The Illuminated Pages

2. The state or fact of lasting for only a limited period of time; the fleeting nature of snow.
4. Extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world; often used to describe snow.
6. A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one (like Narnia).
7. Unnecessary, especially through being more than enough; extra.
9. Having no particular interest or sympathy; unconcerned; how nature feels about humans.
12. A period in an organism's life cycle when growth, development, and physical activity are temporarily stopped.
14. The floor of a fireplace; used symbolically as the center of the home and family life.
16. An event, action, or object that clearly shows or embodies something abstract, like a ghost or an emotion.
18. A state of not flowing or moving; a lack of activity, growth, or development, like a frozen pond.
19. The time or date (twice each year) at which the sun crosses the celestial equator, when day and night are of equal length.
20. The astronomical event marking the longest or shortest day of the year, deeply tied to winter celebrations.

1. Mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together, often formed in difficult conditions.
3. A short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant.
5. The fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.
8. A person or thing that precipitates an event or change without being affected itself.
10. A feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause; a mood often associated with winter.
11. Relating to deep inward feelings rather than to the intellect; felt in the "guts."
13. (Of an area of land) lacking vegetation and exposed to the elements; charmless and inhospitable.
15. Protected by interposing material that prevents the loss of heat or the intrusion of sound.
17. Deriving a form of pleasure from one's own pain or discomfort (often used metaphorically for reading sad books).