Summer Solstice: The Longest Day
Summer Solstice – Stonehenge
The 2017 Summer Solstice occurred officially last night at 11:24 CST. The Summer Solstice is when the Sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer (23.5 degrees north). A solstice marks the start of the season: summer in this case. Because the earth tilts on its axis, we get maximum sunlight on this one rotation. I like that the NY Times says earth takes a “dip toward the sun”; sounds like dancing with the stars.
And by the way, the northern hemisphere’s Summer Solstice and the southern hemisphere’s Winter Solstice are the exact same time, same thing. Except that what is the longest day north of the equator is the shortest day south. So, we have a Summer Solstice North which is the Winter Solstice South.
Here in Central Texas today, we’ll get somewhere between 14 and 14.5 hours of daylight. Sunshine most likely. It’s interesting to me that we identify the solstice by the length of the day, not the shortness of the night. Today is, after all, the shortest night of the year.
Although it’s never been fully explained (nor need it be!) the phenomenon at Stonehenge is that at the “solstice moment” the sunlight rises directly behind the Heel Stone, just outside the Stonehenge circle. Then the light hits the Altar Stone spot on, dead center.
One more interesting tidbit. Summer Solstice and midsummer are associated with one another but not identical. Midsummer, also known as St. John’s Day, is celebrated sometime close to the solstice. Sort of like our Monday holidays: scheduled for the culture’s convenience. Midsummer’s Eve was a significant party time as featured in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
I share all this while I’m certain that time and the many ways we (I) measure it, observe it, allow it to govern us is an entirely human creation. I am convinced that God has no need for time. The miracle of earth rotating about a star gave us the chance to pay attention to “when”.
A Prayer to the Solstice
Sweet Creator of the Universe,
the beauty of natural time brings wonder.
The perfect harmony of sun and earth,
movement and flow, change and cycle
are miracles we can enjoy day to day,
season to season.
Thank you for special significances
illustrated by marvels like the solstice.
And so it is. And so we let ourselves enjoy.
Amen.
21 June 2017
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