An Early Solstice

Every December I attend Paul Winter and his Consort's "Winter Solstice Celebration". This music and dance performance is at St. John the Divine in NYC. I guess if this was a different band with a different genre of music I would be called a groupie.

The performance takes you musically and visually through the "longest night" and welcomes back the sun. You see, the winter solstice occurs when the sun reaches its most southern point from the equator. In our Northern Hemisphere this is the longest night. After this night the days become longer as the sun again begins its "rise" into the sky.

This "dark" period was met with dread by ancient peoples. The night was a time of fear and spirits. So on this night, to celebrate the "return of the sun", the people would light bonfires and perform rituals to welcome and encourage the "change" in the sun's path. It was a time to rejoice as the days became longer and the light returned to drive out the fear and night spirits.

Today we do not look at the solstice the same way as the ancients. We have the luxury of clocks, calendars and an understanding of astronomy, the earth's rotation about the sun and the cycle of the seasons. But this year I know what the ancients felt. I feel that Election night will be our winter solstice.

So what does this have to do with our election? While we know that the sun will rise again and the seasons will change, the ancients did not necesarily know this as fact. We are like the ancients are unsure as far as our future is concerned. We do not know if the light will rise again or if we will be further plunged into fear and darkness with another 4 years of W. On a very personal note I did not feel this dread and pessimism since 1972. Sure we all survived McGovern's loss. The war eventually ended, Tricky eventually resigned, Watergate was unmasked. But those times were clearly different. Today the darkness is deeper. Rifts in this nation are deeper than in 1972 (though they do not show themselves as openly as in the 70's). And the stakes in the Middle East are higher (IMO) than in Vietnam.

So on Election Night I will light the bonfires and hope that the light again arises (even though I know that Kerry will not bring the fullest light with his views on Iraq). If the "sun" does rise again on the U.S. we should celebrate with music and dance. Celebrate and work so that we can never allow this nation to plunge into the depths of fear and darkness again. Another 4 years of W will keep us in the darkness and may be the end of us all.