The Middle of Things
Wow! It’s July already. Just last week, we celebrated Summer Solstice – the middle of the Solar year and the official first day of Summer. Traditionally, the summer months are June, July and August; making July the middle of summer. July 1st is the middle of our Julian calendar. Here in Central Texas, we call these the Dog Days of Summer. It’s the time we just want to lay in the shade, or the AC, and do nothing but pant. These are the longest days of the year in the northern hemisphere; but it can be a real effort to take advantage of the long days; they are just too hot for us to feel productive.
We are really experiencing the ‘Middle of Things’ at this time of the year. Most of the crops and gardens were planted in the Spring, and most harvesting will be done in the Autumn. This is true in our lives, as it is in our gardens. Even in the ‘middle’ there are things to done: watering, mulching, fighting off the predatory insects and animals. If we get too complacent, we will have nothing to harvest in Autumn. We also need to remain engaged and vigilant in the middle of our lives and projects. It’s easy to get tired of doing the ‘same old thing’ as we trudge through the middle. We can also become impatient, waiting for harvest time. We need to be gentle with ourselves and not get caught up in the things we ‘should’ be doing. Just breathe. And accept the grace of this slower pace.
This is a good time to take some of the ‘down time’ to reflect on the beauty of this simpler time of year. The full moon in July is known as the Buck Moon, since at this time the male deer’s antlers are shed so that stronger ones can grow. The Buck Moon this year is on July 3. Maybe it would be appropriate for us to consider what to shed in order to come back stronger in Autumn.
Here is wishing you all a quiet, restful and productive ‘Middle Time’.
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Looking forward to seeing you in circle soon!
With so much deep love and honor,
The Leadership Team for the Shamanic Community of Austin
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