Please attend to the marvelous posts about December 21st and the Winter Solstice that Waverly Fitzgerald has on her site, SchooloftheSeasons.com, as well as the excellent solstice summary she wrote for Beliefnet.

This day in December is the feast day of St. Thomas as well as a time some honor the Roman God of silence Diva Angerona. On Fitzgerald’s site, you’ll learn why the Norse God of Domesticity, Hertha, is one reason today’s Santa Claus descends the chimney. Everything’s connected!

We might also realize that December 21st marks the Summer Solstice in our earth’s Southern hemisphere. As we welcome the new light of longer days, Chattering Mind reader Glenys Livingstone, who lives in Australia, acknowledges the coming darkness. Here is her website on earth-based religions, which will take you in all kinds of neat directions.