Winter Solstice, cropped linocut © 1991 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
Midnight is Winter Solstice. I sit in the coming darkness alone, watching the sky. Snow melted and dripped off the roof. Puddles formed in the driveway. A storm will skirt the Twin Cities by morning. I am hoping for a wallop of snow. The more the merrier, a frosty covering for our friends’ pond at the Solstice celebration tomorrow night. There will be a Yule fire. And good friends. And food fit for a Queen.
A few weeks ago, Mom sent me a scan of this old Christmas card. It was after I made a comment on one of ybonesy’s pieces about the process of creating linocuts. I had no idea she had saved it, tucked away in a memory drawer.
There were two Christmases when I wrote long Holiday letters slipped into parchment envelopes with round string clamps; printed snapshots of a plank porch grin somewhere in the Bitterroots of Montana; hand made linocuts with a rectangle of 1/2 inch glass, cattail paper, printers ink, and a baren. Paint was smeared from faucet to jeans. I love getting art-messy.
I look at ybonesy’s detailed linocuts and wonder if people understand how labor intensive the process is. Measuring. Cutting the paper with a straight-line metal ruler. Inking the roller, the clean up, mess, drying period. But it’s all worth it. I want to go on record with that right now.
I’ve been looking at studio spaces again. I need a space to create. And write. I do love being at home. But there is something about getting out of the house that jolts the memory, burns the synapses, jumpstarts the body. And there is the element of community, a vital ingredient. You can’t create in a vacuum. No one can do that for long without losing some semblance of sanity.
I celebrate Winter Solstice this time every year. Honoring the darkness that sits sheltering and cavelike over the Northern climates of this country. It’s Bear energy. Hibernation. West. Introspection. Going into the cave pregnant with potential. Shooting out of the birth canal full of promise. Refilling the well. To create, I have to replenish the coffers. Hold a little bit back for me. Fire in the belly.
Liz will be home from work soon. And we’ll finish our baking. She made the double chocolate walnut fudge last night while I took care of some business items. And tonight, at the end of the darkest, shortest day of the year, we’ll razzle up the cherry oatmeal cookies, the maple glazed walnuts and pecans, and Mom’s family recipe for Southern Rocks. I wrote in a practice the other day, “When Liz bakes, the whole house smells like a Holiday.”
That’s what I want. For the whole house to smell like a Holiday. Scent is powerful. The succulent history of the senses. Connect smell to story. I could tell you a few tales.
One is of Santa, Old Saint Nick. And the other of the birth of a Saint. Don’t forget the celebration of seasons. Winter is delightful. Soulful. Quiet as snow. Dark as molasses.
But you have to make light of the dark. Go inside and write. Visit with the people you care the most about in the world. If that’s not possible, if you are alone, make arrangements to do community service. Give to others. It comes back a million.
Light up the world with blinking strings of dazzle, twittering tinsel, a Pooh tree topper. Of course, I believe in Santa Claus. Are you nuts? That bright red suit can light up these dreary gray Midwestern skies anytime now. I’m ready for Light.
And starting tomorrow, minute by minute, second by second, Spring is on the way.
-posted on red Ravine, Saturday, December 22st, 2007, exactly 12:08 a.m. CST, Winter Solstice in the North
I’m heading off to sleep soon. I’m sitting here enjoying the last vestiges of darkness. Happy Solstice to all. It’s a time of letting go of what is old, making a list of what you’d like to bring into the light of the coming year.
I’m adding a few more links here so I don’t lost track of them. Sleep well my friends.
Here are more good Santa links:
The History of Santa Claus (LINK) on North Pole Santa Claus
History of Santa Claus (LINK) on The North Pole
And the best link I’ve found on Santa (and the one in the post), Saint Nicholas and the Origin of Santa Claus (LINK) on St. Nicholas Center
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Those last paragraphs QM, well they make me smile. I have so much trouble with the commercialism of Christmas…and gifts, gifts, gifts…
Thanks for getting it right.
By the way, what are those “Southern Rocks” anyway?
H
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H, you’re still up? You just caught me before heading off. Ah, those Southern Rocks! I’m going to do a post on them over the next few days. Old family recipe from my Mom. She sent me the ingredients. We didn’t get to them tonight. But plan on making them tomorrow before heading over to Solstice. Thanks for asking. Hope your Holiday rocks (every pun intended). 8)
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QM – I have my smudge ready for the Solstice celebration tonight. I like this post – (we are meant to be in company, telling our stories to each other, reviewing the year and planning for the labour and plenty of the new) – the fire in the belly, being pregnant with potential, giving birth to light.
I do hope many people linger around the hearthfire, not the artificial hearth of the Television, talk and listen to each other, share and celbrate.
