This is a calendar of 2012 by the German "Weleda" company, who makes natural cosmetics with an anthroposophic background.
When I posted it, it soon got many fans, on Flickr as well as on Tumblr.
The funny thing is, when you look at it, you see the sign of a cross in a circle, which is an old symbol meaning either the wheel of the sun or the 4 elements.
Soon after I got this calendar and have put it on my wall, a certain little book kept nagging and whining, that I should read it again: "The dark is rising" by Susan Cooper.
It's the second book of a series of 5:
Over Sea, Under Stone (1965)
The Dark is Rising (1973)
Greenwitch (1974)
The Grey King (1975)
Silver on the Tree (1977)
It's about winter solstice and a boy who turned eleven on that day. He has a special task, to keep "the dark(ness)" from getting power again. And therefore he needs to collect 6 signs and they all look like the one on the calendar: a cross in a circle.
It's a very good book, maybe a famous children's book in USA and Canada? In Germany it's quite unknown, but worth reading it. It's so full of myths and magic, of folktales around winter and Yule and it's got two very lovely figures in it: The White Goddess and the Merlin, though in disguise, you will recognize them at once. It's packed with suspense and best of all: it's in England!
A great book for winter solstice.
so funny - I just watched the movie version (not as good as the books) with my grown up kids this week. I loved those books as a child, I still have my copies and read them occasionally - I like the Greenwitch best because a girl has the biggest part!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful calendar cover...and thanks for the book recommendation! I might just pick it up to read when things quiet down after the holidays!!
ReplyDeleteIt was a wonderful series. I read it in the seventies and was too young to gather all of the meaning. My sil read it to her class and wrote to Susan Cooper who answered it. They were thrilled. It never received the popularity in the US that it deserved, as far as I know. My daughter also counts it as one of her favorites,
ReplyDeleteHugs to you, FM. I am up for the January swap!
Suz
Oh Weleda...our youngest son was lucky enough to be diapered with their wonderful cream in the green tube
ReplyDeleteAND
Susan Cooper's book sounds like exactly what I need in my life right now...some magic
thank you as always for inspiring from across the ocean dear one!
oxo