The winter solstice is a significant event in many cultures around the world. It marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, and has been celebrated for centuries. For some, this time of year is associated with witches and witchcraft. In pagan and Wiccan traditions, the winter solstice is often referred to as Yule. This holiday celebrates the rebirth of the sun, as the days slowly start to become longer again. Witches and practitioners of witchcraft often observe this important celestial event by performing rituals and spells that are intended to harness the energy of this time.
Witches and practitioners of witchcraft often observe this important celestial event by performing rituals and spells that are intended to harness the energy of this time. The winter solstice is seen as a time of reflection and introspection. Many witches use this period to set intentions for the coming year and to work on personal growth and transformation.
Magic carpet ski lifts a boon to novice skiers, snowboarders
When my kids were little, they learned to ski at the Blackhawk ski hill on the west side of Madison, with its whopping 100-plus feet of vertical descent and several rope tows — which shredded numerous pairs of gloves and mittens.
They enjoyed the experience on the slopes and making s'mores in front of the ski club cabin fireplace immensely, but over time they begged me to take them to resorts that had chairlifts.
Eventually, we bought a family season pass at Tyrol Basin, which has three chairlifts.
The resort near Mount Horeb also had a rope tow and a cable tow with a handle serving its beginner areas.
Both of those lifts are gone now, replaced by a 500-foot magic carpet lift that serves the Trollway and Gentle Ben beginner slopes.
The new surface lift greatly improved the learning experience for novice skiers and snowboarders.
Tyrol still has one rope tow, however, which serves the terrain park on the Barnyard run.
Josh Faber, the new general manager at Tyrol, said his resort purchased the surface lift — which is much like the conveyor belts travelers find in airports — for this winter because he wanted to make the learning experience "as easy and positive as possible for our new skiers and snowboarders."
"To be honest, it's hard to learn this sport at first and rope tows are hard to manage if you are trying to negotiate one to get up the beginner hill the first few times. But a magic carpet is about as easy as it gets because you just stand on it and it takes you up the slope. That really helps with the experience. No one falls and nobody's gloves or mittens get mangled because you're not holding onto anything."
It's been more than 15 years, but this writer remembers all-too-well a painful snowboard lesson at White Pass resort in Washington.
I tried as hard as I could to get to the top of a bunny run via a rope tow on my rental snowboard, but I kept catching the front edge of my board and getting knocked down.
I got in the way of 5- and 6-year-olds behind me and ended up finishing the lesson early — bruised and humiliated.
On my skis, I would have been able to easily find my balance. But on the snowboard, because I was a newbie and both feet were strapped to one plank, I was clueless. I haven't snowboarded since.
Faber said he's convinced that Tyrol's magic carpet surface lift entices novice skiers and snowboarders to come back. It also gets them to try his resort in the first place, he said.
"Ever since our carpet opened, we've had great reviews, hands down, of how much more pleasant it is for beginners and instructors alike," he said, noting that it goes another hundred feet higher than the old handle tow and gives access to more novice terrain.
"It cost several hundred thousand dollars, which wasn't cheap for an area our size, but we think it's a good investment and will pay off by getting school and other beginner groups to come back out here again. People will go where it's easier to learn and the resort is more accommodating. They've been going elsewhere in recent years and we want them back.
"I myself have little kids, and my little girl is 21/2 years old. She can now ride the magic carpet all by herself and that says something."
Joe Vittengl, who runs Devil's Head near Baraboo, said his resort has had two conveyor-type surface lifts for about a decade and installed them to improve the beginning skier and boarder learning experience.
One is 400 feet long and the other is 300 feet.
"They were a tremendous addition to our area," he said. "Rope tows destroy gloves and mittens and they can be hard to use for beginning skiers. For new snowboarders, they can be almost impossible.
"I learned how to ski using a rope tow in upstate New York and have been skiing most of my 54 years," he said. "I have fond memories of that time because it was fun. But most rope tows are gone now because they aren't easy to use."
