Here Comes the Sun


On Friday the sun reached its zenith and marked the start of summer. In the Northern Hemisphere, we welcome the celebratory summer solstice and reflect upon the blessings we received through the dark seasons, and we look toward new growth in the new season. The sun brings gladness, warmth, new beginnings, and edifying endings.

In ancient times, on the summer solstice men and women would gather from different continents and pray for a bountiful harvest, fertility, prosperity, and abundance. At high noon they would give honor to the sun’s power to create and to sustain life. They would bolster the sun's power with bonfires and other traditions. Today, we may still give honor and recognition to the sun’s power to sustain us agriculturally and personally.

Whether literally or figuratively, we can always celebrate new beginnings and endings. Living in the northern hemisphere and enduring a hard, dark winter can leave us depleted and yearning for the bright, warm energy of the sun. There is much research on seasonal affectiveness disorder and how we respond differently to the lack of sun and vitamin D. Anyone who enjoyed a tropical escape this winter can attest to the immediate, elevating effects the sun-infused in them and sustained them upon their return.

So here’s the thing, ironically, the summer solstice is the day the sun reaches its peak, but it is also the day that ushers in shorter days that yields to darker, colder days.  When darkness has fallen, we know that the sun is still shining someplace else. The sun may be hidden behind clouds, or in a full solar eclipse, or sinking behind the horizon, but we know that despite how the sun appears in the moment, it will return in time and in full power.

Exercise:
When you’re going through the dark shadowy phases, if your judgment is cloudy, know that this is temporary. Reframe those thoughts: It’s only cloudy right now. It’s only dark for the moment. And recall the times when the light did shine so brightly upon you.

Ponder this:
During those dark, shadowy days ask yourself what lesson do I need to learn or relearn?

When the sun is shining brightly upon you, ask yourself, what are the cues telling me to do?
How am I making a difference?
Am I casting shadows on others?

My Life’s Lesson: No matter what, the sun is always shining somewhere. The sun does not discriminate and is fully impartial, making no distinction between the weak and the strong or the good and the bad. Furthermore, the sun rises above it all, and it knows when to bow out.  

.From the sweetest spot in my heart to yours, may the sun blow a warm kiss on your darkest days.
Audrey xo

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Greed

Greed has such a negative connotation and emits a very low vibe. We immediately associate greed with money, and from an early age, we are taught to treasure our money. Wealth is not necessarily a bad thing. Earning money to meet our basic needs and a few luxuries fuels our independence and also provides a sense of security. When we fear a lack or have extreme financial insecurities, we tend to hoard our money and possessions. Those who have gone without, or grew up during the Depression Era, may have ingrained suffering equated with financial resources. The body remembers the feeling of scarcity or loss, and it is difficult to think in terms of abundance. Those concerned with social status may be preoccupied with materialism, which is a close relative to greed. Greed is not limited to money or to an individual person. We see greed in societies worldwide: Someone may take the credit for the work done by a group.  Someone may make false business expense claims.  Some...
Read more

Receiving

It is the season of giving and receiving, and both are blessings that build upon each other. Giving often comes naturally, but receiving a gift is incredibly humbling. In many religions and cultures, we are taught that receiving is a form of selfishness. We may question why we are receiving such a gift, or feel unworthy of the presentation. Learning to receive is a difficult lesson to learn. Because of our discomfort in receiving, we offer dismissive responses such as, "You shouldn't have!" or "This is too much!" When we are stunted in expressing our gratitude, we deny the giver their value. Expressing gratitude means allowing the other person to feel the complete joy of giving. There is much vulnerability when we yield to another. We may feel beholden to respond with an equitable present. Reacting out of obligation actually takes away the blessing. Simply showing appreciation completes the cycle of giving and receiving, and it adds a dimension of trust in th...
Read more

Tears

Everyone goes through times when the bad exceeds the good in our life. Everyone experiences brief moments of anguish. Or maybe everything seems to go very wrong very quickly, and doom and gloom overshadow our ability to be positive. I'm not talking about depression; I'm talking about situational sadness. We may feel justified for throwing the pity party of the century. One bad day does give us room to process and deal with our feelings and reality. You are allowed to cry, scream, and pout in privacy. Tears are a natural process. This doesn't change your circumstances, but it does placate the soul. When you give yourself permission to cry, you are processing and physically releasing negativity. Just don't stay there because the negative thoughts are not helpful. Negative thoughts underscore your resentment and despair. This does nothing to change your circumstances. In terms of crying, society places this unrealistic burden of guilt, shame, and judgment. It is vita...
Read more