#wintersolstice — Public Fediverse posts

Embracing the In-Between: The Power of Seasonal Pauses

There are moments each year when the world seems to hold its breath. Not quite the season we’re leaving, not yet the one we’re entering. A soft in‑between. A hinge. A threshold. A pause.

This pause is subtle. It’s the way the light shifts — not dramatically, but with a quiet insistence that something is changing. It’s the way the air feels different on the skin, carrying a new texture, a new temperature, a new intention. It’s the way the body senses a turning before the mind has language for it. In these in‑between days, nature loosens her grip.

The trees stop striving upward and begin listening downward. The soil exhales. The wind rearranges itself. Even the birds seem to linger a little longer on the branch, as if deciding which direction to take next.

We, too, are invited into this pause.

The pause between seasons is a reminder that transitions aren’t meant to be rushed. They are meant to be felt. This is the space where we gather ourselves — the pieces we’ve scattered, the lessons we’ve lived, the parts of us that grew quietly while we weren’t paying attention.

It’s a moment to ask gentle questions: 
What am I carrying that no longer fits the season ahead?
What wants to be softened? 
What wants to be tended? 
What wants to be released?

In this sacred pause, the body becomes a listening place. The nervous system loosens. The breath deepens. The mind stops reaching for answers and instead leans into awareness. We remember that change doesn’t happen in the moment of arrival — it happens in the space just before.

This is the wisdom of the in‑between: life is not a series of clean beginnings and endings. It is a continuous unfolding, a slow turning, a rhythm that asks us to trust the spaces where nothing seems to be happening.

But something is happening. 
Integration. 
Reorientation. 
Recalibration. 
A quiet gathering of strength for whatever comes next.

When we honor the pause between seasons, we honor our own becoming. We step into the next chapter not by force, but by attunement — aligned with the deeper pace of the world around us.

Allow yourself time today to pause and listen. Listen to the pause in the breath between the inhale and the exhale. Listen to your body as it whispers what it needs. Listen to the earth beneath you- steady, patient, unhurried, let the small moment of stillness be a reminder that you don’t have to rush your way into the next season of your life. You can arrive slowly with presence, with softness, and with trust in the quiet wisdom that’s already guiding you.

Try a one-minute grounding pause to help you soften, settle, and come back to yourself with gentle cues to release your shoulders. Feel your weight supported and find one steady point in your body. This quick reset helps you remember that you are here and you are safe. You can begin again at any time.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0HUwHKkhD0LeO2c78Dfvq8?si=DqRSKHK-SMifM_DNi1t9iQ

Enjoying a winter hike near Penn State with college friend, Parri. 1973. #hiking #hike #hiker #hikers #walking #walks #trail #trails #winter #wintersolstice #friend #friends #friendship #college #collegedays #pennstate #maleprivilege #machoentitlement #straightmaleprivilege #bigotry #blm #blacklivesmatter #civilrights #equalrights #equality #vintage #twentiethcentury #1970s #1970sfashion #1970sfashions #woods #woodland #woodlands #forest #forests

Enjoying a winter hike near Penn State with college friend, Parri. 1973. #hiking #hike #hiker #hikers #walking #walks #trail #trails #winter #wintersolstice #friend #friends #friendship #college #collegedays #pennstate #maleprivilege #machoentitlement #straightmaleprivilege #bigotry #blm #blacklivesmatter #civilrights #equalrights #equality #vintage #twentiethcentury #1970s #1970sfashion #1970sfashions #woods #woodland #woodlands #forest #forests

Enjoying a winter hike near Penn State with college friend, Parri. 1973. #hiking #hike #hiker #hikers #walking #walks #trail #trails #winter #wintersolstice #friend #friends #friendship #college #collegedays #pennstate #maleprivilege #machoentitlement #straightmaleprivilege #bigotry #blm #blacklivesmatter #civilrights #equalrights #equality #vintage #twentiethcentury #1970s #1970sfashion #1970sfashions #woods #woodland #woodlands #forest #forests

