December 1545 - 1608

This engraving, "December," by Pieter van der Borcht, made around 1600, depicts winter activities in a rural village. The zodiac symbol of Capricorn hovers above, a celestial marker. The landscape teems with seasonal labors: slaughtering pigs, threshing, and women kneading dough, capturing the essence of December's toil. The act of slaughtering, seen here, echoes ancient sacrificial rites, a primal act connecting humans to cycles of life and death. This motif appears across cultures, from ancient Greece to medieval feasts, each time imbued with societal anxieties and hopes. It's a ritual, deeply embedded in our subconscious, symbolizing not just survival but also transformation, an offering to the gods, or in this case, to the coming year. Consider how such images tap into collective memory, evoking visceral responses linked to survival, community, and the harsh realities of winter. This symbol has traveled through time, evolving yet retaining its core essence, a testament to our enduring, often unspoken, dialogue with the past.