Hello Dear Friends,
The bedroom is wreathed in incense smoke and The Pagan Radio Network is cranked on the pc, I went for a walk a little earlier and am happily ensconced in front of my computer doing some surfing and writing.  It may seem an odd way to spend the Summer Solstice, but living in Sunny Florida(tm) its a very brisk Summer Solstice day today with 85* and 67% humidity making feel like a chilly 93*.  The humidity based heat increase (almost the direct opposite of the wind chill of my youth) is known variously and the “heat index” and even more euphemistically as the “comfort index”…. I have some opinions on that last one but they are NOT polite so I shan’t intrude my rudeness upon your Solstice-tide.

Happy Solstice-tide to one and all but the by!

Anyhow, here if Orlando, Summer Solstice is a good Holiday for a Pool Party or an Ice Tea Social or simply hiding inside until the cooler evening temperatures can tempt you out doors to toast with Ice Tea or Mimosa’s the Longest Day, the Sun’s Height, and the Endless Summer, the interplay of Sky and Sea that brings us our Summer Rains and Thunderstorms… so many things to celebrate and honor and observe here in Florida.  June, or so my sources tell me, also marks the 1st of the Wine Harvest for Florida… there is, it seems, ALWAYS something being harvested down here.

I am contemplating the year since the last Summer Solstice, and the many many changes my life has undergone.   Changes on every level, personal, professional, spiritual.  New job, new (and improved) boyfriend, new friends, new spiritual focus.  In the aftermath of my break up with The Big Guy I gave myself a year to just sort of, be… gave myself time for healing and to ride out the changes wrought by a deeply instinctual spell/prayer/offering.

I am free writing this post (although I suspect some of you already sensed that…) and have just taken a few moments to re-read some of last years posts from the break up, and time to remember that time…. ok, enough of that…

I am also looking at the many things I want to do and the juggling and ballancing I need to do to do them.  I want to work on building my career at the Motel, work towards my dreams of writing and of opening my coffee house, on my self in spirit / body / mind, on my relationship with The Fabulous Jonathan, on my many blossoming new friendships, and on my involvement at Church, and in Orlando’s Pagan community.

Despite my lack of organized writing on the topic, The Pagan Values Blogging and Podcasting Month project is progressing well for 2010, with a number of artilces already archived and many that I haven’t found yet probably floating around in the aether…. I’ve even found a few from last year and added them to the 2009 archive!

…I breathe in the incense scented air, Frankincense and Lavender and Myrrh, I cherish the moment and the now for just a few minutes.   I make offerings of Barley, and of Water, to the Holy Powers and Guardian Spirits of my heart and hearth.

I wrestle with and wade through memories and emotions past, while at the same time contemplating the many desires and possibilities of the present.    I smile upon the thoughts of the many friends in Orlando, in Anchorage, and through the wonder of this blog across the World, that I am blessed with.  I contemplate the many ideas and ideals I have been exposed to thanks to the Pagan Values Event.

I think upon Solstices past, when I celebrated the Height of Summer and wandered from Saturday Downtown Market, to the A.W.A.K.E. Summer Solstice Fair, to the Anchorage Pridefest to verious goings on visiting with friends and enjoying the long Summer days and nights of Anchroage.  I think upon Soltices recent where I have worked in the stifling heat and humidity in the Parks to go home and collapse, huddled in something resembling climate controlled comfort and then to a public ritual.

I think about familly, and friends, and ten thousand things, and I breathe in the incense scented air.

I return to my breath, stillness for a while…

Then I return to my musings….

Peace,

Pax