Enjoying a winter hike near Penn State with college friend, Parri. 1973. #hiking #hike #hiker #hikers #walking #walks #trail #trails #winter #wintersolstice #friend #friends #friendship #college #collegedays #pennstate #maleprivilege #machoentitlement #straightmaleprivilege #bigotry #blm #blacklivesmatter #civilrights #equalrights #equality #vintage #twentiethcentury #1970s #1970sfashion #1970sfashions #woods #woodland #woodlands #forest #forests

Enjoying a winter hike near Penn State with college friend, Parri. 1973. #hiking #hike #hiker #hikers #walking #walks #trail #trails #winter #wintersolstice #friend #friends #friendship #college #collegedays #pennstate #maleprivilege #machoentitlement #straightmaleprivilege #bigotry #blm #blacklivesmatter #civilrights #equalrights #equality #vintage #twentiethcentury #1970s #1970sfashion #1970sfashions #woods #woodland #woodlands #forest #forests

The attic of my childhood home was the first interior I designed. My color palette hasn't changed much. 1973. #interior #interiors #interiordesign #interiordesigns #interiordesigner #interiordecoration #interiordecorations #interiordecorating #interiordecorator #1970s #twentiethcentury #1970sfashion #fashion #vintagefashion #vintageclothing #doubledaybookclub #christmas #wintersolstice #christmaseve #holiday #holidays #friends #goodfriends #childhoodfriends #streisand #artwork

Is This Anything?

A D&D One-Shot that plays out like a Hallmark Christmas Movie.

In the town of Wickhollow, the wreaths go up a week before Solstice. The winter baking competition has been running since before anyone can remember. The mayor wears a sash. The candle in the window of the oldest house on the main road has been lit every Longest Night for several generations.

Someone in your party has been here before. They lived here, they loved here, they lost here. They left. They swore they'd never come back. But the town has welcomed them back with open arms.

Something is wrong this year. It's not a problem that can be solved by hitting it, but it is certainly the type of problem that will absolutely ruin the Longest Night celebrations if nobody does anything.

---

This is the idea of a one-shot that needs player and DM input to fully flesh it out.

What's wrong could be a family feud nobody will say aloud. It could be a recent loss that the town hasn't fully grieved yet. It could be a ritual nobody remembers how to perform. It could be the reason the hometown hero left in the first place, a wrong done to them that still sits unaddressed in the room.

One in the party is the "hometown hero" of sorts. They've returned to the town for the first time in years. Why they've returned could be a recent death in the family. It could be an old love to rekindle. It could be a letter with no return address that somehow found them anyway. It could just be that they were passing through; they swear they were only passing through.

The rest of the party are the quirky and lovable townsfolk. A chimneysweep, always covered in soot. A stablehand who can't escape the smell. An innkeeper who reserved the last room just for the "hero". The child who still believes all of it, completely, without irony.

The climax of the story is not driven by combat, but by a speech, a performance, a small act of community that the "hometown hero" could not have managed at session zero.

And it must start snowing right at the end. That is not a suggestion. The DM does not get a vote on this. It must start snowing.

#iTA #isThisAnything #DnD #OneShot #LongestNight #WinterSolstice #Hallmark

My beloved Aunt Ida was born in 1899, so was always one year older than the year we were in. Christmas, 1982. #aunt #aunts #relative #relatives #beloved #belovedfamilymember #belovedfamilymembers #family #familymember #extendedfamily #1980s #vintage #1980sfashion #1980sdecor #interiordecoration #decoration #interiors #homedecor #homefashion #christmas #wintersolstice #yule #stluciaday #boxingday #hanukkah #holiday #holidays #memories #happymemory #happymemories #nutcracker #senior

Arthur helps Midge to undecorate the tree. #doll #dolls #fashiondoll #fashiondolls #dollcollector #dollcollectors #dollphotographer #dollphotographers #christmas #hanukkah #kwanzaa #stluciaday #boxingday #holidays #yule #solstice #wintersolstice #winterholiday #winterholidays

Our Christmas Trees. #christmas #solstice #wintersolstice #hanukkah #kwanzaa #stluciaday #boxingday #xmas #christmastree #christmastrees #holiday #holidays #winterholiday #axialtilt #seasons #changeofseasons #differentseasons

Today is the 4th Sunday in #Advent.
The last night of #Chanukah.
And the #WinterSolstice.

