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Your Own Celebrations of Summer
There’s a
village one year’s journey from here.
And in that village lives a woman with four children. Like any family, all four children are
kindred and similar -- yet very, very unique.
One is a feisty child, with brilliant golden hair, and a natural glow
warmer than any other. This child’s name
is Summer.
In an entire
year, perhaps the 91 days (and nights) of Summer seem to fly by the
quickest… When you think of summer, what
comes to mind?
Summer is the
peak, the pinnacle, the realization of what took root during the Spring. One lesson the seasons teach is that many
things in nature grow, mature, and then fade.
Imagine yourself old and gray and wise.
Look back upon your own life as if it were a single turn of the
year. What part of your life was your
high point, your “Summer,” your peak?
Where did you shine your brightest, glow your hottest?
We too change
like the seasons. When Mother Nature
puts on Her Summer wardrobe, so do we.
Except these wardrobes seem quite opposite. In Summer, the forest grows more thickly
covered, while we become less covered.
Summer is a season of short sleeves, short pants, short skirts and bare
toes. While the trees might wear their
thick green coats, we often frolic clad with nothing but the sky! More of our natural selves comes out in the
Summer – arms, legs, skin – what we are beneath all those layers of cold Winter
clothes can shine forth in the Summer.
Maybe we resemble our animal cousins, who also shed much of their fur
and feathers in Summer.
Summer’s
warmth lets us enjoy a great many simple pleasures. After a cold Winter, the freedom of just
being outdoors is a true gift! The
increased energy of Summer brings increased activity of all kinds: festivals, vacations, travel. What special Summer gatherings do you look
forward to? All the adventure,
experiences, learning, worship, fun, freedom, passion, celebration and joy that
these festivals offer are the unique gifts of Summer!
Some people
say Summer begins near June 21 with the Solstice. To others, it begins on the last day of
school, or with the Memorial Day barbecue.
Whenever you begin Summer, mark that day as a special spoke in your own
private Wheel of the Year. See it as a
unique rite of passage. Every year,
Summer throws a party – and you’re invited!
Of all the
four seasonal quarters, Summer burns the brightest. Remember that some things that burn brightly
often burn out quickly. For some, Summer
is a time of fleeting temporary moments – a Summer Job, a Summer Fling, a
Summer Vacation. What new experiences
might you want to try this Summer, even if only for a little while?
Summer’s
friendly weather lets us enjoy the great outdoors. Being outside has a plethora of gifts: Sounds, smells, sights, and the touch of the
Sun’s golden gloves upon our skin.
(Perhaps it is no accident that during Summer, TV programs are all
re-runs – nature’s incentive to get off the couch and into the great
outdoors!)
In the
Summer, we are free to venture out and smell the many roses that weren’t available
all Winter long. One way to celebrate
the season is to enjoy the fruits and vegetables that only appear during
Summer. Where I live, July brings the
first taste of a very sweet white corn on the cob, called Silver Queen. It only lasts a few short months, and it’s
worth the wait! What seasonal treats
does your region offer? Remember that
not all seasonal treats grow on trees.
Drippy ice cream cones, frozen icy drinks, and even toasted marshmallows
are all SummerSpirits. What other
experiences do you savor, but can only find in the Summer?
Summer’s Sun
nourishes our world with warmth, the same way Mother Earth nourishes us. She takes that solar energy and transforms it
into leaves, fruits and grain. Through
photosynthesis, plants take in the energy of the Sun. (Remember this the next time you “take in” a
salad -- the union of both Sun and Earth!)
The Earth is much greater than we are, but the Sun is over 100 times
larger than the Earth. Perhaps it is the
nature of larger things to nourish smaller things that need love and care to
survive. What things shine upon you, and
what do you shine upon in return?
The Sun’s
energy changes the world in only a few short days. Seeds germinate; trees leaf out and the
insect world buzzes back to life! Before
you know it, it’s Summer.
Summer has a
unique energy that makes it different than any other time. What might this unique energy bring
especially for you? What type of magic,
ritual, or divination might work best for you in Summer? Try brewing an herbal Sun Tea, or maybe
starting a candle flame by lighting a match with a magnifying glass. Use the energy of the Sun; feel how it
differs from the energy of the cold.
Summer is so
hot, we want to cool off. It actually
brings us closer to water -- whether enjoying a swim, a playful moment with the
garden hose, or the feel of our own sultry Summer sweat.
Why is Summer
hot? The Earth spins round the Sun like
a dancer around a campfire. Because our
globe tilts on its axis, one hemisphere faces the Sun directly, while the other
half does not. As the Earth makes its
yearly orbit around the Sun, one hemisphere has Summer; the other hemisphere
has Winter. In Summer, your part of the
world faces the Sun and has a more direct connection to its light and
heat. What other aspects of life work
the same way? Have you ever noticed a
special warmth in your life simply by being directly exposed to something or
someone quite radiant? What was that
like? Would you feel just a little bit
colder if that connection became more distant?
Perhaps
pondering a simple Suntan can help us understand other parts of life that
“shine” upon us. Sun-worshippers expose
themselves to the Sun’s glow, and become changed by it. Just enough exposure, and everything’s
fine. Too much? Ouch – what a burn! Remember that as you expose yourself to the
energy from any person, place or thing around you.
One sunny day
this Summer, notice your own shadow.
Stare at it; see your own form the way nature sketches it upon the
ground. Study its shape, size,
curves. Now let your “inner
nine-year-old” come out and play. Use
your fingers and make shadow-bunny ears, bear claws, or dragon wings. Shift into any shape you desire; take on any
quality you wish. Try “casting” (a very
magical word indeed!) your shadow across an object you wish to empower with a
bit of yourself. Now try it in reverse,
standing behind an object whose shadow you wish to empower you. Feel it?
Just like
pondering a tan, perhaps pondering a simple shadow can help us understand other
parts of life. Ever feel shadowed by
something that gets in the way? Ever
feel like something blocks you from the light?
Just enough shade creates a welcome shelter, like resting under a trusty
Oak. Too much of a block can make you
feel cut off and underexposed. What
things in your life gently protect you from getting fried? What things stand in your way, starving you
from what you crave?
Summer brings
a few extra hours of daylight, including the longest day of the year. Your use of those extra hours are your own
celebration of the season, whether a walk in the park, washing your car, or
caring for your garden.
However you
celebrate the season, make this year’s Summer something very special!
Link
6538 Collins Avenue # 255
Miami Beach, FL 33141
AnthLink@aol.com
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