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The Elder Moon is the last moon of the Celtic year. This lunation embraces the longest night of the year, the Winter Solstice. The cycle of time switches from days getting shorter to days growing longer. The Oak King is born as a new baby and the Holly King takes his leave as an old man on New Year’s Eve. This is a blending of the awareness of Saturn as Father Time, whose Greek name is Chronos or Time. (Think chronicle, chronic, and chronological order.)
The Holly King is born at Midsummer as the days begin to get shorter. He rules over Summer and Autumn. The Oak King is born at the Winter Solstice as the days begin to get longer. He rules over Winter and Spring. By January 1st, we say farewell to the fading year to dance off into the pure potential possibilities of the coming days of the new decade.