The Tenth day of Christmas...Happy shortest day and Solstice

Happy Solstice ..Spirals.....Early man had much to contemplate when observing the beauty of spirals in the natural world. They appear on animals such as snails, seashells, and rams’ horns and they occur in natural phenomena like whirlpools, tornadoes, and spinning galaxies. It is not surprising that the spiral would become a powerful symbol for creation and growth. It is probably the oldest symbol of human spirituality and the most commonly recognized Celtic design motif. The Celtic spiral design appears on a myriad of ancient artifacts, as well as on stone monuments such as Newgrange, in Ireland. It is uncertain what the religious significance was to the pagans of Newgrange, but it undoubtedly had some connection with the sun, which is spiral in its movements every three months. The double spiral also follows the path of the sun, describing the movement of the heavenly body over the course of a year. The symbol meaning of the Celtic spiral is unknown. It may have been used simply for decoration but there is much room for interpretation. In most cultures, it is a symbol of eternal life. The symbol spirals out infinitely, thus reinforcing the concept of life, death, and rebirth. The whorls represent the continuous creation and destruction of the universe. In terms of rebirth and growth, the spiral symbol can represent awareness of self, beginning at the core or center, and expanding outwardly, as it develops. It is also a symbol of initiation and the ritual journey through a labyrinth to the sacred realms beyond the center. The center represents complete balance. It is the place where Heaven and Earth merge. Source http://celtic-symbol-dictionary.com/celtic_spiral.aspx