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Tag Archives: winter solstice
Syncretism, Absorption, The Curious Dynamics of “Christianizing”…and the Arrival of February
I have shared in the recent past, patient reader, that my doctoral studies were specifically in the realm of “theology” – from ancient Greek, meaning literally “a study/word about God.” Theology asks, among other things, what do we mean by … Continue reading
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Tagged 2011, 700 BC, absorption, absorption of religions, accommodative, all gods and religions, ancient faiths and philosophies, ancient Greek, Anglo-Saxon, August, belief in God, birth of Jesus of Nazareth, Bronx, Caesar Augustus, Celts, Christian, Christian Church, Christian history, Christianity, Christianizing, Christmas, classic definition, classical names, classical world, cold and snowy, curiosity, curious dynamics, dangerous, Day of Resurrection, dead of winter, December, different and opposing parties or religions, Druids, dualistic, early Christianity, Easter, faith seeking understanding, Februa, Februarius, February, festival of purification, form a confederation, form a union, full moon, gnostic terms and concepts, gnosticism, God, Gospel According to John, Ground Hog Day, harmonize, hindsight, historical research, I John, I wonder, II John, III John, institutions, January, Janus, Jewish-Christian, Johannine letters, John the Apostle, Julius Caesar, July, Latin, life or death struggle, Luke 2, major religions, make it Christian, make room for, millennium, mistletoe, months of the year, more the merrier, mystical, Nativity, New Testament, November, October, Oestre, Old English, out of place, pagan belief, pagan goddess, pantheon, religious tradition, revelation, rodent, Roman culture, Roman Empire, Roman god of transitions and gateways, sacred oak, Saturnalia, secret knowledge, see his shadow, September, sinful world, snow moon, solstice festival, soul of the oak, spring festival, springtime, stamp out, study of God, sun moving back toward northern sky, symbol of new life in Christ, syncretism, take it over, the Birth, the Christ, the Lord, the masses, theology, Tree of Life, twelve apostles, Twelve Days of Christmas, twelve months, twelve tribes of Israel, United States, whatever suits your fancy, when Jesus was born, wicked amount of snow, winning the battle, winter solstice
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Magical, Mysterious, Sacred….Mistletoe and Christmas, Those French
Perhaps the first time in my life I discovered that I had some small flair for entrepreneurship was as an 11-year-old boy scout selling little packages of mistletoe door-to-door before Christmas. It was actually a fund-raising project to benefit the … Continue reading
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Tagged American, ancient Greeks, ancients, beliefs and customs, blessing, botanists, botany, boy scout, bulls sacrificed, Celts, chlorophyll, Christianity, Christianized, Christians, Christmas, Christmas decoration, college. host tree, contest, crippled children, Crippled Children's Association, dead world, diplomats, door-to-door, Druid priests, Druids, entrepeneurship, European, fertility, France, fund-raising, gift of life, golden sickle, green in winter, happiness, health, hemiparasite, kissing ball, kissing under the mistletoe, leaves of the tree for the healing of the nations, life-giving magic, long life, magical, marriage, medicinal power, Mediterranean, millenia, mistletoe, mistletoe for the New Year, modern times, mysterious, new year, New Year's Day, News, newspaper, oak, old spinster, parasite, parasitic plant, photosynthesis, power to heal, presidents, sacred, sacred oak, Saturnalia, selling, Son of God, soul of the oak, the Birth, the French, Tree of Life, white berries, winter solstice, world affairs
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The Moon and the Sun in Great Peril – Eclipse and Solstice, Why December 25 for Christmas, St. Thomas
You may well be aware, dear reader, that tonight, December 20, 2010, is the only total lunar eclipse of the calendar year. Not only that, but it promises to be the best in the last few years, not to be … Continue reading
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Tagged 3 days, aid and direction to the sun, ancients, around the world, astronomy, atmosphere, banging pots, battle between sun and moon, beast, best until April 2014, birth of Jesus, Birthday of Jesus, China, Chippewas, crucifixion, darkness of doubt, Day of St. Thomas, day with most darkness, death of the sun, December 20, December 21, December 25, devourer of the moon, devouring the moon, Doubting Thomas, Earth, Earth's shadow, extinguish, Far East, gaseous refraction, great peril, Hopi pueblo tribe, Huron tribe, Irish, Jesus' wounds, John 20, light bends, longest night, lunar eclipse, lunar sickness, monster, moon, move back northward, Native Americans, noisemakers, northern climes, Ojibwas, peril of loss, prayers, primitive cultures, reflection, refuse to believe, resurrection, Resurrection of the Christ, return northward, rituals of healing, Roman Catholic Church, Roman god, Saturn, Saturnalia, shortest day, sol, soyal, St Thomas, stitium. southern horizon, sun, superimposed on Saturnalia. Saturn, the Birth, the Christ, time to celebrate, total eclipse, Twelve Days of Christmas, Welsh, winter solstice
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Geminid Meteor Shower, Sun Sets Later, Winter Solstice, Sun Rises Later, The Cold Moon, Great Horned Owls
Faithful readers of this blog since it began in September have learned by now that hearkening back to my youth – and my long ago idea of becoming an astrophysicist – I still like to observe the starry skies and … Continue reading
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Tagged ancient cultures, astronomers, astrophysicist, August, Aurora, avian predators, Bessie, best meteor shower of 2010, Cold Moon, constellation, crows, daylight longer, dead of winter, December 13-14, December 21, dominant predators, eagles, fearlessness, first sign of spring, full moon, Gemini, Geminid meteor shower, great horned owls, hope is born, hunting efficiency, January, June, keeping eggs warm, Leonids, merciful winter, most darkness, Native Americans, new life, northern climes, northern forests, Novermber, October, Orion, Orionids, owl nesting, Perseids, prayers, red-tailed hawks, return of the sun, rituals, shortest day of the year, snowy woods, star-gazers, starry skies, summer nights, sun rises later, sun sets later, tiger of the skies, universe, winter solstice, zodiac
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The Rev. Dr.'s Musings on Nature, Life & Belief 
The Shortening of Days, Tilt and Wobble, Is Time Really Moving Faster?
Tonight is that November full moon I announced back on the 3rd, the Frost Moon. In addition to it tending to herald the wintry season about to hit us, it’s the last full moon this year to see the shortening … Continue reading →