The Sun Stands Still

Years ago, we built two stone cairns on our ridge that mark where the sun sets on the summer solstice to the north, and the winter solstice to the south. The distance between them represents the span the sun travels on the horizon as it sets each night throughout the year. The change in location from one night to the next is imperceptible, but in aggregate it becomes substantial. On the summer solstice, the sun sets in the center of our dining room window, and 6 months later it’s just shy of the path to the ravine that provides access to the rest of our farm.

This week the sun reached its southern most point and after pausing to rest for a few days, it reversed direction and is now heading north again. That pause is where the “solstice” gets its name - derived from the Latin word “solstitium” meaning “sun standing still”.

The winter solstice marks the furthest we travel from the sun - the furthest from our light. These are quite literally our darkest days and longest nights. Now on its northerly journey, though, the sun is getting closer to us, and soon the days will be getting longer.

While the sun paused, we rebuilt the cairns the pigs toppled over, just as we do every year. It’s a tradition both for them to knock the pile of stones over, and for us to restack them. I’m not sure what the pig’s logic is. I suspect they knock the cairns over simply because they can - and perhaps because on some level, they know it annoys me. We rebuild the cairns because, like most traditions, it’s a way of acknowledging and celebrating. Knowing that the sun has indeed turned, and that spring is on the way again, keeps me going despite the arctic temperatures, as we head outside each day. Until we let the pigs out on the ridge to forage for acorns again next fall, the cairns also serve as visual reminders that time marches on, and that sometimes incremental steps become real change.

Whatever you choose to celebrate this season, we hope you find yourself infused with peace and immersed in joy – and that your pigs give you a couple of days off to pause, celebrate and rebuild.