What is the Solstice and Equinox? How are they useful?

Answer:

The Winter Solstice generally marks the end of the lunisolar year. The Winter solstice occurs on the shortest day of the year. The Summer Solstice by contrast occurs on the longest day of the year and is generally used to mark the midpoint in the year. The Equinoxes, spring and autumn, are the two days of the year when the day and the night are of equal length.

The solstices and equinoxes are powerful time keeping devices for the year, and have been used for centuries are markers for when to plant (the Spring Equinox), and when to harvest (the Autumn Equinox). The Summer Solstice marks the midway point in the fertile part of the year, while the Winter Solstice marks the midway point across the dark and cold parts of the year.

Winter Solstice is generally a celebratory time, used to mark the turning point of winter and to bring light to a cold and dark time of the year. Likewise the Spring Equinox is generally used to celebrate the arrival of spring, and the Autumn Equinox is used to celebrate the good harvest.

Celebrating and following these year markers helps to tie a Freepather back into the natural rhythms of the land.