DōngZhì – 冬至 – The Light Returns
On the 22nd of December the 22nd solar term, DōngZhì 冬至, of the traditional Chinese calendar begins. In total one year is divided into 24 equal periods and as the name already implies these solar terms are calculated according to the position of the sun on the ecliptic. On DōngZhì 冬至, starting at 6:23am, the sun is coming back from south of NánHuíGuīXiàn 南回歸線, the Tropic of Capricorn. The shortest day and the longest night of the year came to an end. In the West DōngZhì 冬至 is better known as Winter Solstice bearing the same meaning: the light returns, the darkest period is over and days become longer. Already 3000 to 4000 years ago, before the Zhōu Dynasty周代 began (ca. 1050-250 BC), this day was a reason to celebrate; numerous ceremonies and rituals were performed to welcome the returning light. The celebrations at that time can be compared to the ChūnJié 春節 New Year festival activities nowadays. Justifiably, for people in the past did not have electricity or heating, the returning of the light marked a special and important date.
For Daoists DōngZhì 冬至 bears another significant and highly important meaning: it is the festival day when YuánShî TiānZūn 元始天尊 the Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning/the Primeval Lord of Heaven was born. YuánShî TiānZūn 元始天尊 is one of the highest deities in Daoism and one of the SānQīng 三清, the Three Pure Ones, where he is also known as YùQīng 玉清, the Jade Pure One. According to this name of his he resides in the Heaven of Jade Purity. YuánShî TiānZūn 元始天尊 represents the beginning of everything and the spirit of the Creator God. He is the Creator of Heaven, Earth and the 10.000 Things. Like God in the Western concepts he symbolizes the very first beginning. YuánShî TiānZūn 元始天尊is known as DàoBâo 道寶, the Treasure of the Dao. Justifiably his birthday falls on DōngZhì 冬至and lots of ceremonies are held to worship and to honor YuánShî TiānZūn 元始天尊 in which people pray for good fortune.
Looking at DōngZhì 冬至 from an energetic point of view, the Winter Solstice indicates the return of heat energy, Yang energy and YángQì 陽氣.
As it is stated in Daoist theories: once an energy reached its peak and is most abundant, it starts to weaken; once it reached the bottom and is most weak, it starts to rise again. Never does any energy completely vanish though. The YīnYáng 陰陽 symbol portrays this energy shift explicitly. Fitting DōngZhì 冬至 into this pictorial concept the black Yīn 陰 segment occupies the biggest part before the Winter Solstice where there is only a small white Yáng 陽 dot left. During the Winter Solstice a transformation happens and after DōngZhì 冬至 the white Yáng 陽 segment increases while the black Yīn 陰 segment decreases to the time and point of XiàZhì 夏至 the Summer Solstice where there is only a small black Yīn 陰 dot left in the extended white Yáng 陽 segment and the other major energy shift of the year happens.
Anybody working with internal energy waits for the day of the Winter Solstice and frequently meditate. As mentioned before on this date the Yáng 陽 energy returns. Also in the body the YángQì 陽氣 starts rising up. Practicing meditation during this time of the year enables one to feel how the YángQì 陽氣enters the body through the sole of the foot. There YôngQuán 湧泉 is located, the first acupuncture point on the Kidney meridian. Being sensitive and attentive enough a practitioner can then sense the YángQì 陽氣 rising up to HuìYīn 會陰, the first acupuncture point on the Conception Vessel, located at the perineum and also known as the root chakra. On the day of DōngZhì 冬至 it is first to be perceived in a very subtle way. Slowly and with time the YángQì 陽氣 will grow and increase the enlargement of Qì 氣 and the energy of and in the human body.
Since nature, Heaven, Earth and Men are unified when on DōngZhì 冬至 the YángQì 陽氣 starts rising again it is possible to draw a comparison to the breath: taking a look at a whole year, it is DōngZhì 冬至 (the date when the sun is crossing the Tropic of Capricorn) indicating the beginning of breathing-in. looking at a single day zî 子-time represents this function. zî 子-time is one of the 12 time slots a day is divided into. each of these slots contains two hours and zî 子-time designates the beginning of one day, lasting from 11pm to 1am. DōngZhì 冬至 as well as zî 子-time mark the rising of YángQì 陽氣. Cause of this rising YángQì 陽氣 it is in general recommended to meditate during zî 子-time and on DōngZhì 冬至 one can make use not only of the special time-slot but also of the specific day.
DōngZhì 冬至 furthermore is the first of in total nine periods of nine days which all describe natural phenomena and were/are memorized by people to remember the weather situation and its manifestations.
一 九 二 九 不出手 yī jiû èr jiû bù chū shôu
first Nine second Nine: not expose the hands
(weather during the 18 days after 22nd of December, DōngZhí, is getting colder, therefore one is advised to keep the hands warm)
三 九 四 九 凌 上 走 sān jiû sì jiû líng shàng zôu
third Nine fourth Nine: walk on ice
(weather conditions are cold enough to freeze lakes and the ice is thick enough to safely walk on it)
五 九 六 九 抬 頭 看 柳 wû jiû liù jiû tái tóu kàn liû
fifth Nine sixth Nine: look up to the willow tree
(the willow tree might be sprouting around this time and if one can see fresh young leaves it indicates that spring is about to arrive)
七 九 六十三 行 路 的 君子 把 衣 寬 qī jiû liù shí sān háng lù de jūn zî bâ yī kuān
seventh Nine sixty-three: man of noble character loosens clothes while walking
(fifty-four days after the first period of nine days began on DōngZhì until the sixty-third day, in the seventh period of nine days, weather conditions slowly enhance and get better which causes the man of virtue to open up his clothes when going for a walk)
八 九 大雁 歸 bā jiû dà yàn guī
eighth Nine: wild geese return
(when spring slowly starts arriving the first migratory birds are making their way back from warmer climes where they wintered in)
九九 八十一 貓 狗 尋 陰 地 jiû jiû bā shí yī māo gôu xún yīn dì
ninth Nine eighty-one: cats and dogs seek shaded places
(seventy-two days after the first period of nine days on DōngZhì until the eighty-first day, in the eighth period of nine days, the weather is sunnier and warmer, animals like cats and dogs look for resting places in the shade)
九盡 楊 花 開春 燕 回家 來 jiû jìn yáng huā kāi chūn yàn huí jiā lái
Nine ends: poplar tree blossoms swallows are coming home
(after the ninth/last period of nine days one can see poplar trees blooming while eventually also the last migratory bird, the swallows, returned back to their summer habitation)
– this poem is one of the country lores of China which are called NóngCūnSúYû 農村俗語 and translate as common sayings of the countryside –
Weather on BáiMâShān 白馬山 is winterish, rain turned to become snow and we enjoy the snow flakes dancing down from the sky. According to an ancient observation if the weather isn’t too good on the day of the Winter Solstice, DōngZhì 冬至, it will be nice and fine for ChūnJié 春節, the Spring Festival/Chinese New Year. We are already looking forward to and meanwhile enjoy celebrating the Winter Solstice/DōngZhì 冬至 and the birthday of YuánShî TiānZūn 元始天尊. Hoping all the readers also can enjoy this special day, sending eternal light and universal love to everyone.
