Tuesday 30 December 2014

Our Halcyon Days

Christmas has come and gone and this year seemed a little surreal as first one and then the other of us had a rather unpleasant stomach bug we caught from our little grandson. Yuck. It seemed to put the lid on this year for us, and we are both looking forward to a rather better 2015.

I know that many of you are ardent followers of the series Outlander, so I thought you might be interested in the following which I "lifted" from our local newspaper as we just passed the Winter Solstice on Sunday.



The week before and the week after the Winter Solstice, 21st December, were named "Halcyon days" in the belief that in this fortnight the waves and wind would be calmed so that kingfishers could breed in their watery nests.


Halcyon is Greek for kingfisher.

December 21st is also St Thomas's Day when old women in East Anglia went "a-Thomasing", asking for sixpences. They were optimists because a tanner (6 old pennies) was then quite a lot of money.

The 21st December itself truly stood for optimism, the feeling that things would only get better as the days lengthened.Christmas is a Christian festival tacked on to a much older pagan one that celebrated the turning of the year when the days began to lengthen once again. The people who developed Stonehenge and Avebury were better aware of the true significance of the winter solstice than were the Christians who came long after them.

Neither Christians nor Druids have ever understood the true meaning of Stonehenge and its relations. Although the builders had an inaccurate understanding of the workings of the universe around them, they were at least trying to find out more about them in an honest and straightforward fashion.

In the Western Isles of Scotland are the prehistoric standing stones at Callanish. Facing them are five undisturbed rocks with a "fissure" in the middle rock. These rocks were a sacred spot long before the Callanish standing stones were built 4,000 years ago.



As the sun's path drops lower in the sky towards the winter solstice, the shadow on the five rocks and the light beam between the fissure extends further and further north.



The extreme sliver of sunlight falling on the ground at midwinter would have triggered ritual to nourish the dying sun or sun god. Whilst Stonehenge has always been geared to the sun, Callanish when completed was related to the moon. Although they don't still have their 'lintels' like the stones at Stonehenge, they are every bit as spectacular and unlike Stonehenge are entirely 'open to visitors', so you can go and touch them and walk round them. (Direct flights from Norwich to Stornoway!)

I am now on Book No 5 of Outlander and am completely immersed in the books despite their verbosity. Just wish the TV series would come over the pond!

In the New Year I hope to get back to normal re my blog, and I have several topics I should like to share with you. Although 2014 hasn't been the best of years healthwise, TTWD has continued to draw Dan and I closer together, and often each week brings something new to discover about each other. After all these years, this is nothing short of miraculous and wonderful. 

We are very definitely in our Halcyon Days!



Dan and I would like to wish you all a Very Happy New Year, and hope that 2015 is filled with love, peace and joy.




28 comments:

  1. Happy New Year. Sorry about the stomach bug. I have a rude cold that doesn't seem to realize it has long overstayed its welcome.

    Here is to a healthy 2015 to both of you!

    love
    willie

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    Replies
    1. Colds and bugs never respect the time of year. Happy New Year to you both and hope you are well soon.

      Hugs
      Ami

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  2. What a wonderful story you told us, Ami. I liked it very much. Learning more about Stonehenge is high on my to-do list... I was a fan with the Outlander story a long time ago. Don't watch the television show.

    Nothing can beat the imagination in a book. And I know my Claire looks very different.

    Thank you for your good wishes, Ami. I wish you and your Dan a wonderful new year.

    Han

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    Replies
    1. I should be very interested to hear what Claire looks like to you. I see her as quite a curvy woman with a lot of personality.

      Happy New Year to you both.

      Hugs
      Ami

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  3. Ami,
    Thank you for the enlightenment.
    It is good to hear a post from you. We hope you and Dan are on the mend. I wish you and Dan the best of New Year's.
    Off to email you,

    Meredith

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    Replies
    1. At this point in time we both appear to be well and I hope it stays that way!

      Happy New Year to you both.

      Hugs
      Ami

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  4. Happy New year - I didn't know about a-thomasing, so I shall be asking if the East Anglian side of my family have heard of it.
    hugs
    DF

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    Replies
    1. We have lived in East Anglia for 32 years and I had never heard of it, but then, I seem to learn new things all the time.

