When is the winter equinox. Winter solstice. solstice astronomical new year and a reason for magic

November 15, 2015

On December 22, 2015 at 7:48 am Moscow time, the Sun will reach its lowest point in the southern hemisphere of the sky, which will mark the beginning of astronomical winter. The night before the winter solstice is the longest of the year; post winter solstice duration daylight hours will gradually increase.

Winter Solstice - traditions, customs, signs:

Winter Solstice Day is a special time; our ancestors dedicated to the winter solstice Special attention. In the period from December 21 to 24, in the Vedic tradition, the New Year was celebrated, various rituals were held in honor of Kolyada and the Birth of the new Sun. The main attribute of the Winter Solstice and the celebration of the Vedic New Year was a fire, with the help of which the “newborn” Sun was invoked. At this time, pies were baked and a variety of dishes were prepared, among which the obligatory presence on the table was porridge with raisins and honey (popularly called kutia). This is delicious and healthy dish You can also add dried fruits, candied fruits, nuts, poppy seeds, sesame seeds. The tastier the kutia, the more prosperous the New Year will be! Pies with various fillings were on the table in abundance, which symbolized prosperity in the house, well-being and health of the family.

An important tradition of the Winter Solstice, which, unfortunately, has not survived to our time, is the remembrance of ancestors. On the days of the Winter Solstice, from December 21 to 24, our Slavic ancestors commemorated their deceased relatives and brought pies and other treats to the graves.

The signs of the Winter Solstice are more related to agriculture, since for our ancestors agriculture was an integral part of life and a means of subsistence:

If there is frost on the branches of trees on the Winter Solstice on December 21-22, this means a good harvest of grain crops

If on the day of the Winter Solstice you cut a few cherry branches, put them in water, and they will bloom before January 7, then fruit trees will bring a big harvest

Winter Solstice in:

Winter Solstice is the most... favorable time for magic. It is not for nothing that the night before the Winter Solstice is called “witchcraft”, since it is the “Witchcraft Night” that is intended for carrying out the most powerful magical rituals.

In 2015, the day of the winter solstice falls on - one of the most powerful energy days in Lunar month. The waxing Moon on the day of the Winter Solstice is a wonderful opportunity to change your Destiny for the better, to attract happiness, love, prosperity and health into your life! Don't miss this opportunity on the Winter Solstice!

Magic rites and rituals to attract money, love, health and prosperity on the day of the winter solstice can be performed after midnight, but will still give the maximum effect magical rituals, conspiracies, spells at sunrise - on the day of the winter solstice you must definitely meet the dawn.

On December 21-22, 2015, you can perform any magical rituals, read conspiracies for improvement financial situation, attracting love, promoting health. But under no circumstances should you remove damage, the evil eye, read conspiracies and prayers to get rid of anything! On the waxing moon, all magical rituals for deliverance negative energy give exactly the opposite effect!

On the day of the Winter Solstice, it is very important that all your thoughts are in a positive mood; At this time, you cannot be sad, offended, cry, swear, or give in to despondency. The period of the Winter Solstice is a time when you need to recharge yourself with positive energy! That is why our ancestors organized festivities on the Winter Solstice, set tables with the most delicious dishes, joked, had fun, sang and danced. The Winter Solstice Day is not the time for fasting, dieting, or all kinds of body cleansing procedures. On this day you need to get positive energy, including from your favorite treats.

The Winter Solstice Day is very suitable for making amulets, talismans, and amulets in the shape of a circle symbolizing the Sun.

The Winter Solstice is a “time of Power” when your every wish will be heard and fulfilled throughout the year, until the next Solstice.

You need to make a wish for the Winter Solstice at dawn, when the “newborn Sun” appears. Stand facing the east, relax and think about what you really really want, make your wishes carefully and meaningfully. When making wishes for yourself, do not forget about your loved ones, relatives, loved ones, children. Ask for their health, happiness and prosperity, thank them for all the good things and forgive them all the insults. Thank the Sun for all your successes and achievements of the past year and make a wish for yourself.

Winter Solstice in:

On the day of the Winter Solstice, the Sun leaves the sign of Sagittarius and moves into the sign of Capricorn, which means a transition from the warm, expansive energy of Jupiter to the cold, constraining and limiting energy of Saturn. At this time, all processes in nature slow down, and we observe how everything around us plunges into its winter sleep.

The energy of Saturn, which rules the zodiac sign Capricorn, exerts its influence on a person, making him more thoughtful and judicious. Under the influence of Capricorn and Saturn, we want to take risks and do extravagant things less and less, and more and more to analyze, collect information and plan.

