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The seasons of the year are caused by the tilt of the earth’s axis. Because the earth is rotating like a top,
the North Pole points in a fixed direction continuously - towards a point in space near the North Star. So
during half the year, the southern hemisphere is more exposed to the sun than is the northern
hemisphere. During the rest of the year, the reverse is true. The time of the year when the sun reaches its
maximum elevation occurs on the summer solstice — the day with the greatest number of daylight
hours. The lowest elevation, and the first day of winter, occurs when the night time hours reach their
maximum.
The Autumn Equinox - daily sunlight is waning, day and night are equal in length.
The Winter Solstice - shortest day of the year.
The Spring Equinox - daily sunlight is waxing, day and night are equal in length.
The Summer Solstice - longest day of the year.
These four points are related to soul unfoldment and certain initiations. The ancients celebrated them
in four great Festivals. Adopted into Christianity they became the chief religious festivals of the Church.
The Autumn Equinox with Michaelmas, the Mass or Feast of St. Michael.
The Winter Solstice with Christ Mass or Christmas.
The Spring Equinox with Easter.
The Summer Solstice with Feast of St. John and Pentecost (Whitsuntide or the Ascension).
The festivals are fixed points in the annual calendar and are celebrated universally at the same time.
However, the astronomical events of the equinoxes and solstices, occur at different periods depending
upon where one happens to be upon the planet.
Interpreted esoterically, the festivals are four fixed stages of spiritual development which all have to
pass through in one incarnation or other. But the timing of this for individuals, is represented by the
changing seasons – spiritual progress is dependent upon personal effort.
In the northern hemisphere - which gave rise to the earlier Mystery schools, the festivals fall in, and
are associated with certain astrological signs and this northern relationship will be continued in this
essay. This situation is reversed in southern skies, and the interesting implications for the celebration of
the Summer Solstice with Christ - mass, will be explored at a later time.
The Autumn Equinox - Libra - Michaelmas
The Winter Solstice - Capricorn - Christmas
The Spring Equinox - Aries - Easter
The Summer Solstice - Cancer - Feast of St John.