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During the equinox, the position of the sun creates an optical illusion on the side of the pyramid. Can you see a snake crawling down the pyramid? Its head is at the bottom and its body goes up the side of the pyramid.
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The Ancient Calendar and today's calendar are similar
in that with both calendars the summer solstice is on June 21st,
(plus or minus a day), the winter solstice is on Dec 21st,
the spring equinox is on March 21st, and
the autumn equinox is on Sept. 21st.
The main difference between the two calendars lies in
what we call those days!
The ancient peoples called the winter solstice, Midwinter,
not the first day of winter.
And, they called the summer solstice, Midsummer,
not the 1st day of summer. .
The solstices and equinoxes are all mid-season days.
Let me explain why.
Let's compare how the sun moves during the day to
how the sun moves during the year.
Every day, the sun rises and waxes, getting higher and higher,
Let me explain why.
Let's compare how the sun moves during the day to
how the sun moves during the year.
Every day, the sun rises and waxes, getting higher and higher,
until noon, and then it wanes, descending toward the horizon.
Most early cultures called noon Mid-day for that reason,
and not the Beginning of the day.
The sun travels higher and higher in the sky until Mid-day,
then travels lower and lower after Mid-day.
Now let's see how the sun moves across the sky
Now let's see how the sun moves across the sky
during the year, not during the day?
With every day until the Summer Solstice the sun's path waxes
across the sky (its path gets higher and higher with each day).
And then after the solstice the sun's path wanes (its path
across the sky gets lower and lower with each day).
The sun's path waxes, until it reaches a mid-point, then
its path wanes. This mid-point is the summer solstice!
That's why the Summer Solstice was called Midsummer and
not the first day of Summer, because the sun's path begins
to wane the day after the solstice. We get less sunlight each
day after the Summer Solstice...after the mid-point!
Ancient people across the globe noticed 8 Landmark days;
the solstices, the equinoxes, and the days in between.
They called the Summer Solstice Midsummer
for the reasons we mentioned, above.
The Eight Landmarks of the Year
Let's name those now.
After "Midsummer", the sun's path will wane each day (getting
The Eight Landmarks of the Year
Summer Solstice - Midsummer - ~June 21st
Cross-Quarter Day - ? - August 1st
Fall Equinox - ? - ~Sep. 22nd/23rd
Cross-Quarter Day - ? - Nov. 1st
Winter Solstice - ? - ~Dec. 21st
Cross-Quarter Day - ? - Feb. 1st
Spring Equinox -? - ~March 21st
Cross-Quarter Day - ? - May 1st
What about the other 7 landmarks?Let's name those now.
After "Midsummer", the sun's path will wane each day (getting
lower and lower) until it reaches the Winter Solstice, another
mid-point. After the winter solstice its path waxes each day,
again, giving us more sunlight with each day.
That's why the winter solstice was called Midwinter, and
not the first day of winter.
Makes sense, doesn't it? Many people across the world,
including me, think so.
The Eight Landmarks of the Year
Cross-Quarter Day - ? - Nov. 1st
Winter Solstice - Midwinter - ~Dec. 21st
Following this logic, then the Equinoxes
The Eight Landmarks of the Year
Summer Solstice - Midsummer - ~June 21st
Cross-Quarter Day - ? - August 1st
Fall Equinox - ? - ~Sep. 22nd/23rd
Cross-Quarter Day - ? - Feb. 1st
Spring Equinox -? - ~March 21st
Cross-Quarter Day - ? - May 1st
Following this logic, then the Equinoxes
are mid-season days, too.
The Eight Landmarks of the Year
What remains are the Cross-Quarter Days,
The Eight Landmarks of the Year
Summer Solstice - Midsummer - June 21st
Cross-Quarter Day - ? - Nov. 1st
Winter Solstice - Midwinter - Dec. 21st
Cross-Quarter Day - ? - August 1st
Fall Equinox - Midautumn - Sep. 22nd/23rd
Cross-Quarter Day - ? - Feb. 1st
Spring Equinox -Midspring - March 21st
Cross-Quarter Day - ? - May 1st
What remains are the Cross-Quarter Days,
which are the first days of each season.
(A Cross-Quarter Day occurs midway between
an equinox and a solstice.)
The Eight Landmarks of the Year
Summer Solstice - Midsummer - ~June 21st
Cross-Quarter Day - First day of Autumn - August 1st
Fall Equinox - Midautumn - ~Sep. 22nd/23rd
Cross-Quarter Day - First day of Spring - Feb. 1st
Spring Equinox - Midspring - ~March 21st
Cross-Quarter Day - First day of Summer - May 1st
Notice that the first days of each season fall on cross-quarter days,
and the solstices and equinoxes are all mid-seasonal days.
The eight landmark dates are NOT arbitrary.
The Summer Solstice is always on June 21st (+ or - a day).
But, what you CALL the day IS arbitrary.
The ancient people called the summer solstice Midsummer;
many people today call it the First day of Summer.
That is up to you, but it makes more sense to call it Midsummer.
Ancient cultures (Asian, European, Native American)
developed traditions celebrating the eight landmarks of the
year, which lead to the adoption of a natural calendar that
could be depicted as an eight-fold wheel.
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| An example of a solar calendar, or natural calendar. Each spoke represents either a solstice, an equinox, or a cross-quarter day. |
This calendar has nothing to do with religion.
It's simply a calendar set to the position of the earth relative to
the sun. You don't have to be a Wiccan or a Pagan to believe
this!! I'm not religious, and I go by this calendar.
It makes sense, because it's based on natural processes.
growth, death, and rebirth, all tied to the sun's movement
across the sky.
This calendar was useful with respect to planting and
This calendar was useful with respect to planting and
harvesting crops and preparing for harsh living conditions
during the cold, dark part of the year.
The basic thing they noticed was that the sun's path across the
sky changed with each day. From December to June the sun's
path gets higher and higher with each day.
To prove this, go outside around noon each day and notice
that the sun will be higher in the sky with each day,
from Dec. to June.
They also noticed the amount of daylight increased with each day.
In June (~ the 21st), the sun's path seems to stop moving
northward; then the sun's path moves lower and lower across
the sky with each day, until it's path stops again in December
(the 21st being its lowest point).
The two days when the sun's path stops moving are called
solstices, the Summer Solstice and the Winter Solstice.
The two days between the solstices are called the equinoxes,
an the 4 days in between the solstices and the equinoxes
are called cross-quarter days.
These (below) were the eight landmarks that were marked on the early
calendar. Days that fall on the eight landmarks of the yearly
cycle mark the beginnings and middles of the four seasons.
The Eight Landmarks of the Year
Summer Solstice - Midsummer - ~June 21st
Cross-Quarter Day - First day of Winter - Nov. 1st
Winter Solstice - Midwinter - ~Dec. 21st
Cross-Quarter Day - First day of Autumn - August 1st
Fall Equinox - Midautumn - ~Sep. 22nd/23rd
Cross-Quarter Day - First day of Spring - Feb. 1st
Spring Equinox - Midspring - ~March 21st
Cross-Quarter Day - First day of Summer - May 1st
The Yin & Yang of the Ancient Calendar
The Summer Solstice (Jun. 21st, Mid-Summer) is the heart of
Summer and would have the most yang (light). The Winter
Solstice is the deepest part of Winter (Midwinter) and has the
most yin(darkness).
Notice that the solstices and equinoxes are mid-season days
and not the first day of the season. As the days move away
from Midwinter, yin (darkness) diminishes and
So, join me and the ancients by calling the Winter Solstice Midwinter,
and the Summer Solstice Midsummer, because it is!
