The 2012 June solstice takes place on Wednesday, June 20, at 23:09 Universal Time, or 18:09 (6:09 p.m.) Central Daylight Time in the U.S.
The Chinese were (and perhaps still are) great students of nature.
There is a deep understanding in Chinese tradition of nature’s predictable cycle. The understanding of nature’s cycle could be applied to many things: not just the seasons or the growth of plants, but also, for example, relationships, one’s work, the development of a child, emotions, the progress of a disease, a life in its totality.
For the western mind, the passage of the seasons is a good illustration of the orderliness of this natural cycle. As we all know, things sprout and begin to grow (spring). They reach their fullness (summer). They begin to dry and wither (autumn). They rest (winter). The Chinese also include a fifth “season” or “phase” in their thinking, sometimes described as “late summer.” In ancient Chinese thought, these five “elements” or five “phases” include an inherent understanding that the cycle continues, over and over, with each period of rest or winter followed by new growth, or spring.
The five phases of ancient Chinese philosophy were associated with specific things: directions, colors, sounds, organs in the body, fundamental elements such as water or fire, real or mythological beasts.
The summer season is associated with the direction south. It’s associated with the color red, the sound of laughing, the heart organ, the fire element, and a creature often referred to as a red phoenix. Summer is considered the most yang season. We all know that summer is the hottest, brightest and often driest season. That’s in contrast to winter – the most yin season – which is the coldest, darkest and often wettest time of year.
In the Chinese practice of qigong, hundreds if not thousands of different meditations, visualizations and physical exercises have been developed over the years related to the five phases of Chinese philosophy. Many of these practices have been passed down to our time. If you want to celebrate this solstice as the ancient Chinese philosophers did, you will be joining a tradition that is thousands of years old. It was part of the Chinese tradition to honor people, information and beliefs that are old, by the way. That’s in contrast to our western way of thinking, where youth most often carries the day.
The Chinese were also great believers in balance. So to celebrate the summer solstice as the Chinese philosophers did, you might …
Stand facing south, considered the direction of summer in ancient Chinese philosophy. Just stand for a few moments and honor the “southness” of summer.
Balance your fire element. Go swimming in a cold, dark pool or stream.
Image Credit: Sanjay B.
Wear red!
Laugh. In the Chinese tradition, there are sounds associated with the five phases, and the sound associated with this part of the cycle – summer – is laughter. Remember, as I said above, that this phase is also associated with the heart organ? More and more often, in western thought, you hear that “laughter is good for the heart.”
The ancient Chinese philosophers would agree.
This was wonderful and affirming. I actually did go swimming in a cool, dark pool in a nearby river. Now, how did they celebrate the rest of the year? I can’t wait to put all these ideas into practice to help me stay connected to nature in a meaningful, non-religious way.
Keith Cantrell
You are so right. Rock on.
Keith, how lovely. Thank you so much.
A couple of us in the Earth & Sky office also went swimming today in a cool, dark pool … early this morning before the sun came up. It was beautiful!
Deborah
Yo. you so right
Laughter: so important. I’ve practiced some qigong every day for a long time now, but I think laughing is the perfect exercise: it’s free, effortless and will always make somebody else feel better. Thanks for your solstice thoughts. Carl
So true …
How enlightening! Thanks Debbie for sharing that. The cool water, the breeze, the color red, and yes, laughter, all great things for the soul.
Entering the Miami summer as we are down here in Florida, the advice to ‘Balance your fire element. Go swimming in a cold, dark pool or stream.’ is particularly enticing. And laughter is always the best policy, the best medicine. Thanks again, Deborah, for such a beautiful post!
Elnora, yay for the ocean! I’m glad you’re on the Atlantic side, and not on the Gulf side – where at the moment “cold and dark” might mean “oil spill.”
Enjoy your swim.
Deborah
Thanks, Deborah. I enjoyed that very much.
Dear Deborah! You really have done and continue doing great work in this website! I really love it! This is the best! I came from Europe and of course without knowing english at all but really your writing is so easy to understand and so scientificaly correct!I love your hard work! thank you very much! sincerely Mira
ps: Your name Debora(h) in my own language means SNOW! (:
Beautifully put :-)
How much have we forgotten in our search for realisation ?
Colin x
chinese philosophy is one of the greatests
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[...] Byrd of EarthSky.org puts some Asian perspective on today’s summer solstice: There is a deep understanding in Chinese tradition of nature’s predictable cycle. The [...]