Manhattanhenge      (NBC photo)

Herself, who likes the shorter days, shall not be enthralled with this day I assure you. Oh she of the belief that when it is dark one goes to bed and as the sun rises so does one’s self. Do not even get her started on her opinion of Daylight Savings Time, what a waste of time that is. (No pun intended)

Several years ago we were blessed with the opportunity to spend time in Ireland in the town of Kilkenny on this very short day. Herself had become the American mother of sort for a son (we shall call him Eddie) of Ireland. This of course was quite appropriate as her maternal roots travel back to County Donegal on the Emerald Isle. Herself and this lad of the land of the green spent a number of years together behind bars. Herself’s sentence was 23 years, he is still serving his sentence but is obviously off for good behavior at the moment. We are both envious of their present geographical location.

theRooster, Kilkenny, IE December 2015

Of late we have been following our adopted family on Face Book as they are in Kilkenny as my fingers hit these keys. I mention Ireland because of Newgrange and its ancient history and the relationship to The Winter Solstice.

I share with you Bill Ervolino’s most recent article on this shortest day.

The winter solstice — also known as Yule, Midwinter, the Shortest Day of the Year and the Longest Night — occurs at 11:28 a.m. ET Thursday.
But this short, little day with the great many names also may be the worst day of the year, according to astrologers. The reason? Saturn.
Apparently, the sun will appear to pass in front of the constellation Capricorn hours after Saturn does likewise. This will cause both of these orbs to line up for the first time since 1664, according to London astrologer Neil Spencer, who writes for The (London) Observer but first wrote about the alignment on his blog.
He insists that starting something new on this day is “ill advised” and will have long-term consequences. And anything you try to do Thursday will be more difficult than usual, take more time and be more frustrating.
► Tuesday: Thursday’s winter solstice marks the longest night of the year
► December 2016: Winter solstice: It only gets better from here
► December 2015: Monday’s winter solstice marks the longest night.

Perhaps that’s why the president probably won’t sign the tax bill Thursday — that and Congress has its paperwork to process — even though Spencer said the establishment, patriarchy, big business and property will be front and center in the cosmos.
Toss in all that holiday traffic — it is a gridlock alert day just about everywhere, according to Inrix, a company that analyzes transportation data — and it may be a good idea just to stay home.
“Saturn in Capricorn is a very useful placement, denoting one tough individual, but on a macro level, it doesn’t promise much in the way of fruitful change.”
Neil Spencer, astrologer
“Patience will not be a priority, especially if we are told that we ‘have to’ (do something) by our superiors,” Lunar Living astrology website says. “We may be perceived as (in)subordinate. Be ready to deal with the repercussions of the rebellion.”
Yet you can take solace in the winter solstice celebration at Newgrange in County Meath, Ireland, which is being streamed live to the world from 3:30 to 4:15 a.m. ET Thursday.
The entrance to the monument, which has a retaining wall made of quartz cobblestones, is aligned with the rising sun on the winter solstice. As the sun comes up between 8:30 and 9:15 a.m. in Ireland, sunlight pours in through an opening in the roof (called a “roofbox”) and floods the chamber with light.
News shows likely will carry some of the footage. After you watch it, you might want to get back under the covers.
Follow Bill Ervolino on Twitter: @billerv