Pagans celebrate Winter Solstice at Stonehenge on the wrong day...

Monsters & Critics ^ | Dec 22, 2006 | UPI

[Robert A Cook PE]

Since the winter solstice is the point when the sun is at its greatest distance from the equatorial plane (according to the story, occurring just past midnight on the 22nd) revelers there on the evening of the 21st might have been closer to the correct time of the solstice than those that arrived on morning of the the supposed correct day of the 22nd.


No... The writer's dexcsription makes no sense. At least not if you're trying to make some sort of sense about what the pagans/anti-Christians are trying to "worship."

The earth's orbit about the sun establishes the "equatorial plane," which is actually a near-circular eclipse (see Copernicus and Kepler, etc.) At the (north hemisphere winter solstice the earth is actually closer to the sun than it is at the summer solstice, but the 24.5 deg tilt actually means its colder in winter than in summer - obviously.

But the earth's tilt is what apparently "moves" the sun north of south of the equatorial plane: but that's a angular displacement, not a linear displacement as the writer implies. And actually, at the mid-winter soltice the sun is at it MINIMUM value (elevation) from the horizon, not its maximum.

So, what do these pretend pagans think they are worshipping? The "dawn" of the first day "after" the minimum sun's point?

The dawn of the first day as the sun starts moving back from the southeast (at dawn) to the northeast? The "moment" the sun meets it lowest point (which happened at midnight or so?) The end of "longest night" of the year?

I guarantee you, the ancient priests who actually USED Stonehenge would have known.

[TheKidster]

Very funny! Thanks for the ping.

[BigSkyDream]

"BRING FORTH THE VIRGINS"

Hey it wasn't that long ago when men thought they could please the "Gods" and control weather by tossing a virgin or two into a volcano or by ripping the hearts out of captives.
I don't see much difference between that type of thinking and the dementia of Algore and his followers.

[SSR1]

I knew a few neo-pagens once. They are very nice people for the most part but are very bitter about A) Christianity B) Their Parents. C) The World around them that has just not figured out they are special.
They know only so much about the old religions and make the rest up to fit how they think it should be.
They are for the most part good citizens and many are patriots.Of course there are plenty of moon bats amongst them but there are plenty of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc moon bats out there.
It is funny that this crew was so clueless as to hold their big celebration on the WRONG day.

[BigSkyDream]

But being wrong is their own self indulged prerogative.

The problem is that they want to be wrong at the expense of others -- IE -- the sky is falling / corporate embezzlement tactics.

I wish Rush or Sean would ask the next "Global Warming Alarmist" thats call if they think we can stop global warming by sacrificing a few virgins.

[HungarianGypsy]

Since the winter solstice is the point when the sun is at its greatest distance from the equatorial plane (according to the story, occurring just past midnight on the 22nd) revelers there on the evening of the 21st might have been closer to the correct time of the solstice than those that arrived on morning of the the supposed correct day of the 22nd.

Our local weatherman even stated it was approximately sunset of the 21st.

[SunkenCiv]

Never saw this one before, from last month/year, but given the subject, why shouldn't this go out late? ;')

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[Salamander]

No.
Pagans.

[bert]

It is widely believed that green cloak man is a descendant of the mideastern green helmet man.

[Wraith]

The crowd left peacefully as a pungent oder of burnt plant material lingered in the air......

[colorado tanker]

Hmmm. I guess these folks aren't very good at being Pagan. Isn't there a Druid Almanac?? Can't imagine Christians showing up the wrong day for Easter or Jews for Passover. :-))

[SunkenCiv]

That's the advantage of making it up as they go along. ;')

[Trillian]

Hehehe :)

[SunkenCiv]

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Just updating the GGG info, not sending a general distribution. Druids Despair As Seahenge Set For Dry Berth Stonehenge Druids 'Mark Wrong Solstice' UK: 30,000 gather at Stonehenge to celebrate Summer Solstice [Fair warning: Photos] Pagans celebrate winter solstice on the wrong day New Agers, neo-pagans see Stonehenge solstice Pagans Flock to Stone Henge Solstice To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.