By the way, have you heard of Krampusz, St Nicholas’s dark sidekick. That is a traditional mythic character I enjoyed and was frightened out of my wits by as a child. If you google Krampus, there is a variety of great information about “him”.
Have a wonderful holiday! G
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G, I’m still up. It’s so quiet and I don’t want to let go of the stillness, the darkness. I had planned to go to bed an hour ago. I’m so happy you are getting your smudge ready for Solstice. It’s comforting to know we are all circling the fires together. Peace in numbers.
I have not heard of Krampusz. But it seems like I saw him mentioned somewhere on a blog. Was it yours? Maybe leslie’s. I’ll have to Google him and see what appears.
Have a good Solstice. Tomorrow night there will be over 20 of us around the fire. It might be one of the largest I have been to. And it’s near a pond that opens up into a lake. Water, Fire, Earth, Air. You never know who is going to show up out of all who are invited. But one thing I know – all the right people will be there. Everything’s always as it should be. Thank you for your Solstice visit!
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Happy Solstice, QM. Your voice in this piece sounds patient and relaxed. I can tell you’ve been taking care of yourself.
I’m with you 100% on the energy that you get from writing and doing your art elsewhere. I’m reminded of how productive I am when I get in my car and drive to my work. I’m surrounded by my utensils of work and by fellow workers. I fall into a mode of getting things done.
Even writing in a cafe jolts me out of the dog hair on the tile that distracts me, makes me think of the broom in the laundry room instead of the notebook in front of me.
We celebrated a birthday yesterday. It was slow and easy. We went to a tiny restaurant, doesn’t hold more than about 25 people. We took up half the tables. It was a perfect way to celebrate the end of darkness.
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QM, your linocut is beautiful. I love the looseness of it, the round moon. Thank you, Amelia, for saving and scanning it. I smile when I think of QM and me, each experimenting with printing in the early 1990s.
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QM, funny that I quickly signed on & saw this post. I was actually thinking about you last evening & that it would be winter solstice! (for some reason I thought ours began at 1:00 or 2:00.( Does it begin at midnight everywhere?) I remember one of the 2 cards you mentioned. (Of course I still have it!) Have a great party & I send my love! D
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QM,
Your statement that we should “make light of the dark,” is so very true! It is a struggle for me to celebrate winter…I do not enjoy walking or driving on ice; I hate having to plug and unplug my little car into her umbilical cord of electrical current; dashing out to start her engine 15 or 20 minutes before I go to work in the morning while I scrape the ice off her windows.
(Oh, how I miss having a garage!)
When I first movef to ND, I firmly believed people were crazy to live in such a climate! I told friends that I was dreaming of a GREEN Christmas, “just like the ones I used to know…”, in North Hollywood.
Liz’s sister, Tracy chose the winter Solstice as their Wedding day, 7 years ago, so they celebrated with friends last night. Her brother, J.J. flew to Finland yesterday, to be with his wife and her family in the
land of the midnight sun.
I just printed off 8 Christmas cards on my computer, which I will attach to baggies of assorted dried fruit for the Veterans in 2 assisted living homes that I take something to every holiday…part of what our DAR,
(Daughters of the American Revolution,) does. Two other members take care of the Vets in other places in our surrounding area. I had a good laugh with one fellow who said, along with his “thank you, just don’t ever bring me a coconut!” He explained that while serving in the Pacific during WWII, he was lost for several weeks on a small island, and survived on only coconuts! I praised him for keeping his sense of humor!
Ah, to keep one’s sense of humor, a great way to
“make light of the dark.”
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ybonesy, I’m happy that your birthday celebration went well. Sounds delightful to be in a small restaurant and having your entire family fill it up!
Well, it’s morning now and we’re bustling around getting ready to head over to our friends’ house around 3pm. Liz is going to make the rocks this morning. And I’m going outside to shovel snow! We are on the edge of a big storm that is heading East. I don’t think we’re going to get a lot of snow. Just enough to blanket the land.
ybonesy, my linocuts are not as elegant and detailed as yours. I didn’t do many of them. I was a photo/media arts major and it was a luxury for me to take Fine Art classes. But I sure had fun and they taught me to loosen up on my photography.
I’m not all that good at drawing. So most of my drawing work is all about capturing energy. They are always pretty raw. But I sure love the processes. On this one, I had to crop it because I had signed my name in the corner. And then I had to print the scan and rephotograph it. For some reason, I couldn’t manipulate the original. I’m still learning about scan world!
BTW, I thought about us both experimenting with linocuts in the early 90’s, too. Different states and geography. But the creative juices were flowing!
Have a good Winter Solstice my blogging partner!
