With the approaching full moon, this 20th of June, we will arrive at the stillness of the sun. Each summer solstice, the sun ceases its perceived northward migration, stops, and then begins moving south in the sky. Solstice literally means stoppage of the sun and the solstice moment reminds us to savor the space between breaths, both fleeting and infinite at once.
The plant community that still have enough resources to do so, take the solstice as a cue. It’s time to flower! They know that the long summer slide into autumn will evolve those flowers into fruits and ultimately the seeds of their future young. Throughout greater California, Heteromeles Arbutifolia, Toyon, is currently arranging white bouquets amidst waxy elongated leaves using the stored water in its massively burly roots. Among the inflorescent umbrellas, bees, beetles and ants are gathering the sweet nectar.
This summer solstice insect feast, i.e. pollination, plays an integral role in the formation of the red Christmas berries that Toyon is named after. A half orbit around the sun from now, on the winter solstice, these berries will be eagerly enjoyed by birds, foxes and rodents as they prepare for the cold moons of winter. The honey from Toyon blossoms is one of my favorites and cakes made from the boiled berries are also quite tasty, especially with a drizzle of honey.
In the mountains much of the white blanket has already rushed down the creeks, wound through the rivers and been hurried along by our expert carelessness to the ocean. As the sun drifts southward, the moon will wax and wane many times before the next soaking rains. Only the hardiest of plants, or those that are cared for by human hands, will remain green through the hot dry months of summer. In the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada it is the deep rooted oaks and their burly compatriots the Toyon that will provide the moisture for soil organisms and flying insects to survive until the snowy blanket returns to the mountains above.
On the solstice we can respect the Earth’s space between breaths by honoring both the living water and the electric energy focused on us by the sun. As the brain of the Earth, we have a responsibility to listen to our body. The stillness between breaths is an ideal time to listen. Here, we can set aside the fears and anxieties foisted upon us by power hungry experts and authorities. Here and now we can make the decision to evolve with Earth, this beautiful creature we call home. The future starts now.
Honeybee in Toyon
Demonstration of the roots of an oak sapling
The burl of a young Toyon
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