Monday, December 20, 2010

Winter Solstice + Total Lunar Eclipse

1554 was the last year for this auspicious event. What a night to be at Stonehenge or Ephesus, Glastonbury Tor, Chichen Itza, Old Sarum, Cahokia Mounds or Pittsburgh, or any place with special juju. Tonight 2:41 am ET, the moon will be visible as a burnished copper disk. For those of us Orthodox Pagans who adore copper, and celebrate the Winter Solstice, this is a once in several lifetimes event. I will be out in the parking lot in my Buzz Lightyear pjs, alpaca kneehis, Sorel boots. I'll be smiling if it's not cloudy, and cranky if it is. For anyone curious what was on TV in 1554, the French were at war, Lady Jane Grey and her consort were beheaded, Sao Paulo, Brazil was founded, Valerius Cordus and Francisco Vasquez de Coronado died. Sir Walter Raleigh and Sakuma Morimasa were born. And there was the previous total lunar eclipse, on December 10 because the Julian Calendar wasn't in common use yet. Enjoy the view, companion earthlings!

No comments:

Post a Comment