He said resorts may have lost some potential recruits to the sport because they had a lousy first experience using a rope tow.
"They may have fallen a few times using the tow and said, 'I don't want to do this.' Frankly, it's a lot harder going up a hill on a rope tow than it is coming down. There's been a movement in our industry for some time to get people to try skiing and snowboarding and making sure they have a good experience so they'll come back. The magic carpet is part of that trend."
Vicki Baumann, operations manager at Granite Peak outside Wausau, said her resort has two conveyor lifts.
One is 200 feet long, while the other, called Blizzard, is 600 feet. She called them "awesome, compared to the old rope tows."
"They couldn't be more simple," said Baumann, who grew up in Minnesota and learned using a rope tow. "You just step on, stand and the belt slowly takes you to the top of the slope where you slide off. It makes that first-time learning experience so much more pleasurable for the novice skier and snowboarder. We've had the smaller one for about a decade and the longer one maybe five years. Everyone loves them and they help keep folks coming back to learn more."
Mike Taft, operations manager at Cascade Mountain, said conveyor lifts can also be a boon for tubing areas. His resort has a 60-footer for "never-ever" skiers and snowboarders and a 550-footer for tubing. It also has a rope tow, installed just last year, for the terrain park area.
"The ski school takes the novices to the short one to get them the feel of sliding on the snow for the first time," he said.
"It starts them out right before they move on to chairlifts. And our long one for tubing replaced two handle tows. The single magic carpet we put in here doubled the capacity of the two handle tows, so it was a great addition."
Brian E. Clark is a Madison writer and photographer.
This is the layer that will help keep you dry and protect against wind. You will want a waterproof jacket and insulated snow pants
It is believed that during the winter solstice, the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds is thinnest, making it an auspicious time to connect with the divine and seek guidance. In some traditions, the winter solstice is also associated with the figure of the Crone or the Dark Goddess. This aspect of the divine feminine is often associated with wisdom, death, and rebirth. The winter solstice is seen as a time to embrace the darkness and the lessons that can be learned from it. Witches may perform rituals to honor the Crone and seek her guidance and protection during this time. One common practice during the winter solstice is the burning of a Yule log. This log, often decorated with symbols and herbs, is burned to symbolize the return of the light and the warmth of the sun. It is believed that the ashes from the Yule log hold powerful energy that can be used in spells and rituals throughout the year. Overall, the winter solstice is a deeply spiritual and magical time for witches. It is a time to honor the cycles of nature, embrace the darkness, and set intentions for the coming year. Whether through rituals, spells, or simply connecting with the natural world, witches use this time to tap into the energy and power of the winter solstice..
Reviews for "Exploring Norse Mythology on the Winter Solstice: A Witch's Perspective"
1. Jane - 2 stars - As a fan of fantasy novels, I was excited to read "Witches Winter Solstice." However, I was highly disappointed with the book. The plot was confusing and poorly developed. There were too many characters introduced without proper introductions or explanations of their roles in the story. The writing style was also lacking, with repetitive and cliché phrases used throughout. Overall, I found it difficult to stay engaged and invested in the storyline, and I would not recommend this book to fellow fantasy lovers.
2. Mark - 1 star - This book was a huge letdown. The characters lacked depth and were incredibly one-dimensional. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult to connect with any of them. The pacing was extremely slow, and the story seemed to drag on without any clear direction. The supposed twists and turns were predictable and uninspiring. I found myself struggling to finish the book because of how uninteresting and unengaging it was. Save your time and skip this one.
3. Sarah - 3 stars - While "Witches Winter Solstice" had its moments, it ultimately fell short for me. The world building was weak, leaving many aspects unexplained and unexplored. The magic system seemed arbitrary and inconsistent, which made it hard to fully understand and appreciate its role in the story. Additionally, the relationships between the characters felt forced and lacked chemistry. However, the author's descriptive writing style was a highlight, painting vivid pictures of the settings. Overall, I found the book to be mediocre at best, with potential that was never fully realized.