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Written by: Kamran Mofid

Published: 18 December 2020

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Welcome, Yule!

Happy Winter Solstice!

Photo:amazon

The Shortest Day 

'And so the Shortest Day came and the year died

And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world

Came people singing, dancing,

To drive the dark away.

They lighted candles in the winter trees;

They hung their homes with evergreen;

They burned beseeching fires all night long

To keep the year alive.

And when the new year’s sunshine blazed awake

They shouted, reveling.

Through all the frosty ages you can hear them

Echoing behind us — listen!

All the long echoes, sing the same delight,

This Shortest Day,

As promise wakens in the sleeping land:

They carol, feast, give thanks,

And dearly love their friends,

And hope for peace.

And now so do we, here, now,

This year and every year. Welcome, Yule!'-Susan Cooper

‘The two great celestial milestones of the year, the Summer and Winter Solstices, are perhaps humanity’s most ancient ritual observances. People paused at these times to reflect upon the journey of life, with its trials, blessings, hopes and promise.’- Paul Winter*

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”- Annie Dillard 

'In a sense, Winter Solstice is a turning point in the battle of dark versus light.'

This is how the sunrise on Winter Solstice looked like in Newgrange in 2019. Photo: John Lalor/Via RTE

‘Celebrating Our Journey With the Sun’*

‘To live at all is miracle enough’

The Shortest Day calls us to hope beyond despair, as days get longer, lighter and warmer,

the return of colour and beauty lifts the spirits

Tuesday 21 December is the 2021 Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year for people living in the Northern hemisphere.

The Solstice —derived from the Latin solstitium meaning standing sun — marks the moment the sun shines at its most southern point.,

and for centuries the Solstice has been recognised as a time of celebration and rebirth.-Photo: Medium

‘The winter solstice, with the rebirth of the sun, offers a time for healing and hope, a time to celebrate community and relatedness,

and a time to honour the diversity and the unity of this great cornucopia of life on Earth.’- Yale Forum on Religion & Ecology

‘Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.’― J.K.Rowling

‘If the last 200 years have been shaped by industrialization, materialism and disparity, may the coming era be characterized by regeneration, stewardship and sharing. Decades from now, we may look back on this year with new understanding – as a great pause that seeded deeper awareness and new capacities.’

I wish to mark and celebrate  the solstice by sharing a poem that says a great deal about our place on Earth.

Words That Inspire: ‘The Wild Geese’ by Wendell Berry, which paints a colorful image of Earth's bounty, inspiring the beloved poet and farmer to be thankful that all we need is around us.

Photo:pinterest

‘Horseback on Sunday morning,

harvest over, we taste persimmon

and wild grape, sharp sweet

of summer’s end. In time’s maze

over fall fields, we name names

that went west from here, names

that rest on graves. We open

a persimmon seed to find the tree

that stands in promise,

pale, in the seed’s marrow.

Geese appear high over us,

pass, and the sky closes. Abandon,

as in love or sleep, holds

them to their way, clear,

in the ancient faith: what we need

is here. And we pray, not

for new earth or heaven, but to be

quiet in heart, and in eye

clear. What we need is here.’

Yes, indeed. It is so very true: ‘What we need is here’.

In the last couple of years we all have faced and experienced unprecedented difficulties, challenges and uncertainties. But the year has also been laced and interwoven with inspiration and hope, resilience and kindness, when we all have discovered the power of the common good.

COVID-19 and its subsequent variants have shown us our vulnerabilities, as well as our strength and our humanity. It has also shown us that once and for all, we are all in it together. The year has also shown us that viruses and infections are borderless, as are love and kindness. 

 

Photo:AtmosFX

For many of us, the GCGI family, this year has been the year where we came together not in despair, but in hope. We connected with each other and we began to value the values of togetherness, love, and sharing more than ever before.

We came together at Dawn, in poetry and literature, and gathered together in Mother Nature, although all in virtual reality, but, nonetheless, we were together in spirit, as love knows no borders.

One thing that COVID-19 has taught me is that:

‘The most precious thing in life is life itself’

All in all, in the eloquent words of Mervyn Peake, we all discovered that indeed, ‘To Live is Miracle Enough.’

Painting by Simon Drew- PENGUINS TO LIVE AT ALL IS MIRACLE ENOUGH

‘To live at all is miracle enough.

The doom of nations is another thing.

Here in my hammering blood-pulse is my proof.

Let every painter paint and poet sing

And all the sons of music ply their trade;

Machines are weaker than a beetle’s wing.

