'The darkest hour is just before the dawn'...

THE COLD MOON approaches...

The last full moon of 2022 will be on Thursday 8th December. This one is called 'The Cold Moon'. Originating from the Native American Mohawks: 'the name conveys the frigid conditions of this time of year, when cold weather truly begins to grip us' (American Farmer's Almanac).

We are approaching Yule.

Christmas trees and Yuletide

To the ancient Celts, the darkest day of the year, the Winter Solstice (between 20-23 December) was felt to be one of the most significant of times. The sun appears to stand still in the sky. Evergreens were brought into homes. These probably symbolised life, rebirth, and renewal. A log was burnt for days – The Yule Log – to counter the darkness and gloom of winter. Yuletide is the period of winter, around Christmas, not just Christmas Day.

The idea of bringing a tree into the home came later, but its roots are ancient and deep.

When is yule?

Yule, or the original 12-day solstice festival celebrated thousands of years before Christmas, is considered one of the oldest celebrations of wintertime in the world. It begins the shortest day of the year on the winter solstice and ends 12 days later. (www.thesaurus.com)