      Happy New Year to you both.

      Hugs
      Ami

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  5. Ami,
    Wishing you a happy and healthy New Years! I hope you both are feeling better soon.
    Hugs

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Jennelle, we are much better at last.

      Happy New Year to you both.

      Hugs
      Ami

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  6. Thank you for the the bit of history and the absolutely lovely pictures Ami! So sorry all y'all have been sick...sending lots of prayers and healing energy that the nasty crud leaves the premises and does not return.

    You and Dan have come so far and I know you two will continue to grow.

    Wishing you both a lovely, loving, happy and health New Year!

    Hugs and Blessings...
    Cat

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    Replies
    1. I am so interested in history like this. We are both well again at last.

      Happy New Year, Cat.

      Hugs
      Ami

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  7. I hope 2015 is a wonderful health year for your family! Because I what you to have plenty of time for blogging and writing!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, PK. I do want to do more blogging and more writing. Most definitely.

      Happy New Year to you both.

      Hugs
      Ami

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  8. Hi Ami, what a wonderful post. Enjoyed reading this. I'm so sorry about the stomach bug. Wishing you, Dan and family a wonderful and healthy New Year and 2015.

    Hugs
    Roz

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    Replies
    1. We are both well again, thank you, Roz.

      Happy New Year to you both.

      Hugs
      Ami

      Delete
  9. Ami,

    Lovely post. I didn't know about a-thomasing so thank you.

    Sending best wishes to you, Dan and family for a happy and healthy 2015.

    Love,
    Ronnie
    xx

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Ronnie. I love reading about stuff like this.

      Happy New Year to you both.

      Hugs
      Ami

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  10. You are such a good teacher! Thank you for the history lesson!
    Happy New Year to you and yours! This year will be wonderful to you all!
    The power of positivity is wonderful and you deserve a fantastic year!

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    1. Thank you so much, Minelle. I do wish both you and your Scotsman a Very Happy New Year, too.

      Hugs
      Ami

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  11. Hi Ami, can tell you were a teacher!! nice post. Sorry you have been poorly though. I hope you and Dan have a great New Year, see you soon
    love Jan,xx

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    Replies
    1. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas in your cabin. We thought about you all!

      Happy New Year to you both.

      Hugs
      Ami

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  12. Hi Ami,
    So sorry that you and Dan were sick over the holidays. But glad that you are doing better. I've missed you.
    I'm a huge fan of Outlander too - and am currently in book 6. They are doing a wonderful job with the series - can you get it online? We watch it on Starz On Demand so we can enjoy it at our convenience. Hubby has become a huge fan too.
    hugs & Happy New Year!
    Cali

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    Replies
    1. I promise I will do my best to blog a bit more frequently. I am sooo hopeless. Everything seems to snowball.

      Sadly, I can't get Outlander on line as far as I know. I had quite a good look around and it doesn't seem to be available to us over here. I reckon we will probably get in a couple of years time! LOL!

      Happy New Year to you both, Cali!

      Hugs
      Ami

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  13. Wishing you and the ones you love much joy, health, and happiness in the new year! Love and hugs! :-)

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    1. Those are the very best things anyone could wish for, Terps. Thank you so much and a very Happy New Year to you both!

      Hugs
      Ami

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  14. Hi Ami, :)
    Wishing you and Dan a Happy and Healthy 2015, filled with all good things, and some spanky fun to go with it! SO glad that you are both feeling much better by now!

    I very much enjoyed reading all this, as well as the pics. Thanks for sharing. It is very interesting stuff. Rob and I are enjoying the Outlander series on tv, as well as reading book one! I do hope that you can see the show over there soon! Many hugs and love,

    <3 Katie

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    1. Thank you so much, Katie. Dan and I wish you both the same good things for 2015.

      I mostly love reading Outlander, but get a bit exasperated every now and again as it certainly is a reading marathon! Also, I am certain everything in "America" is historically correct, but she has made some big "bloomers" when writing about Claire in Scotland, England and France. I am just a horrid picky person - sorry. I am still addicted to my nightly read before bed! Life in a new country must have been very harsh for many of the new homesteaders, especially for those of them who had such difficult beginnings.

      Many hugs
      Ami

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