Solstice — an explanation of sorts

The season of withdrawing is upon us.

The sun slips lower with each passing cycle and we will soon have the longest night upon us — here, in Minneapolis we will see more than fifteen hours of darkness overnight at solstice, while places like Fairbanks, AK will see closer to eighteen hours of night.

I’ve decided this year to honor this cycle of nature and reduce my online presence over the days leading up to Winter Solstice, which takes place on December 21 — in accordance with the daylight hours and as my professional career allows (I still need to make money to pay bills, after all).

While I am not committing to complete abstinence from the internet, I may limit my comments and/or responses on this site or elsewhere. If I post, it may be minimalist in nature and will certainly not contain any posts intended to elicit an interactive conversation (such as my Half-penny thoughts series of posts, which will be on an indefinite hiatus for the time being, starting tomorrow).

I have been spending quite a bit of time in deepening my understanding of my place in my cosmologic sense of the world over the sixteen-plus years since I elected to choose sobriety, and I am (very) slowly reclaiming my path — which is steeped in a very early pre-agrarian animism with a bit of Eastern philosophy tossed in for good measure.

Part of that reclaiming is the introduction of the paired equinoxes and solstices back into my observational schedule, rather than as casual events. This solstice is the first time I am letting my public habits reflect my personal practices, thereby deepening those private concerns.

I apologize in advance if I seem withdrawn in the coming weeks (I will be, by design) or slow to respond to comments (also, by design). It serves an important purpose, so I appreciate your understanding. In the meantime—

Peace be onto you.