Litha

Six months ago, when the WInter Solstice marked the longest night, I guess I was whistling in the dark, avoiding any expression of overweening optimism that things would get better as the days lengthened. I simply posted a clip of Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles.

On Sunday the Summer Solstice, Litha, the midsummer pagan sabbat, comes round again. Looking back over the half-year I can honestly say it was the worst I had experienced since 2001. There was hardly any paid work, overdue bills were piling up and the tax man was making life very complicated. For most of the time I felt cursed, rather than blessed by a sun shining longer and warmer as the days passed. It was only a month ago that fate finally smiled, if one can imagine the Department of Pensions in Germany having anything other than a bureaucratically grim countenance. They had determined that I had been entitled to pension payments since the beginning of 2010 and paid up accordingly. As a result debts have been fully discharged and I can look forward to living without welfare support for a few coming months.

Yes, the days will now be getting shorter again. But I think I can live with that!