Sol, lifebringer and lightgiver, our star, the one which holds us tight and keeps at bay the outer darkness. Sol, thank you. Your winds dance in our sky and your breath allows our existence. There is nothing more powerful, nothing greater, nothing more brilliant or amazing in this system than Sol. While there may be bigger things out there, that effect our existence here and now than does Sol. While today we may look to Sol, truly everyday is Sol's day, for without Sol there are no days.

Today was beautiful and I spent a good deal of time outside, both in Davis Square and by Spy Pond. The sky was bright, the weather was mild, and the water was sparkling in Sol's brilliance. I don't think I could have asked for more perfect solstice weather.

Sol gives us life and light. Without Sol this planet, if it existed at all, would be but a frozen lump hurtling through space. We owe so much to the Sol, that it is only appropriate to look upon the brilliance with reverence. There needs be no religious aspect to such reverence, just mindfulness that all that exists here is due to that most wondrous and grand object in the solar system.

The scale of Sol is so immense that it defies human comprehension. I edited a small blue dot into this image from APOD a while ago, to give a better sense of scale to a solar prominence. The small blue dot represents the relative size of Earth to Sol.

I grew up in a predominately atheist household. We celebrated Christmas because my parents came from families that celebrated Christmas. However, we celebrated it as an entirely secular holiday. "Merry Christmas" was a standard winter greeting.

On both the winter solstice and the summer solstice, I would also occasionally say "Happy Solstice". However, at that point growing up I had no idea that the solstice was actually considered by anyone a holiday of any sort. I just knew that something was going on in the sky and it was called the solstice and it seemed like a good idea to wish people a happy one.

I am no longer an atheist, and while I may draw some of my beliefs and practices from pagan traditions, I am far from what one would consider pagan. I have my own complex mixed up spirituality drawn from many religions and philosophies with a good deal of my own stuff thrown in, and take pride in the fact that I truly follow no prescribed spiritual belief system.

In that light, I have come to view the solstice as an ideal winter holiday for one reason: no matter what your religious beliefs are, something actually happens every year on the winter solstice. Anyone who would dispute that something occurs is more ridiculous than the flat earthers.

So, in a completely astronomical context:

HAPPY SOLSTICE!

i feel the energy of the solstice
a wonderful day
a day to celebrate the sun
every creature on this planet
from those who bathe in the daylight
to those that stalk the night
owes its life to the sun
so here's to you, sol
your warmth feeds us
your breath is nurtures beauty
thank you for this day