Swung out of sunlight into cosmic shade,

Come what come may the imagination’s heart

Is constellation high and can’t be weighed.

Nor greed nor fear can tear our faith apart

When every heart-beat hammers out the proof

That life itself is miracle enough.’ -Mervyn Peake, To Live is Miracle Enough

…...

Whilst reading one of my favorite journals-KOSMOS- the following passage very much resonated with me, which I would like to share with you:

‘As you may know, a Great Conjunction occurs exactly at the solstice December 21st between the planets Saturn and Jupiter. Their light will appear to merge as a bright beacon on the southern horizon. In the northern hemisphere, many associate the return of light at the solstice with the celebrations of Yuletide, Christmas, Hanukkah, Soyal for the Hopi, Dong Zhi in China, and many others.

This particular planetary conjunction is said to be the start of a new 200-year cycle. We welcome the symbolism of renewal, rebirth and the return of light to the world.

If the last 200 years have been shaped by industrialization, materialism and disparity, may the coming era be characterized by regeneration, stewardship and sharing. Decades from now, we may look back on this year with new understanding – as a great pause that seeded deeper awareness and new capacities.

Truly, the present quality of time is like no other in our living memory. Yet, life evolved only once on Earth billions of years ago, and our ancestors passed through many portals of near extinction and rebirth. We are the collective inheritors of their wondrous resilience, skillfulness, and love.’- KOSMOS

Illustration by Sara Mulvanny

In conclusion, GCGI welcomes you wholeheartedly as we chronicle this continuing journey of Love&Hope, when we take actions in the interest of the common good. 

Annie and I are grateful to all those who have journeyed through this year with us, in various ways. Friendship, love, caring and solidarity are ever more precious in these uncertain times! Thank you for being who you are.

……

And now I wish to share with you something from the land of my birth, remembering my childhood

and the festivities around the longest night, the shortest day, Shab-e-Yalda.

Shab-e Yalda: When Light Shines and Where Goodness, Beauty and Wisdom Prevails

'The story of Yalda may be interpreted as a tale of courage and effort during darkness, a triumph

of light and human warmth that ultimately causes the spring to bloom in hearts.'

Shab-e-Yalda - an ancient winter solstice celebration that commemorates the triumph of Mithra

Ancient Persians believed that evil forces were dominant on the longest night of the year and that the next day

belonged to the Lord of Wisdom, Ahura Mazda.

‘Because Shab-e Yalda is the longest and darkest night, it has become to symbolise many things in Persian poetry; separation from a beloved one, loneliness and waiting. After Shab-e Yalda a transformation takes place - the waiting is over, light shines and goodness prevails.'

'The sight of you each morning is a New Year

Any night of your departure is the eve of Yalda' (Sa'adi)

'With all my pains, there is still the hope of recovery

Like the eve of Yalda, there will finally be an end' (Sa'adi)

Continue to read and be inspired: Happy Shab-e Yalda

……

Selected related reading from our archive:

The healing power of ‘Dawn’ at this time of coronavirus crisis

Finding sanctuary in poetry during lockdown

Embrace the Spirituality of the Autumn Equinox and Discover What it Means to be Human

On the 250th Birthday of William Wordsworth Let Nature be our Wisest Teacher

Saving the Web of Life: The Time is now to Tune into Peace, Love and Wisdom with a Spiritual Revolution 

The Sweetness of Being Human: ‘We have all of us one human heart.’

What a blissful day it was visiting "The loveliest spot that man hath ever found"

The prophetic legacy of John Ruskin: A Man ahead of his time

“Now comes good sailing” whilst nature and simple living were his solace

Christmas in the time of COVID: Let Love and Kindness be Your Everlasting Gifts

......

May you find joy in the simple pleasures of life and may the light of the holiday season

fill your heart with the hope for a better world

“…there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.” —Ecclesiastes 3:12

......

*‘Celebrating Our Journey With the Sun’ 

Paul Winter’s 42nd Annual Winter Solstice Celebration

For the past 40 years, Paul Winter’s Winter Solstice performances have brought people together to welcome the return of the sun and the birth of a new year. Set in the extraordinary acoustics and titanic dimensions of the world’s largest gothic cathedral, New York’s St. John the Divine, the event has grown into an extravaganza of music and dance, a contemporary celebration of renewal. This year will feature a unique version of the event, tailored to COVID times.

