The Wild Hunt (https://wildhunt.org/tag/winter/page/2)
With just two days to go, I made use of one of my few free days to go downtown and get a few supplies: gift wrapping paper, thick craft rope, glue, and a big burlap bag. I had found out what to do: instead of having someone dressed as Santa delivering gifts, I would have someone don a homemade Yule Goat costume.
TWH welcomes back Erick Dupree, who reflects on the meaning of the solstice with a group of Pagan creators including Travis Holp, Juliet Diaz, Fio Gede Parma, Claire Goodchild, and Rev. Dominick Guerriero.
It is like living in a lighthouse, surrounded by nothing but the wild, often unwelcoming nature. You merely need to take three steps outside the door to remember where you are. Locals have a saying about that: “Vi vet kor vi bor” (“We know where we live”) and it is often in November that you start hearing it out loud.
“The last days of winter are unfolding as they should, with snow, ice, and cold temperatures starting to become balanced by days of warmer weather and increasing daylight. Sensing the nearness of spring, part of me wants to put on my fastest sneakers and gleefully run down the path to greet her. But the wheel turns as it turns, and I know I cannot hurry the seasons.”
“When I got some energy back, I sat down to tend my altars. The small chores of cleaning, sorting, and reorganizing took all of my attention. As I worked, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the tattoo had changed something, had somehow shown that I was serious enough to have some credit.” Luke Babb writes on the lessons and absences that made up their December holidays in 2021.