How lovely to have so many ways at once to acknowledge light, miracles, and hope.

Reading for this winter solstice night: the remarkable diary of Frederick A. Cook, one of the first people to spend winter on Antarctica, including a night which lasted more than two months: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/through-the-first-antarctic-night-1900 #Solstice #WinterSolstice #winter #LongestNight #shortestday

Mandatory listening

🔔Listen to Ring Out Solstice Bells by Jethro Tull on Qobuz🔔 https://open.qobuz.com/track/269385953

#Yule #Solstice #WinterSolstice #ShortestDay #LongestNight

#ArtAdventCalendar Day 20 but posted today on the 21- the #WinterSolstice where we celebrate the imminent (albeit slow) return of the #Sun in the northern hemisphere, but we also ought to remember the importance of darkness which is at its strongest now: rest, soil, womb, rebirth. 2 images to emphasize the #duality #pagan #animist #Ragana #Saule #winter #garden #nature #SeasonalRhythms

Follow what touches your heart.

#reading #wintersolstice #nature #photography #voiceofheart #innervoice #leaves #heart #poetry

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7406788922539745280-OuV9?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=android_app&rcm=ACoAAATrzbIBmSiurUEOArWkjNtRQk6uf8wN-J0&utm_campaign=share_via

RE: https://aus.social/@kate/115756451704230512

Happy Winter solstice, everyone!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice

#WinterSolstice #ShortestDay #LongestNight

Happy #WinterSolstice to everyone, from #Nucilandia 🐿️

Today marks the #longestNight and the #shortestDay — the #turningPoint. From here on, the #lightReturns. Each sunrise will linger a little longer, each day growing brighter than the last.

May this be a reminder that even at the lowest point, #hope is already on its way back. #TheSun endures, life persists, and warmth will rise again.

#PraiseTheSun 🌞

#MHR #Micronation #WinterSolstice #Sun

#Maine - #WinterSolstice Walk at #KettleCove #StatePark

Division / Program: Parks and Lands
Date: Sunday, December 21, 2025
Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location: 49 Kettle Cove Road, #CapeElizabethME. Meet at the park's maintenance shop.
State Park: Kettle Cove State Park
Event Type: #NatureExploration, Special Event

"The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year-- a day of beginnings, of storytelling, of reflection, of celebrating and more. For ancient astronomers, it was the day that the sun appeared at its lowest in the Northern Hemisphere sky and at its farthest southern point over Earth. It's also the day that the Earth and all of us are closest to the sun. Join naturalist Jeanne Christie for a walk to the shore at Kettle Cove to learn a bit of ancient history, astronomy, stories of past cultures, and to reflect and celebrate the beginning of the longest night of the year."

Contact Name: C/O Crescent Beach State Park
Contact Phone: (207) 799-5871
Cost: Free with park admission: Adult Maine Resident: $3; Adult Non-Resident: $4; Senior Non-Resident: $1; Children 5-11 years old: $1; Children under 5 and Maine Seniors are free.

