Summer Solstice

Sun by Joe Wilson, Coast Salish artist, Duncan, BC

There is a reason ancient peoples worshiped the Sun. Without it the Earth would not exist as we know it, nor would we. At around 10:30 this morning the northern hemisphere reached the maximum tilt toward our star, the Sun. Summer Solstice brings that distant nuclear reaction to bear more directly upon our thawing land.

I celebrate that ball of burning gases that not only keeps me warm, but also lights everything around me during these long days. That light is abundant, and is constantly showering the planet. It is something we all share, like a primordial parent.

As Fukushima spews, global climate change plays out, and more and more of us spread across the land, it is comforting to consider things in a broader sense. In the vastness of geologic time, and astronomical dimensions of space, greater cycles are going on.

Thinking in these terms puts things into perspective, and provides a break from the hubris of humans.

It is good to notice nature's cycles so we can see how we can better live in line with them. Today is the first day of Summer, and I move forward with humility as I find my way within nature.