At the time of the summer solstice,
Wiccans,
Pagans,
And witches celebrate the sun and its power,
As do many of various spiritual paths.
The importance of the Sun is recognized throughout the world,
Regardless of one's spiritual orientation.
Here in Arizona,
As strange as this might sound,
Awareness of the sun can be somewhat challenging,
Beyond constantly being mindful of the fact that we need to drink plenty of water and wear appropriate amounts of sunscreen when outdoors.
The abundance of sunshine is one of the reasons why the Grand Canyon State does not observe daylight savings time.
On average,
We have well over 300 days of sunshine each year,
And the seemingly endless amount of brightness becomes so commonplace to us that our awareness of the sun increases when we find ourselves visiting another place where there are frequent cloudy days.
It's simply fascinating to observe people who have just moved here.
For at least the first year of making this their new home,
They will continually make remarks about how much better they feel and how much happier they are.
Their enthusiasm is quite contagious,
And it's a reminder to those of us who have spent the majority of our lives here how very blessed we are.
During the months of June,
July,
And August.
The constant sunshine,
And the high heat accompanying it during summer,
Starts to become tiring for many.
And,
Just as we begin longing for a bit of relief from it,
People in other locations are celebrating the sun and the summer solstice with perhaps more enthusiasm than we are.
It's much akin to someone visiting a restaurant and becoming enamored by the aromas,
As opposed to people who work in the kitchen five or more days a week.
But,
Just as those who labor at the stove or in the prep line are constantly aware of the value of spices and ingredients,
So too must all of us continually appreciate the gifts of the sun.
If the sun were to disappear altogether,
Simply missing it would be the furthest thing from our minds,
As we would find ourselves suddenly incapable of surviving.
Quite often,
And especially at the summer solstice,
I fondly call to mind a small tree I purchased one year for Yule.
It was such a beautiful little tree that I simply did not have it in me to just discard it after the holiday ended.
So I planted it in a large pot to grow on the patio along with the rest of my garden.
The tree was loving its new home,
And I could sense and feel that it was quite happy each time I looked at it.
So I decided to bring it indoors and place it in the living room on the day of Yule to,
As our ancestors did,
Bring nature into the home and serve as a reminder of how the evergreen represents everlasting life.
When I did so,
It did not take more than an hour for the little Yule tree to begin looking extremely unhappy.
In a very short amount of time,
It began to take a painfully weary appearance.
Even in December,
At the celebration of midwinter,
It yearned for the sun.
Long before dinner started,
I returned the tree to the patio,
All the while feeling almost compelled to apologize to it.
Almost immediately thereafter,
It began to appear content and resilient again.
So as we celebrate the summer solstice,
Let us not forget the life force energy of the Sun.
The sun blesses everything on our dinner table throughout the year.
The sun is a vital component of the unending cycle of life and nature.
Going beyond this,
Let us not forget to recognize the brightness of those around us.
That brightness is also something we take for granted,
Yet we would quickly notice if it were absent.
In turn,
Let us realize that the summer solstice invites us to be a source of brightness for others at all times as well.
May we do so to such a degree that those around us feel no need to observe brightness savings time.
The crow flies from me to thee.
To send the message.
Blessed Be.