Link to PDF:
https://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/attach.php?id=13336117&an=1

#SolarPunkSunday #NatureEvents #SolsticeEvents #WinterSolsticeEvents #SpendTimeInNature #MoreGreenTimeLessScreenTime #WinterSolstice #MaineEvents #Storytelling #History #Astronomy

My first Christmas Bulletin Board as a young teacher featured a Panamanian tree from Student Teaching. 1975. #christmas #wintersolstice #solstice #pagan #holiday #winterholiday #publicschool #publicschools #school #schools #schoolteacher #schoolteachers #teaching #teachers

I gave up religion in college, but I'll never give up celebrating the Winter Solstice. A Bicentennial Christmas Eve in my apartment, 1976. #atheist #goodwithoutgod #atheism #modernatheism #religion #noreligion #wintersolstice #holiday #winterholiday #christmas #xmas #pagan

I may be an Atheist, but nobody loves celebrating the Winter Solstice more than I. Bicentennial Eggnog in 1976. #atheist #atheism #goodwithoutgod #bicentennial #wintersolstice #christmas #winter #winterholiday #holiday #holidays #eggnog #tradition #traditions #1970s

#WinterSolstice
#Witchcraft
#SeasonalMagic
#YuleTraditions
#WinterWitchery
#MagicInTheMaking
#SolsticeBlessings
#Spellwork
#IntentionalLiving
#NatureInspired
#HolidayMagic
#WitchyVibes
#CozySeason
#Mystical

#ArtAdventCalendar Day 21 #WinterSolstice #MidWinter here #MidSummer for those on the currently sunny side of the globe!
In the North we celebrate the beginning of the slow return of #Saule #Sun but don't forget to give #Darkness its due: life, #regeneration begins in the darkness of blood, soil, womb, heart, brain! Darkness is #rest #nest Take time to repose and #reflect and appreciate the long quiet nights.
#AncientWays #pagan #animist #GoddessCulture #Latvian #Ragana #Alberta #WinterBright

🌲Yule 🎄Winter Solstice ❄️☀️ Saturnalia 🎉

Both Yule and the Winter Solstice share the same day making it an extra magical year.
❄️⛄️☀️
Best wishes from my family to yours.
#WheeloftheYear #WOTY #Yule #WinterSolstice #paganism #pagan #Wicca #witchcraft

"Shona Yule"

#winter #winterwonderland #snow #snowday #snowfall #yule #yuletide #white #dark #longestnight #shortestday #shortestdayoftheyear #solstice #wintersolstice #happyyule #cloudy #cloudyday #cloudysky #early #morning #morningvibes #fields #countryside #nature #landscapephotography #quiet #ireland #seasons #seasonspoetry #weather #landscape #shotoniphone

Today is the #WinterSolstice in the northern half of the planet. It will occur in just over an hour’s time at 09:20Z, marking the start of #Winter, accompanied by the #LongestNight. Meanwhile, the other side of the #Earth is half a year out of phase and will mark the start of #Summer on their #SummerSolstice and the #LongestDay.

Winter Solstice - X-line - #SoundCloud #Music #Yule #WinterSolstice #LongestNight #MerryYule

https://soundcloud.com/user876735/06-winter-solstice-2012

“Surely there could be no darker place in the be-wintered world than the interior of Maeshowe. One of the light rays is caught in this stone web of death. Through the long corridor it has found its way; it splashes the far wall of the chamber. The illumination lasts a few minutes, then is quenched.”

George Mackay Brown

Fascinating #archaeology at the barrow which is lit by the setting of the sun before the #LongestNight

https://www.nessofbrodgar.co.uk/maeshowe-winter-solstice/

#WinterSolstice
#Orkney
#Prehistoric

A preview of the improvised masks I made for #WinterSolstice Tomorrow is a work day, so I plan to drag the Jul log today- these masks are for that- though prob just for a photo op as they aren't super functional..lol- just paper + measurements weren't what they might have been, but lessons learned! #Ragana #Baltic #Goddess of #nature #balance #death and #regeneration is strongest at the time of Winter Solstice; we celebrate her #darkness + #Saule #Sun we #celebrate the beginning of her return