This is why the Winter Solstice is the best time to make plans for the future; If you decide at this time to plan your further actions, rest assured that you have a very high chance of doing everything right and achieving your cherished goal.

Winter Solstice - meditations:

On the day of the Winter Solstice, the Sun moves into the sign of Capricorn, the zodiac sign ruled by Saturn. This means that the time has come to rethink your achievements, plans and goals, to penetrate into the essence of your desires and realize what lies at their basis. Think about what you are striving for, what is most important to you. To meditate, you need to choose one of your most cherished desires and try to visualize it, imagine that it is already coming true.

On the day of the Winter Solstice, it is best to meditate by candlelight, which can be arranged in the shape of a circle, symbolizing the Sun.

Since in 2015 the day of the Winter Solstice falls on the 11th lunar day, the main symbols of which are the Fire Sword, Labyrinth, Crown and Mountain Range, you can use these signatures during meditation. This day is also associated with Kundalini energy, which enhances the powerful energetic influence of the Winter Solstice. On this day, the opportunity to change your Destiny better side very big! However, you need to be careful in everything, especially in visualizing desires. People who constantly practice meditation may awaken inner fire, after which they will be able to rise to the highest level of their spiritual development.

In general, the day of the Winter Solstice in 2015 is a unique opportunity to rise one step higher in search of yourself, your true purpose, your higher self. This is the best time for those who realize the importance of the spiritual world - after all, it is the harmonious spiritual world makes a person happy in the material world.

The “Labyrinth” meditation on the day of the Winter Solstice will help in finding an important decision, an answer to an exciting question, a solution to a problem, a way out of a confusing situation, or in search of your own Spiritual path.

Since the Labyrinth is a symbol of the 11th Lunar day, coinciding with the Winter Solstice, this particular meditation will give a good result.

For meditation, try to visualize the labyrinth that you have to go through in order to find a way out (of a difficult situation, problem, etc.). If it is difficult to visualize a labyrinth, you can create it using an ordinary stick, drawing it on any soil, sand, or snow. There is no need to create a complex labyrinth with many entrances and exits; draw or visualize a simple labyrinth in the shape of a circle, in which there is one entrance, one exit and a center.

Imagine that you are standing in front of the entrance to a labyrinth; think about what you are looking for, what question or situation worries you, what problem you need to solve, take a deep breath and start your journey.

Try to relax, let go of your worries, don’t think about the problem, and just walk through the labyrinth, calmly, slowly. All you need to do is listen to your sensations, feelings and emotions. When you reach the center of the maze, the answer to your question may come to you, important decision, insight. You yourself will understand when it is time to go to the exit.

Winter Solstice - fortune telling:

Winter Solstice is the best time for fortune telling! Tell fortunes on the “Witchcraft Night” on the Winter Solstice to get answers to the most exciting questions about love and relationships, the future and Destiny, material wealth and health.

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December 21 (date indicated for 2016) - day winter solstice. Solstice is one of two days a year when the height of the sun above the horizon at noon is minimum or maximum. There are two solstices in the year - winter and summer.

On the day of the winter solstice, the sun rises to its lowest height above the horizon.

In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs on December 21 or 22, when the shortest day and longest night occur. The moment of the solstice shifts every year, since the length of the solar year does not coincide with calendar time.

After the most long night year, the duration of which will be about 17 hours, a real astronomical winter will begin. The sun will be at its lowest point Southern Hemisphere the sky, that is, moving along the ecliptic, will reach its lowest declination. The length of the day at the latitude of Moscow will be 7 hours. The sun crosses the 18 o'clock meridian and begins to rise up the ecliptic. This means that after crossing the celestial equator, the luminary will begin its path to spring equinox.

During the winter solstice, the sun does not rise above a latitude of 66.5 degrees at all - only twilight at these latitudes indicates that it is somewhere below the horizon. At the North Pole of the Earth, not only the Sun is not visible, but also twilight, and the location of the star can only be determined by the constellations. On December 21, the sun crosses the 18 o'clock meridian and begins to rise up the ecliptic, beginning its journey towards the spring equinox, when it crosses the celestial equator.

Winter Solstice Day among the Ancient Slavs

The winter solstice has been observed since ancient times. Thus, in Russian folklore, a proverb is dedicated to this day: the sun is for summer, winter is for frost. Now the day will gradually increase, and the night will decrease. The winter solstice was used to judge the future harvest: frost on the trees meant a rich grain harvest.

In the 16th century in Rus', an interesting ritual was associated with the winter solstice. The bell ringer of the Moscow Cathedral, who was responsible for striking the clock, came to bow to the Tsar. He reported that from now on the sun has turned to summer, the day is increasing, and the night is shortening. For this good news, the king rewarded the headman with money.

