Its not neccessarily about beliefs as such

[maytreefrannie]

I'll be lighting the wood burner later after dinner and when Mr Z is doing the washing up.

I put garlic in today to mark the occasion...and dug over a bed with himself, and moved a gooseberry that had been heeled in.

It was a lovely day today all in all - also dug up my other Oca plants, to find much bigger tubers under there - much to my amazement. And some parsnips, had a right cracker and one is now roasting in the oven.

Midwinter has been celebrated from ancient times, I believe - not only as a Pagan or other religious festival, it's part of everyday folk tradition - from today on, the sun starts its journey back, coming nearer each day. Today being overcast here, it was basically dusk all day - fitting for the day that's in it.

I also put in some garlic and onions to mark the occasion, as there's some tradition of planting onions on the shortest day.

Happy Midwinter everyone, and happy Christmas, New Year - season's greetings however you celebrate it.

[Alice]

Well todays the shortest day. From here on in it gets lighter by 28 minutes a week. That's enough reason for me to celebrate .
Happy solstice everyone and hope you have a great years growing.
Can't wait to get started.
Look forward to the 27th December when we start the moon gardening trial with tomatoes.