For most of us, the solstice does not carry the same religious significance today that it held back in the time of bronze-age man. However, there are still people who recognize Stonehenge as a place of worship and feel "Connected" to the Druids that are believed by some, to have been the creators of the circle.Today we still do pay tribute to the longest day of the year and the first day of summer,albeit for different reasons.
For those of us that live in cold weather cities, The idea of longer warmer days and shorter nights, is reason enough to celebrate. Schools are out for summer, it's a time for Bar-B-Q, beaches, and long walks.
In 21st century America, modern life has many ways of organizing our lives from School years, to Fiscal years, tax day. We are forever checking our watches and Blackberries for the time, yet we let the shortest or longest days of the year pass without a seconds thought.
People talk about never being able to count "All the stars vi sable in the sky;" I can't help but notice that in Chicago, even on a clear night, it's hard to see more than 7 stars. It's not because they're not out there, it is just the result of the massive "Glow" of the city lights. This was not the case in neolithic England. The sky was black. The stars were clear and bright, and devoid of competition for the peoples attention. There was no G.P.S. built into your cell phone. The alignment of the planets and stars, the waxing and waining of our moon; and path of our sun, told the time, the date, and provided the rhythm of their lives.
It was the very order, the center, the organization that tied their lives to the past and predicted the future. It's little wonder that their worship was tied to these cycles. It told them when to plant, when to harvest. Even today, in the dead of winter, we will take comfort in the fact that the days are getting longer. The knowledge that it's always darkest before the dawn, that spring is just weeks away.
While Stonehenge and the Solstice do not carry the same meanings, there is something universal about recognizing our connection to the past and our role in shaping the future.
It is our hope at Urban Insurance Agency that you enjoy and make good use of the longest daylight of the year.
For those of us that live in cold weather cities, The idea of longer warmer days and shorter nights, is reason enough to celebrate. Schools are out for summer, it's a time for Bar-B-Q, beaches, and long walks.
In 21st century America, modern life has many ways of organizing our lives from School years, to Fiscal years, tax day. We are forever checking our watches and Blackberries for the time, yet we let the shortest or longest days of the year pass without a seconds thought.
People talk about never being able to count "All the stars vi sable in the sky;" I can't help but notice that in Chicago, even on a clear night, it's hard to see more than 7 stars. It's not because they're not out there, it is just the result of the massive "Glow" of the city lights. This was not the case in neolithic England. The sky was black. The stars were clear and bright, and devoid of competition for the peoples attention. There was no G.P.S. built into your cell phone. The alignment of the planets and stars, the waxing and waining of our moon; and path of our sun, told the time, the date, and provided the rhythm of their lives.
It was the very order, the center, the organization that tied their lives to the past and predicted the future. It's little wonder that their worship was tied to these cycles. It told them when to plant, when to harvest. Even today, in the dead of winter, we will take comfort in the fact that the days are getting longer. The knowledge that it's always darkest before the dawn, that spring is just weeks away.
While Stonehenge and the Solstice do not carry the same meanings, there is something universal about recognizing our connection to the past and our role in shaping the future.
It is our hope at Urban Insurance Agency that you enjoy and make good use of the longest daylight of the year.
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