This day has been the literal high-light of the year since the dawn of humankind. Our oldest and most awe-inspiring creations are made to honour the sun. Stonehenge is probably the most famous of these. The stone circle was constructed in the Neolithic period with such incredible engineering that even now, 5000 years later, as the sun rises on June 21st it will be framed by the tallest stones and appear to rise from the Heel Stone to mark the longest day of the year.
Why do solstices matter? Our ancestors understood that the sun was not only light but energy. Without the sun nothing grows, life does not flourish. Midsummer is the zenith of Yang energy-dynamic and burning bright. The daylight stretches out and asks us to fill it will activity.
At the summer solstice we offer gratitude for the warmth and abundance around us, while knowing that this is the point where we start to descend into the darker days of winter. There is a lull in the farming to-do list as we wait for the crops to ripen, before the fast and hard work of harvest begins. A rare space for celebration, for festivities and gatherings with food and music and dancing.
Maybe 2020 will feel quite different? We cannot gather to celebrate. There are no festivals. Maybe we look around and feel grief, sadness or anger.
On solstice days our sun appears to stand still, pausing on its journey east to west. How can we as humans ignore such a sign? Both Midwinter and Midsummer ask us to look up, to see what is larger than ourselves, to stop briefly on our journeys to observe. To pause. To celebrate and give thanks.
Tarot cards represent archetypes, ways of interpreting ourselves and the world around us. Card Number 19-The Sun, is part of the Major Arcana which represents the journey of the soul. The Sun represents a burst of freedom, not physical but instead a new way of seeing the world, a new understanding. Maybe this is something many of us are experiencing in this period of lockdown? While we are physically distanced from our ‘normal world’ what has taken its place? When we are removed from our routines what do we have space for? For many baking and cooking have opened up as not a chore or necessity but instead as a way of connecting to the food we eat. We have more time to think about the food we have and how to make the best of it. With more time food becomes less about fuelling the body as we dash between responsibilities and more about nourishing ourselves and those around us. Have you noticed how much better food tastes when we take the time to savour it? We may not be at festivals buying food from vendors as we revel together, but we have an opportunity to delight our senses with home-made food. We have the time to root through all those cook books which have been ignored, we can rummage through the internet for recipes, we can watch friends and experts on social media sharing their tips. Spending time nourishing ourselves on a physical level is an act of self-love and devotion just as much as a physical yoga class.
The Sun card also represents two other archetypes: Card Number 1-The Magician and Card Number 9-The Hermit. The Magician is about yang style energy, representing potential and grounding like Samasthithi in our Surya Namaskar. We are poised, energy gathered ready for movement, feet grounded. It can be challenging to remain in this place, feeling energy flashing around our bodies like lightning yet remaining still. Just like our Summer Solstice, energy is at its highest point yet seeming not to move at all. For those of us experiencing yang energy lockdown may feel like an unending Samasthithi, so much energy and no way to disperse it. Remember change is inevitable, nothing remains the same forever. The wheel of the year is constantly turning. Our Midsummer Solstice means that we are heading towards winter once again. To unleash some of this yang energy why not channel it into a beautiful flow? Natalie, Jade and Maddy can all lead you into classes designed to revel in movement. Harness that yang lightning into time devoted to developing your body’s strength and flexibility, grounding that energy into something physical.
If you feel exhausted at just the thought of so much physical energy you may find The Hermit more in tune with how you feel. The Hermit represents retreating from the social world into nature and from the physical world into spiritual. The Yin energy of taking our focus inside, taking time to learn. The concept of retreats in yoga can mean anything from a luxury break in a tropical paradise to very humble food and accommodation in silence. As long as we are taking the time and finding what we need within ourselves then it doesn’t matter where our physical self is and maybe lockdown offers you the opportunity to create your own retreat? If you would like a guide then Jo Welch has a series of classes exploring the Yamas, an introduction to the philosophy of yoga and Jamie can take you ‘Down The Rabbit Hole’ in one of his upcoming Yin Workshops. Time to explore, to learn, to nurture. Returning to the world is easier when we know where we are and where we would like to go.
As humans we are part of Nature, not outside it and so we flow between Yang and Yin, external and internal. Our modern world has made us think of ourselves as one thing or another, neatly labelled and put in boxes. This can be convenient but is unlikely to feel satisfying or enlightening. We will have aspects of so many archetypes as part of who we are. Our true self is like the sun, constant but ever changing. Yoga is a way to explore all aspects of ourselves. We do not have to select one box and stay in it. We can step out of the box, gently put it aside and choose to walk forwards taking as many paths as we like and enjoy the feel of the sunshine whether hot and fierce or gentle and nurturing.
Written by Hannah Fletcher and published on Tuesday 16th June 2020 at 15:34
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