What time is it? It's five to Winter Solstice...

ThePresent is a marvelous, one-of-a-kind clock that tells the story of time in seasons, not seconds. The design studio responsible for this lovely creation is "m ss ng p eces" in Brooklyn. They say ThePresent is "a 21st century clock that inspires a natural rhythm: a scale of time that feels a lot more like life." The equinoxes and solstices are on the 3, 6, 9, and 12 positions and the colors on the face shift according to the seasons. The pixel perfect clock face features 16 million colors and was printed using six color processing in New York.

I have always told time by the seasons. I think I got this from my beloved grandmother who decorated her home for each season. As an adult, I do the same, and always celebrate the equinoxes and solstices (as regular readers have no doubt noticed). I like the sense of time this produces for me. It feels more authentic, more connected to the planet, and it feels more expansive. Telling time in the wheel of the year insures the continuation of the wheel. It's quite beautiful actually.

ThePresent is available for purchase on their website:

http://thepresent.is/

O, Tannenbaum

I love winter and the tradition of the decorated and lighted tree. When I was a little boy, it always felt so connected to the time of the year, the elements, the snow and darkness. Even then, I sensed the pagan roots of this tradition and now that I am an adult, I love it even more.

Descended from the Roman festival of Saturnalia, and from Pagans and Druids from all over Europe, the tree is an expression of the season: deciduous trees, plants, flowers and crops die off (or go dormant) while the pine remains magically alive, the only thing that stays green in the natural world (sempervirent = evergreen). It only makes sense to honor the earth, the season and the fir itself by bringing it inside to decorate and echo the look of the land.

This is the time of the Winter Solstice, short grey days and long dark nights, where twinkling stars are visible for so much longer. As an homage to the winter sky, lights are put on the tree, again echoing the natural world. It’s also reminiscent of the bonfires many different pagan cultures lit around the countryside to ward off the darkness and chill; lights on the tree bring some light and warmth to this lifeless time of year, and speak to a time when the days will eventually grow longer, the planet will again tilt, and summer will return.

Happy Holidays!