Astronomers, or astronomy buffs: a little lyrical help?

[capri0mni]

Wikipedia has failed me (mostly).

Thinking of writing a new carol. ... Three folks (out of eight) who answered this poll: (Pro-fun)Troll we now the Yuletide Carol suggested that I write something with the emotional tone of Oh, Holy Night, which I think of as "celebratory in a quiet, meditative, way, that is also drawing on and depicting the mood of a scene at a given moment."

This morning early afternoon, as I was having breakfast, I was talking back in my head to a rabbi interviewed on the radio, yesterday, who was talking about being socially sensitive toward those who happen not to celebrate Christmas, thank you very much. He said that one atheist friend of his always responded to "Merry Christmas" with "Happy winter Solstice," and the rabbi thought that that was being too sarcastic, and snippy, to someone who probably didn't know the person was an atheist, and was just trying to be friendly.

In my head, I answered back to that rabbi, and said that when I say: "Happy Solstice" to someone, I mean it, sincerely.

I went on to tell this rabbi (Who wasn't there) that the Winter Solstices are special because they're universal for every single living creature living north of the Tropic of Cancer, on December 21, and south of the Tropic of Capricorn on June 21. It happens, whether or not you believe in a god or not, or which god you believe in. It is an observable event. Even though the days ahead will grow colder, the amount of light in our lives will increase. The fact that this happens is significant for every autotroph, and every heterotroph that depends on them. And for me, it is the ultimate natural metaphor for hope, and keeping on, keeping on, in spite of all of life's trouble. What's not to be celebrate about that?

I was wondering if I could write a carol that celebrated this "tipping point, a solstice song for both summer and winter, the fact that this is a day at the brink for everyone on earth (a pull back from the longest night, in the north, and the longest day in the south).

Or should it be specific to winter (and antipodeans can just sing it in June, instead)? I mean, is the promise that we won't have eternal night more important, psychologically, than the promise that we won't have eternal day, either?

Also, are there astronomical phrases that strike you as particularly musical that you think someone should put into a song, but haven't yet? Is there an astronomical event that strikes you as particularly cool or beautiful that you wish someone would describe in a song? If so, comment!

Plz? Thnx!!

Comments

[leenah.livejournal.com]

the part that is important for winter solstice (in the northern hemisphere, which is what i really know) is that the light will GROW. it's dark, and cold, and then the light will come
BACK and it will *eventually* be warm again.

it's like a renewal of a promise, every year. the universe promises that summer will arrive. it might not be really warm, depending on where or when you're there, but it WILL be summer, and not winter.

i don't know how to spin it properly so it fits the southern hemisphere too.

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's what I'm feeling too, the more I think about it: the reminder that the nights will not, in spite of all current appearances, grow infinitely longer until there's no daylight left.

So, yes, in fact, the winter solstice (whether you celebrate it in June or December) is more psychologically important than the summer solstice (though I might feel differently if I lived in a region that was closer to the tropics, where summer is more oppressive).

I still can't get my head around celebrating "Christmas" in midsummer, even though several people on my flist do.

[daibhid-c.livejournal.com]

According to < a href="http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/1796.html">David Morgan-Mar (who should know), in Australia Christmas is celebrated on 25th December (midsummer), but the whole winter solstice thing is considered important enough that Yule is then celebrated in June (Midwinter). I can't tell from his peice whether this is specifically a pagan thing, or if it's as accepted by secular society as Christmas.

Incidentally, the rabbi on your radio seems to saying "assume everyone is Christian unless you have evidence otherwise, and accept that it will be assumed you're Christian in turn". Which is an odd thing for a rabbi to say.

OTOH, if I were a pagan and wished someone a happy solstice, and they replied "Merry Christmas" then, depending on their tone, I might feel they were trying to make a point, so I suppose that works both ways. I dunno. Religion is a mass (no pun intended) of complications, which is part of the reason I'm agnostic.

(Warning: Link contains dangerous pun.)

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

...Took me a minute to get that pun. *belated groan*

I don't know, but I think the "Yule in June" for the antipodeans is just a neo-Pagan thing... At least, I think so (any Ausies or New Zealanders on my f'list want to correct me on that?).

And I think, based on the context of the comment (I was reporting several hours afters hearing it, and was going by memory), that the Rabbi was assuming his atheist friend always answered that way to "make a point," and was therefore being ungenerous and sarcastic. Which, in the case of his friend may have been true. But the rabbi also seemed to be making the leap that, therefore "Happy Solstice" is always a sarcastic thing to say.

But, my point is: "Happy Solstice" can be thoroughly sincere and happy meaning...

Once, at a holiday fundraising supper, I was sat down next to a Fundamentalist Christian, and he asked me how I plan to celebrate Christmas, and I told him I celebrate both the solstice and Christmas itself ("After all," I said, "God's very first creation and blessing was Light, so I like to take the opportunity to give thanks for that-- like saying grace over a meal.), and that I celebrate one day seriously, and the other just for fun... I just didn't say which day was which. ;-)