LEARN MORE AND WATCH THE WINTER SOLSTICE SPECIAL – “EVERYBODY UNDER THE SUN”

......

A must-read book

Photo:amazon

‘In this seasonal treasure, Newbery Medalist Susan Cooper's beloved poem heralds the winter solstice, illuminated by Caldecott Honoree Carson Ellis's strikingly resonant illustrations.

So the shortest day came,

and the year died . . .

As the sun set on the shortest day of the year, early people would gather to prepare for the long night ahead. They built fires and lit candles. They played music, bringing their own light to the darkness, while wondering if the sun would ever rise again. Written for a theatrical production that has become a ritual in itself, Susan Cooper's poem "The Shortest Day" captures the magic behind the returning of the light, the yearning for traditions that connect us with generations that have gone before -- and the hope for peace that we carry into the future. Richly illustrated by Carson Ellis with a universality that spans the centuries, this beautiful book evokes the joy and community found in the ongoing mystery of life when we celebrate light, thankfulness, and festivity at a time of rebirth. Welcome Yule!’

Buy this book HERE

See also

‘‘The Shortest Day: A Lyrical Illustrated Invitation to Presence with the Passage of Time, Our Ancient Relationship with the Sun, and the Cycles of Life’

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Written by: Kamran Mofid

Published: 14 December 2020

Hits: 989

Boris Johnson continues the racist virus spawned by Enoch Powell

Brexit: The Path to Tyranny and the loss of Moral and Spiritual Compass 

“It is my considered opinion that for Britain and Europe, and for liberal democracy across the entire world as a whole, Britain’s departure from the European Union in the time of Donald Trump, and Britain’s consequent unqualified dependence on the United States in an era when the US is heading straight down the road to institutional racism and neo-fascism, is an unmitigated clusterfuck bar none.”- John le Carré, Agent Running in the Field

A portrait of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and late Tory politician Enoch Powell.  (illustration by Mohamad Elaasar) via Middle East Eye

‘Both told monstrous lies: not the usual dishonesties of politics, but lies that break people’s lives. Powell’s “rivers of blood” speech had a title adapted from a line from Virgil, but that didn’t make it classy…’

‘The name of Enoch Powell provokes consternation in many on both the left and right of British politics. But the sometime Conservative was a powerful influence on Tory Euroscepticism – probably greater than most would want to acknowledge.  His views on Europe chime with recurring themes in the referendum campaign.’- How Enoch Powell helped to shape modern Tory Euroscepticism

‘KARL Marx argued that history always repeats itself, firstly as tragedy then second time around as farce. Marx was talking about how Napoleon Bonaparte was followed by his mediocre and dandyish nephew, Louis. However, there is a case to be made for a similar comparison between Enoch Powell and Boris Johnson.’- George Kerevan

‘...This makes Johnson the direct political descendent of Powell, and the British answer to US President Donald Trump…’- Peter Oborne

More on these a bit later. For now lest we forget:

Brexit: The Path to Tyranny and the loss of Moral and Spiritual Compass 

EU Referendum: An Open Letter to British people - One man's view of Britain and the British

BREXIT: When England Betrayed Churchill

The Folly and Ignorance of Brexit to Grasp the TRUTH: EU has always been a Peace Project First and Foremost

Brexit and Dictatorship

So, They Got Their Brexit Done!

Britain today and the Bankruptcy of Ideas, Vision and Values-less Education

And now a reflection on Boris, the spit image of Enoch!

Photo: Conservative Glossary

How did Enoch Powell, a man with no shame, come to haunt our times?*

The late politician specialised in sowing division and indulged in national fantasies

‘The ghost of Enoch Powell hangs over Britain this weekend, with a smile on its thin lips. If you are too young to remember him, Boris Johnson offers a recrudescence. Powell was a genuine classical scholar. Cambridge awarded him a starred double first in Latin and Ancient Greek in 1933. Johnson was so-so academically. His failure to achieve a first at Oxford enraged him. But, like Powell, he learned the value of dropping a Latin phrase in a class-ridden country, which still thinks a classical education is a sign of superior intelligence.

Both told monstrous lies: not the usual dishonesties of politics, but lies that break people’s lives. Powell’s “rivers of blood” speech had a title adapted from a line from Virgil, but that didn’t make it classy. He unleashed hatred and violence against black and Asian immigrants and their children in 1968 by using the story of an old white woman in Wolverhampton. She had lost her husband and sons in the war and her reward was to be intimidated by “Negros”. Her “windows are broken. She finds excreta pushed through her letterbox. When she goes to the shops, she is followed by children, charming, wide-grinning piccaninnies. They cannot speak English, but one word they know. ‘Racialist,’ they chant.”

