The summer solstice this Thursday, June 21, is the longest day of the year, the day that the sun is at its greatest strength in the Northern Hemisphere.
As the sun has grown in power this year, many of us have become acutely aware of the separation of children from their parents at the US border, the growing epidemic of suicides, school shootings which continue unabated, persistent racism and sexual abuse in every corner of society, to say nothing of the ecocide currently underway thanks to our way of life.
When we are abruptly awakened to what has been unseen, when we are flooded by the light of new awareness, we are likely to become overwhelmed. All of this heady new consciousness, symbolized by the sun, can pull us out of ourselves and send us into orbit.
At its extreme pole, solar consciousness symbolizes a detached, heady consciousness, one that heats the planet and our interactions, turning life into a desert of striving and an endless fight for survival.
Unbalanced, mind-made solar consciousness, taught to us from our first day of school, pulls us up up and away and into our heads, unmooring us from earth and body and all things common–be it common ground, common sense, or common decency.
In our shared social habit of imbalanced solar consciousness, we unwittingly disconnect ourselves from the sources of our true power–earth, body, and all things common–thereby creating the perfect social conditions for inaction and silence in the face of atrocity.
So if you are lost, if you are horrified by your own passivity and inability to chart a path of action to help address these social ills, know that you are not alone. We were raised to respond this way.
What is coming to light are the symptoms of a sick and diseased collective body. As members of the larger whole, we share in the trauma, dissociation, and disempowerment visited upon our shared body through generations of division and conquest.
But here’s the thing: we may have been raised in a culture big on artifice and long on forgetfulness, but we were born to re-member. We are on the planet now to bring the severed and bloody parts of ourselves—and of our collective body—back together that we might heal and become whole, even holy.
We were born to embark on this great healing adventure of our time. To undertake the sacred healing journey of remembrance is to claim both our birthright and our legacy.
In nature, there is only one day of peak light each year, counterbalanced by only one day of deep darkness. In between, a changing rhythm of light and dark that is always and ever held in exquisite balance.
Let us become the balance in our heady and overly “bright” solar culture. You counter the effect of too much light by tending to the roots of sustenance and connection. We are being called to return to balance, we are being summoned to gather together and enter the dark, lunar realms of heart to listen and learn what Spirit has to say to us.
In ancient days, our ancestors came together in council to seek the guidance of Spirit and decide upon action to meet the challenges of their times The time of waiting for our leaders to act like elders, much less adults, is long past.
This Solstice, let us step up to the challenges and step into a sacred circle of focused intention and ask for guidance to help heal this battered and broken society, which is also our collective body.
If you are in Eugene, you are welcome to join us for the journey circle. If you are not in the area or cannot attend, I would encourage you to celebrate the solstice by taking some time attend to your roots, be it your body, your people, the earth, or your Spirit.
If you are interested in receiving a recording of the journeys from this event, feel free to contact me at aalkin07@gmail.com
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Join me in a journey circle the evening of Thursday, June 21, the solstice, outside in Eugene on our 14 acres from 7-9 pm.
The intent of this circle is to journey for the healing of the collective. Choose a topic that is of the greatest personal concern for your journey in the circle.
We will journey for guidance and suggestions of inspired action. We will share our intentions with each other beforehand and you may share your journey afterwards if you wish. The idea is to bring the guidance of Spirit to our big questions and to be of support to one another as we seek to find our way to meaningful action.
We’ll have the fire pit going, bring a chair and/or blanket, a snack to share outside if you wish, and a device with the drumbeat.
This circle will be offered to everyone is a free gift, but I suggest that you research an organization before the circle to which to make a donation instead.
Please RSVP to Anna at aalkin07@gmail.com
Excited for the solstice. You should do a Facebook Live. I would tune in to participate.
Karen