“𝖳𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗂𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗈𝗅𝗌𝗍𝗂𝖼𝖾, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗉𝗈𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗎𝗇, 𝗂𝗍𝗌 𝖼𝗎𝗌𝗉 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗆𝗂𝖽𝗇𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗒𝖾𝖺𝗋’𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗅𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗎𝗇𝗅𝗈𝖼𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀, 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝖺𝗌𝗍 𝗅𝖾𝗍𝗌 𝗀𝗈 𝗈𝖿 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖻𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗎𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾; 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝖼𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝖻𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗁, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝗈𝗈𝗋 𝗈𝖿 𝖺 𝗏𝖺𝗇𝗂𝗌𝗁𝖾𝖽 𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝗅𝖾𝖿𝗍 𝖺𝗃𝖺𝗋.” ~ 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗀𝖺𝗋𝖾𝗍 𝖠𝗍𝗐𝗈𝗈𝖽 (𝘚𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘰 𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵.)

#solstice #WinterSolstice #holidays #Christmas #InTheBleakMidwinter #sunrise #lightstruck #nature #NaturePhotography #SolaceInNature #snow #SimpleThings #QuietJoys #DelightOverDarkness

#Ragana is the #Latvian #Baltic #Goddess of wild places, #WiseWomen (#witches ) , death and regeneration and darkness to balance the sun- the #WinterSolstice is her strongest time. These birch trees stand out against the others as we approach Solstice, making me think of this ancient embodiment of the power and cycles of #Nature
#animist

#ArtAdventCalendar Day 18 I didn't cut wood yesterday, so I went for a walk on the farm. Nippy at around -16C/3F (nowhere near record for this season) but beautiful after several days of fog #frost and #snow
#SniegaMate #SnowMother and the #FrostSpirits have been decorating for the coming #WinterSolstice Look at those #Birch trees-- middle tier- trees of #Ragana (more below)
#Latvian #animist #pagan #winter #photography #Alberta ❄️ 🎄 📷

#ArtAdventCalendar Day 8 As we approach the #WinterSolstice life-giving #Saule #Sun becomes ever more the focus due to her relative absence! At the same time we must recognise and appreciate the #darkness the other font of life #Primal #Goddess #Ragana represents this balancing force of #nature #winter #Baltic #Latvian #pagan #animist ❄️ 📷 #photography #BorealForest

The #JuneSolstice will occur at 2050Z today. So that will be on the 21 June for the majority of the population of the planet. It’s the #LongestDay or #LongestNight of the year depending on your latitude. Roll on #summer or #winter.

#Solstice #SummerSolstice #WinterSolstice

On the night of Winter Solstice
When the questions loosened their grip
When Body gave over to Wisdom
And Mind elected freedom
In the flickering candlelight
One Who Sees
Did, finally, actually see
In letting go
She came home
To herself
A newfound, powerful flow
And such peace as she had never known before

#poetry #poem #wintersolstice
#longestnight #witch

I've been texting my family group chat a daily countdown to winter #solstice the past few days bc I hate short days & cannot wait for them to start getting longer again!
Happy #Yule! Hope everyone has a magical winter ❄️ or summer 🌞 solstice today! May the sun shine brighter for everyone in the northern hemisphere tomorrow! 😊 Happy Holidays! 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 #holidays #celebration #photography #longestNight #winter #winterSolstice

#WinterSolstice #LightReturns #DarknessToLight

Happy Solstice! The solstice is today, December 21, 2023 at 7:27 pm PST (December 22, 2023 at 03:27 UTC).

Whether this is the Winter Solstice or the Summer for you, you might be thinking more than usual about the power of the sun today. Maybe you’re thinking about people who literally worshipped the sun and wondering if they were onto something. I think they were and wrote about it.

Worship the sun: It's traditional, it's natural, and it's reasonable

https://rinsemiddlebliss.com/posts/2023-12-08-worship-the-sun/

#WinterSolstice #astronomy #apologia #TechnoPagan #SummerSolstice

“This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year’s threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future; the place of caught breath, the door of a vanished house left ajar.” ~ Margaret Atwood

#ArtAdventCalendar #WinterSolstice #lightstruck #SolaceInNature #InTheBleakMidwinter

Good morning and Happy Solstice to my friends who celebrate!