The ancient Slavs celebrated the pagan New Year on the day of the winter solstice; it was associated with the deity Kolyada. The main attribute of the festival was a bonfire, depicting and invoking the light of the sun, which, after the longest night of the year, was supposed to rise higher and higher. The ritual New Year's pie - loaf - was also shaped like the sun.

The day of pagan veneration of Karachun (the second name of Chernobog) falls on the day of the winter solstice (celebrated depending on the year from December 19 to 22) - the shortest day of the year and one of the coldest days of winter. It was believed that on this day the formidable Karachun, the deity of death, took his power. underground god, who commands the frosts, evil spirit. The ancient Slavs believed that he commands winter and frost and shortens the daylight hours.

The servants of the formidable Karachun are connecting rod bears in which snowstorms turn, and blizzard wolves. It was believed that, due to the bear's will, the cold winter continues: if the bear turns on the other side in its den, it means that the winter has exactly half the way to go until spring. Hence the saying: “At Solstice, the bear in its den turns from one side to the other.” The people still use the concept of “karachun” in the sense of death. They say, for example: “karachun has come for him”, “wait for karachun”, “ask karachun”, “enough karachun”. On the other hand, the word “punch” can have the following meanings - backing away, crawling, “hunched” - writhed, cramped. Perhaps Karachun was called that precisely because he seemed to force daytime go to reverse side, backing away, crawling, yielding to the night.

Gradually, in the popular consciousness, Karachun became close to Frost, who binds the earth with cold, as if plunging it into a mortal sleep. This is a more harmless image than the stern Karachun. Frost is simply the lord of winter cold.

Winter Solstice Day among Other Nations

In Europe, these days began a 12-day cycle of pagan festivals dedicated to the winter solstice, which marked the beginning of a new life and renewal of nature.

On the day of the winter solstice in Scotland there was a custom to launch the solar wheel - “solstice”. The barrel was coated with burning resin and sent down the street. The wheel is a symbol of the sun, the spokes of the wheel resembled rays, the rotation of the spokes during movement made the wheel alive and similar to a luminary.

The winter solstice was determined earlier than all other seasons in China (in Chinese calendar 24 seasons). IN ancient China It was believed that from this time the male force of nature rises and a new cycle begins. The winter solstice was considered a happy day worthy of celebration. On this day, everyone - from the emperor to the commoner - went on vacation.

The army was put into a state of waiting for orders, border fortresses and trading shops were closed, people went to visit each other, gave each other gifts.

The Chinese made sacrifices to the God of Heaven and their ancestors, and also ate porridge of beans and glutinous rice to protect themselves from evil spirits and diseases. To this day, the winter solstice is considered one of the traditional Chinese holidays.

In India, the day of the winter solstice - Sankranti - is celebrated in Hindu and Sikh communities, where on the night before the celebration bonfires are lit, the heat of which symbolizes the warmth of the sun, which begins to warm the earth after the winter cold.

Russian folk calendar for December 21 (December 8, old style) - Anfisa Needlewoman

On this day they commemorate Saint Anfisa of Rome, who suffered for the Christian faith in the 5th century. Anfisa was the wife of a Roman dignitary and professed Christianity (according to legend, she was baptized by Saint Ambrose of Milan, whose memory is celebrated the day before). One day, the mayor's wife invited her to accept Arian baptism (Arian teaching denied the unity of God the Father and Jesus Christ). Anfisa refused and, following the woman’s slander, was burned at the stake.

After Anfisa, all girls in Rus' were supposed to do handicrafts: spinning, weaving, sewing, embroidering. It was advisable to do this alone, and if it was not possible or you did not want to be alone, special rituals against damage were performed.

A girl sews for Anfisa, but an extra eye while sewing is a threat to the evil eye, our ancestors said and advised young needlewomen to wrap a silk thread around their wrist so as not to prick their fingers with a needle. The same ritual protected against yawning and hiccups.

The embroidery itself, in which various kinds of symbols were often encrypted, also had magical powers. Thus, diamonds on towels signified fertility; round rosettes and cross-shaped figures on clothing protected its owner from misfortune. In traditional embroidery patterns there are also images of the sun, trees, birds, personifying vitality nature. Our ancestors believed in their power, believing that they would bring prosperity and prosperity to the house.

Ancient people actively used this knowledge in practice. Each nation developed its own calendar important events. The key position in this calendar was occupied by the solstice.

