Light Cometh: Winter Solstice

On the Winter Solstice, the sun shines furthest South, over the Tropic of Capricorn.  The Northern Hemisphere dips into the last of the year’s darkness. After this shortest day, light grows throughout our cold passage to Spring.  We’re lighting fresh candles, at The Demented Goddess HQ, at 15.53, to celebrate.

It’s been a year of turmoil, threats of nuclear war and imprisoning of migrants from existing wars, led by a bloated vision of masculine power. All genders can find solace in the night yet Christianity has almost obliterated Pagan Yule, which finds, in those darkest parts of ourselves, wisdom and love. However, the return to witchcraft, discussed with Sabina Stent through the charismatic figure of Valentine Penrose in this issue, an increase in rituals and the revival of our own British New Year roustabouts like Wassail, suggests that we are beginning (or remembering) to unite light with darkness.

Saturnalia, the Roman feast of inversions, has long been a favourite of our Demented Goddesses. We don’t hide, during winter. You’ll be finding us in Manchester on December 27th, celebrating the New Year early with leading dirty funk-techno & trans DJ Ms Honey Dijon & crew (check out our ‘bacchanalia’).

Caoimhe Lavelle

Why not taste wildness early, at Dublin’s first ever Witch Conference, in our exclusive from Caiomhe Lavelle?  As Eley Williams suggests in her icy, cheeky poem, ‘Rivered’, “a good wink will dislodge Charon’s wages.” Lashes at the ready, let’s step into endings, beginnings and starlight!

Eley Williams, photo courtesy of creativetourist.com.