Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Solstice -- perfect for "The Mists of Avalon"


(A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year, when the tilt of the Earth's axisSun, causing the Sun's apparent position in the sky to reach its northernmost or southernmost extreme. The name is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstices, the Sun stands still in declination; that is, the apparent movement of the Sun's path north or south comes to a stop before reversing direction. The term solstice can also be used in a wider sense, as the date (day) when this occurs. The solstices, together with the equinoxes, are connected with the seasons. In some cultures they are considered to start or separate the seasons while in others they fall in the middle. The English expressions "midwinter" (winter solstice) and "midsummer" (summer solstice) may derive from a tradition according to which there were only two seasons: winter and summer.)

One of my favorite books in the 80s was "The Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

A mixture of the King Arthur myth, the sacred feminine in nature religions and fantasy.

What a better time then midsummer to dive back into mythology and fiction.

I have more 80s bestsellers on my reading short list: Jean M. Auel

Before the internet I was a book worm. Finally I am discovering the joy of reading a real book in bed again. No tv, no radio, just me and my imagination about the fictive characters.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

These are two of my favorite books and I read them over and over again... the whole series of each.

If you haven't gotten to Shelter's of Stone yet, I highly recommend it.