Winter Solstice Day: what an event

Solstice refers to the astronomical event in which the sun occupies either its highest or highest low point relative to the earth's horizon. This event affects the length of the day; it lasts either the maximum amount of time in the year or the minimum.

The solstice can be observed twice a year, in winter and summer. The winter solstice is characterized by the minimum length of the day and the maximum length of the night. The summer solstice is exactly the opposite of the winter solstice in terms of the length of day and night.

In 2017, the winter solstice will occur on December 21 at 16:27 GMT or 19:27 Moscow time.

Winter Solstice Traditions

The winter solstice is traditionally celebrated in many cultures. The ancient Celts equated the birth of a new sun with the Yule holiday.

The decoration of the house on this day had to be special. First of all this fir branches. They were hung everywhere: above the entrance to the house, between interior doors, inserted them into the windows, laid them out on the fireplace. Be sure to place something symbolizing the sun in the center of the largest room of the house, in which it was customary to gather guests. It could have been an orange, a product of golden, sunshine.

On the day when the old sun went to rest, large ritual bonfires were lit. These bonfires were specially lit so that they would help the birth of a new sun and help maintain its strength in its early stages.

At the same time, the Eastern Slavs celebrated Kolyada. Kolyada in Slavic mythology- god of the new sun. His other names: Kaledi, Cadmus, Kolodiy. This deity symbolized the transition of the year. Among the people, the day of his veneration came the day after the winter solstice. This day was considered the Slavic New Year.

Kolyada Day was celebrated on a special scale, with songs and folk dances. The traditions of the day especially concerned gifts. On Kolyada it was customary to give a gift, albeit small, to everyone to a loved one. The Slavs believed that the god of the new sun was not favorable to stingy people and did not illuminate their lives sunlight. It was believed that a stingy person who did not make a single person happy on New Year’s Day would live in darkness all year.

Winter solstice: how to spend it

Another solar year will end on December 21st. Already on the 22nd the sun will rise again, and will already be renewed. The countdown to the new solar year will begin. End of the solar year good time for various practices, ceremonies and rituals.

• Conduct meditation. A good effect will come from cleansing meditations that help you free yourself from something unnecessary and outdated. It is also recommended that after cleansing, move on to visualizing plans for the new solar year. It’s worth preparing yourself a list of planned things to do in advance. Before meditation, you need to read this list and, closing your eyes, imagine that everything has already happened. If these plans are truly worthwhile and strong vibrations of the energy plan were sent at the moment of visualization, everything planned will be realized in a short time.
• Make a wish. Traditionally, on the day the calendars change, they make a wish. Asking for something cherished and hidden on the day of the winter solstice is akin to making a wish on a falling star on New Year's Eve.
• Carry out magical work. Recommended focus: increasing strength, replenishing vital energy, healing from physical and mental illnesses, well-being and prosperity.
• Conduct fortune telling. You can tell fortunes for love using a mirror, or for the next year.
• Get out. For something good to come into life, you need to clear the space for it. You should clean the room, throw away all old, broken things. All things that were not useful during the year should be collected in boxes and taken to people in need. It wouldn’t hurt to wash the doorways, thresholds, and most importantly the windows. It is through them that flows of power enter the house. A cluttered space interferes with the implementation of plans and the fulfillment of desires.
• Let go of the past that has become obsolete. On December 21, right at sunset, you should go outside or open the window wide. Bring a piece of paper and a pen with you. While the old sun goes below the horizon, you need to try to remember all the bad things and all the negative things that happened in the past. real year. This could be relationships with people, the people themselves, illness, litigation, job changes, loss of money, unpleasant conflict situations. You need to write about all this on paper, and then burn this paper with fire. Leave to burn just before the setting sun. All the bad things will go away along with the old sun. And the next morning, along with the new sun, the long-awaited cleansing and relief will come.

Rituals

The winter solstice brings special magic, and this magic must certainly be used for your benefit. There are several well-established rituals.

Seed of Intent

The ritual is performed individually. It is not advisable to tell anyone about it. On the day the sun rises, you need to go to the market or flower shop and buy any one seed there. This seed needs to be brought home, placed in a cloth moistened with water and the words of an ancient conspiracy whispered over it:

“One seed at a time, I honestly intend (what do you want to do next year, for example, buy a car), so that my intention comes true, germinates, and sinks its roots firmly into the ground. It will also be the same, and so be it. Amen".

The seed should be placed in a glass or pot of soil. The soil needs to be watered for exactly seven days, but not much. Then water it every month for full moon. The seed must remain in this soil until spring. In the spring, dig a hole in the street under any tree that has not dried up and place the soil together with the seed in this hole. If something grows by then, it will still need to be transplanted under a tree. Within a month after this, the intention will begin to come true.