It was an urban myth. Powell could not identify the woman. Clem Jones, the editor of the Wolverhampton Express & Star, sent reporters out, and they returned without a story. Jones, who was still remembered with respect when I was a reporter in the West Midlands, was so angry he ended his friendship with Powell.

No apology followed. Just the assertion that it wasn’t racist to talk about immigration which has echoed down the decades, as if what you said and how you talked did not matter. No apology will come from the lips of another politician who was comfortable with the term “piccaninnies”. Johnson belatedly apologised for his use of the word “piccaninnies” but that has been the limit of his contrition. Brexit would lead to more money for scientists, the arts, the NHS, farmers, Britain’s poor regions and all working people. “There is no plan for no deal, because we’re going to get a great deal,” he said in 2017. People who believed him then will be losing their jobs in 2021 because, as of today, the options are no deal or an abysmal deal.

Our national reckoning must include a reckoning with Powell. Three policies he promoted have descended on Britain simultaneously. Powell was a Thatcherite before Thatcherism, advocating privatisation and unashamed capitalism so vigorously that Friedrich Hayek said in 1965: “All our hopes in England now rest on Enoch Powell.” Today his successors say we can expect to see an unashamed Britannia unchained from the bureaucracy of the EU. Powell’s attacks on immigrants saw him expelled from the Tory frontbench in 1968. A half century on, we have a Conservative government that won the Brexit referendum with Powellite lies about tens of millions of Turks heading our way if we stayed in the EU.

Powell had a magical belief in sovereignty that is everywhere on the right today. Jobs, living standards, power and influence must be sacrificed on the altar of this elusive god. Powell was adamant that rejecting Europe was a test of our “will and the power to remain a nation”. In 1997, towards the end of his life, Powell watched the Tories shift from being a pro- to an anti-European party and applauded its recognition that the EU was “a means of prejudicing our own nationhood”.

Paul Corthorn, Powell’s biographer, believes the “age of Brexit is the age of Powell” and I wish I could demur. For a politician, inexplicably famed for the banal observation that “all political careers end in failure”, Powell is enjoying a posthumous victory.

It remains a disaster, and not only for those who need a prosperous country to support them. The right cannot have all it wants. Indeed, its leaders are so incompetent and its once serious thinkers so lost in fantasy, it may end up with nothing. The nation it claims to love is Britain, not England. The Conservative party is a unionist party. Powell was such a firm believer in protecting Britain’s integrity that he left the Tories in 1974 to become the Ulster Unionist MP for South Down.

The right does not realise the EU was holding Britain together. Johnson is not only taking us out of the world’s richest single market, he is putting a border between Northern Ireland and the residual UK. As David Allen Green of the Financial Times bitingly put it, after losing the single market, the “United Kingdom has actually ended up with a free trade area smaller than the United Kingdom”. Northern Ireland’s future lies in the European market it shares with the Republic. The very people who said the unity of the UK was their guiding principle are pushing it away.

Scotland’s future appeared settled when it voted against independence. But the vote was to remain in a UK that was part of the EU. Nationalists lost in 2014, in part because an independent Scotland would have been outside the EU. Now Brexit has torn up the deal between the nations, support for independence is at record highs.

Thatcherism and Brexit are as incompatible as unionism and Brexit. Ever since 2016, there has been an obvious tension between the leaders of the Brexit movement, who wanted to let capitalism rip, and the Conservatives’ working-class supporters who wanted greater protections.

Less noticed is the vast increase in bureaucracy leaving the single market will bring. From the 19th century on, its proponents admired free trade because it removed the influence of unproductive bureaucrats. The end of free trade with Europe is leading to an explosion in border officers, regulators of everything from medicines to aviation, emergency planners, negotiators and bureaucrats of all varieties, citing rules and handing out compliance notices in a country so far from Powell’s dream of unashamed capitalism it is barely recognisable.

All political careers end in failure, and nothing will illustrate the failure of Enoch Powell’s career better than his pyrrhic victory from beyond the grave.'

• Nick Cohen is an Observer columnist. Read the original article HERE

……

And finally, I did my best to show Boris how he may repent and become a good man.

But, sadly, it is true, leopards are leopards and will never change their spots!

Dear Mr. Johnson, your Covid-19 survival must become a force for good