Susquehanna Meditations: Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice

Odds are for tonight’s Summer Solstice you only need to wear a light jacket, if at all, when you come out at 10:30 PM to celebrate, appreciate, contemplate the stars above.   They’ll be easy to spot, for the New Moon is around the corner.   Good and dark.   The starlight crisp and sharp. 

Ursa Major completes her circuit, for we find her due west of Polaris.  Big Dipper’s handle points upward now while now Little Dipper’s handle points down toward the horizon.   If you haven’t noticed (which you might have missed because his stars are dim and faint to our eyes), Draco, the long dragon that spins off the handle of Little Dipper, has been enjoying this circle dance along with the bears, Draco too never dropping below horizon. 

The treat of the summer sky (actually the treat within a treat within a treat) now sparkles and twinkles bright to the east:  Cygnus the swan flying straight toward the east and parallel to the horizon, the swan’s long neck outstretched and its wings bent in corsair flight. The stellar star Deneb marks the end of its tail.  Deneb also marks the top of the Northern Cross you can trace within the swan.  Cygnus neck now becomes the stake of the cross and its wings form the crossbar. 

Above Cygnus’s neck (or the stake of the cross) shines the bright star Vega, third brightest in the night sky to our unaided vision.   Vega belongs to the constellation Lyra, to be exact Orpheus’ lyre for making beautiful music.   Orpheus who loved his Eurydice and tried to reclaim her from death itself, though he failed and lost her forever.   Grief stricken he was torn to death by disappointed wild women of Thrace.  An eagle took his lyre and flew it into the heavens to hang there forever.  The eagle, otherwise known as the diamond shaped constellation of Aquila, is found mid-center of the sky full east and bending its way toward the south. Aquila’s brightest star, Altair, marks the tail feathers.   Now we come to the treat within the treat within the treat.  Draw an imaginary line from Altair to Vega to Deneb and back to Altair.   You’ve traced the heavenly asterism called the ‘Summer Triangle.’   The magic triangle.  Good things in threes.  Divine things come in threes.   The Summer Triangle will shine all summer, gradually shifting higher in the east. 

Summer treats indeed.  Enjoy them while you may, because…

…today, the Summer Solstice, offers the longest day of daylight in the year, soon the sunsets come earlier and earlier.  The solstice boasts a full fifteen hours and eighteen minutes.  But tomorrow begins the decrease.  In several days comes Midsummers Day, not coincidentally the feast day celebrating the birth of John the Baptist.  Interesting.  Fascinating.  Six months from now many of us will celebrate the feast day celebrating the birth of John’s cousin Jesus.   Perhaps these were arbitrary dates set by the church.  Perhaps.   Of course they are.  Still, they were chosen for a message. 

Yes, chosen as more symbolic and theological than set by fact.  The Bible never records when John or Jesus were born just that they were born.  Jesus’ natal day of celebration begins the lengthening and increase of light.  John’s time heralds the shortening, the loss, the decrease of light – John’s day is the natal day of he said of Jesus (by way of him recognizing his role to minister the master, his role to find purpose and joy in serving):  “He must increase, I must decrease.”   Submission?  Not really.  Nothing servile about John, for John affirms the way of service is alone worthwhile, the way of glory.