Healing bath

When the sun changes, a person is renewed. This process is inevitable; a person is subject to the influence of heavenly bodies. Updating can be very painful, especially if a person is not ready for it. Cleansing with healing water can help speed up and smooth out this process.

To do this, you need to fill the bath with water. comfortable temperature. Place candles throughout the bathroom, light them, turn off the main light. Turn on calm, relaxing music. Lie down in the bath and close your eyes. First you need to imagine how the body becomes very heavy. So heavy that the water stops pushing the body onto the water surface.

After this you need to tense up a little. Imagine that dark streams flow from the body into the water. These currents must come out and at the same time bring relief to the body and soul. You need to wait until your body feels completely at ease. Only after this can you drain the water, while you still need to lie down and imagine that everything bad is flowing away along with it.

Heart's desire

This ritual is suitable for those who have a desire that has never been voiced out loud. This important rule, since what is said out loud no longer counts cherished wish. This desire, without saying it out loud, needs to be rewritten into blank sheet of paper paper. Then roll this piece of paper into a thin tube.

After this, light a thick candle. You will also need a fireproof container. Set fire to the leaf at one end, and while it burns you need to hold it over this container, saying:

“Silent, and in that cherished, that which is in the secret corner - that in my soul, everything is on fire - all that flame will consume, everything that is in space will go, everything, then up to higher powers it will come. And from them it will come back - yes, fulfilled, and such that contentment will come. Yes, such discontent will go away. Let it go - it will be fulfilled, it will come true, but the forces will not forget.”

After this, let the leaf burn completely in a fireproof container. The ashes will need to be collected in a small bag. As soon as there is a snowstorm outside or strong wind These ashes need to be thrown out into the street. All rituals must be performed on the day of the winter solstice.

IN different cultures the interpretation of this event was perceived differently, but among most peoples it was regarded as a revival, and holidays, meetings, rituals and other celebrations were held at this time.

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DAYS OF EQUINOX SEASONS

Solstice instead of apocalypse

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The winter solstice was extremely important in the life of the primitive community, since people were not sure that they had been well prepared for winter during the previous nine months, and that they would be able to survive this winter. Famine was common during the winter months, from January to April, a period of the year known as the famine months. IN temperate climate The Midwinter Festival was the last festival before the hard winter period began. Most of the livestock were slaughtered at this time, as there was nothing to feed them during the winter, so the winter solstice was the only period of the year when the most was consumed fresh meat. At that time most of The wine and beer made during the warm season were finally ready and could be drunk. Celebrations were held not only on this day itself, they began at midnight or at dawn, and most often the day before.

Since the winter solstice is a turning point in the presence of the Sun in the sky, it gave rise to the widespread emergence of the concept of the birth or rebirth of gods. In many cultures, cyclical calendars are based on the winter solstice, celebrating the resurgent year, a symbol of “new beginnings,” such as the cleansing tradition of Hogmanay in Scotland. IN Greek mythology gods and goddesses welcomed winter and summer solstice, these days the god Hades was allowed to appear on Mount Olympus (his kingdom was the underworld, and at any other time he was not supposed to leave there).

Winter Solstice Holidays

The days of the winter solstice are celebrated in almost all world cultures. IN Christian Churches Those who switched to the Gregorian calendar celebrate the Nativity of Christ on these days. It should be noted that Orthodoxy uses the Julian calendar, according to which the date of Christmas coincided with the winter solstice 2 thousand years ago, but has now shifted later by half a month. The Slavs celebrated the winter solstice folk holiday Kolyada, among the Germanic peoples - Yule, among the Romans until the 3rd century - Sol Invictus.

Observations

Direct observation of the solstice by amateurs is difficult because the sun moves towards the solstice point quite slowly, so that it is difficult to determine its specific day, let alone its instant. Knowing the time of an event's origin has only recently become possible down to almost an instant thanks to precise tracking of astronomical data. The actual moment of the solstice cannot be detected by definition (you cannot notice that the object has stopped moving, you can only state that in the current measurement the object has not changed its position compared to the previous measurement, or has moved in the opposite direction). In addition, in order to determine an event with an accuracy of one day, one must be able to observe changes in azimuth and altitude less than 1/60 of the angular diameter of the Sun. A similar determination with an accuracy of up to two days is easier; it requires an observation error of only about 1/16 of the angular diameter of the Sun. Thus, most observations indicate the day of the solstice, and not its instant. This is often done by observing the sunrise and sunset, using an astronomically calibrated instrument that ensures that a beam of light passes to a certain point at exactly the right moment in time.