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Marylin, I loved your comment and how you give service over the Holidays. I read your story about the coconut island to Liz this morning and she teared up. It’s amazing the things that people endure in service to what they believe in. My heart goes out to everyone who can’t be at home this Christmas.
I saw a Minnesota veteran on the news last night who had lost 2 of his best friends in Iraq. He wore a bracelet with their names etched in it and said he’d never take it off. His parents were meeting him at the airport and they were all teary. He seemed like such a great person who had seen a lot. He’s not reenlisting but still wants to continue to work for the government. He believes in what he’s doing. It reminded me of Beth’s sons and her pieces on red Ravine.
I had forgotten about Tracy’s Solstice wedding. I hope they had a good anniversary. And J.J. in Finland, beautiful. I hope they have a good trip.
Thanks so much for writing. We’ll be in touch over the Holidays! Hang in there with all the winter weather. You sure ended up in some rugged Northern climates for a woman who loves all things southern and sunny!
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D, your Winter Solstice on the East Coast would have been at 1:08 am last night. So you were right! The time changes depending on where you are and when the moon and sun hit your doorstep. And, of course, there are some for whom it is Summer Solstice! Depends on what part of the world you are living in, at the bottom of the planet or the top. It’s a topsy turvy world!
Thanks for thinking of me. Have I told you how much I love having your comments on red Ravine?
And all the rest of mine (and Liz’s) family and extended family. And then there are all my writing friends who are non-bloggers but write and comment with us all the same. I’m always thrilled to hear from all of you on our posts. It makes my day. What a great gift! Thanks.
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I like the old linocut, too.
Happy solstice, QM!
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I am so loving these lino-cuts! They are very inspiring! 😀
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QM: A psychologist told me that smell is the most powerful route to contacting emotion, particularly remembered emotions.
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We went to see Santaland Diaries last night, for me a great way to kick off the winter solstice and the holidays. I agree with you, time alone to write, time with people you really and truly love, and wonderful smells help make a razzle dazzle holiday.
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Last night two friends and I sat near the fire in the small bar of my favorite local restaurant. We reflected on the year — it was a tough one for all of us. And we talked about what we wanted to let go of and what we wanted to make happen in 2008.
I thought of you, QM. I hope your Solstice celebration was a good one.
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[…] -related to post, Winter Solstice – Making Light Of The Dark […]
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[…] off the computer, turned up the Christmas music, and convinced her to bake up a batch to take to Solstice. I was the right-hand cook, chopping dates, locating the buried hand mixer, digging out the muffin […]
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Thanks Franny, ben, LB, C, and yb. Franny, I guess I’ll have to do a lot of baking and cooking while I’m writing my book. Sounds like a plan to me. 8) Hope you all have a Happy Holiday! Thanks for writing with us!
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HELPFUL TIME LINKS FOR FUTURE SOLSTICES & EQUINOXES:
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I. Times listed for Winter & Summer Solstices (and the Equinoxes) beginning in 1900:
Holoscenes – Textures of the Earth: Seasons From 1900 To 2099 (LINK)
In the Midwest, we have to subtract 6 hours from UT to get Central Standard time (and 5 for Daylight Savings (LINK).
[see also Holoscenes – Textures of the Earth – Special Projects (LINK)]
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II. Here’s how to translate UT time to our time, wherever we are at:
Earth & Sky: How Do I Translate Universal Time To My Time? (LINK)
_________________________________________________
III. Here’s a final link to different systems of time:
U.S. Navy – Systems of Time (LINK)
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I’ll be forever fascinated by the melding of pre-Christian and Christian rituals. The Mystics of all religions. The Ancients. Time before time. I learned this interesting tidbit from Candlegrove (the first Winter Solstice link at the top of this post):
-read more at this LINK: A Candlegrove visitor shares his knowledge of pre-Celtic origins of our culture and customs
Happy Holidays!
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[…] “In the great Midwest we’ve gained 8 minutes of light since Winter Solstice.” […]
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[…] -related to posts: 8 Minutes, Winter Solstice – Making Light Of The Dark […]
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[…] Winter Solstice in Minnesota peaked at around 6a.m. The Universal Time in 2008 is 12 21 12:03:34 UT. In the Midwest, we have to subtract 6 hours to arrive at the accurate time zone. (To learn more about Solstices and how to translate time for your part of the world visit the links and comments in Solstice Fire In Winter or Winter Solstice — Making Light Of The Dark.) […]
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[…] -related to posts: virgin mary sightings , Winter Solstice — Making Light Of The Dark, […]
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[…] we will attend an early Winter Solstice celebration with friends. By a blazing fire sparked by last year’s Yule tree, I will let go of what is no […]
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