wikipedia says that “the word solstice is derived from the Latin sol (“sun”) and sistere (“to stand still”), because at the solstices, the Sun’s declination appears to “stand still”; that is, the seasonal movement of the Sun’s daily path (as seen from Earth) pauses at a northern or southern limit before reversing direction.”
for many of us 2020 has been a year full of pausing, if not outright standing still. i’ve spent much of this year reflecting on liminality–that ambiguous stage between what was and what will be–and i find myself thinking of that even more on this winter solstice. the post linked below is an exquisite encouragement to each of us to embrace the stillness and lean into the ambiguity “believing you are…endowed with the same forces capable of lighting up the deepest dark.”