December 21st is an important date. It's both Winter Solstice and the day the Sun moves into focused Capricorn. In old Europe, it was known as Yule.
Our ancestors lived in a world where everyone believed in mystery and magic. Every year they gathered together to celebrate the seemingly miraculous return of the light after the longest night of the year. To this day, people all over the world celebrate Winter Solstice as a time of rebirth, a new beginning and a chance to marvel at the power of transition from darkness into light.
A Winter Solstice celebration depends on illumination to ward off the darkness of winter, and to spark our imaginations. The very first Solstice festivities often featured a large bonfire around which members of the community would dance. Whether we congregate around a flame or a lightbulb (which is more likely these days), fire energy is key to providing a focus for our attention.
At Newgrange in Ireland, the passage and chamber inside the ancient mound are illuminated by the winter solstice sunrise. A shaft of sunlight shines through the roof box over the entrance and penetrates the passage to light up the chamber. It was apparently designed specifically to provide natural illumination to the passage at the winter solstice. This phenomenon was re-discovered only as late as 1967 by Professor O'Kelly, according to the Newgrange Solstice Webcast. The tour guides say it's bright enough to read a book -- but only if it's a sunny morning.
