Winter Solstice – look back, look forward

The Winter Solstice marking the ingress of the Sun into Capricorn on December 21st in the northern hemisphere is the shortest day and longest night. Since prehistoric times it has been a significant time of year in many cultures, marked by festivals and rites. Ancient monuments such as Newgrange, Stonehenge, and Cahokia Woodhenge are aligned with the sunrise or sunset on the winter solstice. Capricorn associated with Janus, the Roman god, is two faced – not duplicitous, but looking ba