Cycles of the year are very important to me. Spring Equinox is always quickening as you smell the winter dripping away. Summer solstice for dancing with friends throughout the shortest nights. Autumn Equinox is a celebration of the bounty the summer has brought, and a reminder of the coming winter.

But none really carry the weight for me as much as the Winter Solstice. The returning of the Sun fills me with hope and relieves the anxious dark which settles deeper into my bones. It used to be a time of depression and despair, when I only saw death and bad, but as I have learned more about the land, the Winter Solstice has become a quiet promise that this dark, too, will pass.

Many cultures throughout history have marked the Winter Solstice with story and fire, communal celebrations which tie in tradition and custom from years back. Sadly this year we can't gather like we might like, and many of our  traditions are going to have to change dramatically or be skipped altogether. Luckily, playing “Solstice” is a Winter Solstice tradition that I do not have to skip.

“Solstice” is a guided journey led by a Shaman character, walking through our modern world of Christmas consumption and traditions revealing how they are overlayed on top of ancient earth based practices.  Along the way we meet a witch, a hunter, a Raven, and a Wolf who help guide us back to the origins of Yule.

This the third year that I get to play this radio play by Alison Mcleay originally broadcast on BBC Scotland  December 21st, 1985. With the voices of Michael Elder, Diana Olsson and Paul Young with producer Patrick Rayner, this is an archival piece of radio which deserves so much more air time. I will continue to rebroadcast this radio play each year that I have a show.

**Alison Mcleay’s (Martin was her married name) obituary

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