This morning had a little scare. Driving into the office just a half a mile from home hit some black ice and skidded for a bit. Thank goodness for anti-lock breaks.

However, I grew up learning to drive on cars without anti-lock breaks. So, my instinct is to pump the breaks on black ice...which I have to fight when I drive a newer vehicle with anti-lock breaks.

Anyway - have a great one!

#MorningMoments #WinterSolstice #HibernalSolstice #BlackIe #Driving #Thursday #GoodMorning

#MakingItMonday…#WinterSolstice #Stillness…True #Nature

#WholeHeartedLeadersThrive
#WHLThrive
@WHLThrive
#Change #Leadership #ThrivalHood #EmotionalWisdom #Creativity
https://www.tiktok.com/@whlthrive?lang=en
wholeheartedleadersthrive.blogspot.com
https://universeodon.com/@Thrivalhood
https://linktr.ee/WHLThrive https://pegaphinz.com/

Shortest day of the year today as we hit the Winter solstice here. Definitely a day to head out into whatever daylight you can find!

#winter #wintersolstice #dailyshot #london #bankside #photography #creator #decembershots

<i> Joy To The World! Seasonal greetings from all of us at Auger to all of you! <i>

#Auger #JOY #joydivision #joydivisionforever! #HolidaysAreComing #Yule #Yuletide #Weihnachten #Krampus #WinterSolstice #xmas #XMAS2022 #Christmas #saintnicholas #FestivalOfLights <i>

3 Good Things, Monday!

1. My art open house (drop in by appointment) is going well! Have sold a few pieces so far (all Reiki-infused and inspired), and more appointments scheduled prior to December 24th. In the photo I've attached, you'll see one of my paintings in the background behind all the text of the book cover for my new novel (see number 2 below). :-)

2. I am on track for publishing my second novel (Otter Coast, a medical marijuana mystery!) on the Winter Solstice. A funny day perhaps in light of the timing with holiday sales (it is not in time for people to order paper copies for Christmas and have them arrive, but e-books will be in time); it feels right, so I'm going for it. Also, as you'll see from the photo of the book cover design in progress, we have lots of Lorem Ipsum text to be replaced. I love Lorem Ipsum text, makes me feel like clean dishes, clean sheets, new opportunities. :-)

3. I'm getting closer to solving some work-related architecture and engineering design challenges which are always intriguing to me. Although I can't talk about work-work, I can say that in novel number 1 (The Erenwine Agenda---a love story that centers on fracking---which I am ALSO reissuing on the Solstice, in my given name, Maia Chowdhury) and in novel number 2, there is lots of workplace drama of the highest caliber! 🙂

Now, back to said Day Job. 🙂

#3GoodThings @3goodthings

#Architect #ArtForSale #CreativeWriting #DayJob #Desi #EcoFiction #Fracking #HolidaySale #HydraulicFracturing #IndieAuthor #IndiePublisher #IndependentPublisher #LoremIpsum #MixedDesi #MedicalMarijuana #Mystery #Publishing #Reiki #SmallPress #Solstice #VisionaryEcoFiction #VisionaryFiction #WinterSolstice #WomenInArchitecture #WomenInSTEAM #WomenInSTEM #Writer #Writing

A Winter Solstice playlist featuring a mix of traditional, seasonal, and festive Welsh and English language music to get in the mood for December and the Longest Night.

Includes Welsh traditional songs such as Cân Y Fari Lwyd (The Mari Lwyd Song), Hela'r Dryw Bach (Hunting the Little Wren), and Y Gelynnen (The Holly). Also some songs about Rhiannon and Epona are sprinkled throughout.

#WinterSolstice #Yule #Byrddydd #Hirnos #AlbanArthan #Playlist #Rhiannon #Epona #WelshPaganism #GaulishPolytheism

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRD4ZOhDCIxZ8ggi9C1E_SPDpczcNCfOL&feature=share