“Sol + stice derives from a combination of Latin words meaning “sun” + “to stand still.” As the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand still in the sky.” I open my eyes this morning, early, 6:30, and look outside. It is cloudy. At first I’m disappointed. The sun shines the longest on this day - shouldn’t it be sunny? I haven’t been sleeping very much lately, can’t get to bed at night, so I usually sleep until 9 or so. But this morning I present at a radio sales meeting to pitch my “Next Step Moments” that start next week. I admit it - I’m tired, after only 5 hours of sleep. I loosely keep my thoughts on the light, and try to stay light-hearted, but I start to think of all the days that have been cloudy lately, and how, after a few days of that, I tend to feel cloudy as well.
When the sun shines and the sky is clear blue, it’s easy to just BE. You can see, you can walk outside without fear of getting rained on, you can do ANYTHING. When the clouds roll in, the energy changes. Everything becomes heavier, closed in. There’s potential danger, whether in the form of your leather purse getting waterstained, or lightning striking you. It’s a little harder to breathe, and life just isn’t as… sunny anymore. But if we are to make this switch over to the New, to the All, I would be remiss if I didn’t take these outer feelings and move them inward, so I can understand them, then hopefully be able to move them back OUT again - full circle. Life is NOT always sunny - crops would wither, it would be too hot, too much. We need to balance of the clouds/darkness and the sun/light to grow, not only ourselves but the crops and the animals and the flowers and grass and trees. As within so without.
The meaning of solstice itself is sort of a study in opposite, and the bringing of the opposites together to great a dynamic whole. The sun is constantly moving, as are we, and the earth. So to say the sun is standing still is all relative because as Einstein pointed out as he was formulating his theory of relativity, everything depends on positioning and speed. We can’t MEASURE anything unless we have something constant to compare it to, to use as a fixed point. And there isn’t one in this Universe, or any other Universe, I don’t think. Except One. The Single Point of the All. That part inside of each of us that is our stillpoint. That part that if we can get there, can calm down any storm, clear any clouds. It IS always sunny and blue skies in this single point of Oneness, and though we may use other references to help us find it, and find our way back to ourselves, the only way to get it is to go there ourselves. You can’t go to anyone else’s Stillpoint, and you can’t find it in the outside world.
I stop now to go just sit and be there in that place. It’s my rudder, my lighthouse, my north star. It’s me. Happy Sun Standing Still Day, everyone - if you have a minute, why don’t you sit and find your own Still Sun?