Father

I would like to wish a Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers and to the forefathers of this world: To the past; to the present; and, to those who are yet to be fathers.

There is a sense of mystery when I think of the meaning of father. To know what a father is and to understand a father’s love is not easy to define or understand, as we do a mother’s love. There is a mystical, and an almost larger than life expectation of fathers: A father’s love seems to have a reserved and guarded presence and a distant watchfulness on their offspring.

Often, we think of fathers as protectors, providers and sustainers of a family. We have great and high expectations in their role of being a father; and that role in many ways is intertwined with our mother’s love for our fathers and intertwined with their oneness. Of course, we are not all fortunate to have our fathers close or even present.

The male principle and what is masculine is defined by power and strength and hopefully tempered by a level of humanity. When a male displays a level of giving and understanding to his fellow men and women, we generally refer to them as gentlemen. When do we refer to women as gentle women? Built into language is the very understanding that women naturally display gentleness but when a man displays his gentler nature, he is referred to as a “gentle-man”. Of course, there is a range of meaning and social definitions connected to the understanding of what a gentleman is, but generally speaking masculinity is associated more with a physical bravado and even brutish power. Mind you, men are stereotyped as less feeling which is far from the truth. In fact, when one becomes a father it’s transformative. Fathers have very deep emotions and love.

Okay, I have side stepped a bit, so let’s think about what a father means, and specifically to yourself; and, in many cases what the definition of a father is because so many of us grow up with busy dads who are not always present, love aside from the issue, and in many cases just non-existent. When we are young and childish it is easy to think our fathers are harder on us or even uncaring at times, because most of us connect more with our mothers directly and daily. Fathers usually come onto a scene when a mother feels she needs some disciplinary support or reasoning. Usually when a father gets involved it’s about establishing a certain seriousness and order. In my experience, my father was the highest court of enforcement of the rules when discipline required duty, and respect. I do recall on many occasions when my father rescued me from my mother’s discipline. (Smile)

Fathers ultimately have their place in the material world, at large. When we are young we experience the everyday comings and goings as a father’s journey to his work and returns. A father’s love is bridged through his service to his family and to the world.  We do not experience a mother in the same way, even though mothers do go out into the world and work as well. Once upon a time it was mainly the fathers who worked and the mothers who stayed home. Despite the traditional roles have somewhat altered, a father’s role has the same relevance.

A role of a father is an enigmatic one – if the feminine is divine, then the masculine is just as sacred. Humanity often defines and sees God in the masculine more often than in the feminine. Fathers are equally important as mothers. Often we speak of our Creator and maker in terms of He and Him, even though we know that it is the female who births us into the world.

The name father is sacred to me; and, as I think of my worldly father in this life, I often think of my overarching Divine Father.

Father is a symbol of the Creator and a father’s love cannot be easily understood. Fathers express their love mainly in terms of providing for their families, protecting his offspring and providing leadership. Fathers don’t often verbally express their love, nor do a lot of fathers physically express their affection. This distant, even detached affection is often an illusion because a true fathers love is far from distant. In fact, a father’s love is accessed through action and what we often forget is that great love often is beyond words and such “love unexpressed is sacred”. Intensity of emotions is felt but often times not seen. That “love unexpressed is sacred”.  I carry this thought with me throughout my life. It is easy to misinterpret that fathers don’t love as intensely as mothers. This is not true. When a father expresses love it is highly powerful with a storm of practicality and logic and reason, and yet emotions that fills the universe with its own electrical charge.

There is so much more that I can write about fathers, but I will briefly say here that what ultimately sums up what my father was and still is to me is that my father was my “first teacher”.

I wish everyone a Blessed Day with their fathers; or in memory of their father, and reflection on the meaning of what a father is to you, and what a father means to the world.  If you have not known or come close to a father’s love, know that a greatest expression of a father’s love is to place your faith and love in the higher masculine concept of creation and the sacred nature of the all-life giving seed in this Universe.

Summer Solstice

When the Earth’s poles tilt (North or South) and is closest to the Sun, this is called a Summer Solstice. In the Northern hemisphere it is summer now, and in the Southern hemisphere it is Winter. In the Northern Hemisphere it is still Spring. The Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere officially begins June 21st this year (2026).

Summer is the time when the Sun makes its grand entrance. The Earth is warm and sunny and plants, trees, insects, quadrupeds and bipeds are in full life and activity. Regions on the globe that experience distinct four seasons welcome this time. I uses the work distinct because there are seasons in the tropical zones, like a rainy season (monsoon), a dry season and even a mild cooling around the latter months of the calendar year. The parts of the Earth that experience more extreme temperatures (not including the desserts) have four distinct seasons. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. In the Northern Hemisphere most life is dormant or hibernating until a renewed awaking of Spring. To truly appreciate existence on Earth, in my opinion, one should experience the various conditions of life on Earth.

A lot of “True North” dwellers travel to sunnier climes during the winter months to escape the cold and sometimes harsh weather conditions. Mind you, there are some who take winter escapes, and who enjoy winter sports. Back to the topic of summer. Summer is a time of worship so everything coming back to life. It is a great time, and one can only fully embrace the experience of the heat of summer after going through cold conditions. Summer is freedom.

There are two solstices, Winter and Summer and both are significant. The winter solstice (in the month of December) marks the return of the Sun’s journey; the short hours of daylight and the early fall of darkness slowly expands daily, adding up to the longer hours of daylight to the Summer Solstice in June. The longest day of the year is also the Summer Solstice day. These two Solar events are significant and there are various traditions and celebrations around these two solstices, winter being more celebrated. Traditions around the winter solstice is on varied days across the globe and most people do not cross-reference their traditions stemming from the ancient observance of the return of the sunlight.

There has been a resurgence of people flocking to ancient sites where the phenomenon of the Sun peaks at various points over structures, such as Stonehenge, United Kingdom, for instance. People gather to observe this astronomical event. People are once again paying attention to the stars and the cycles of time. It is good to be connected with creation. It is a blessing to be part of creation, and there is no better time to be insync with nature as in the summertime.

This summer take sometime to go out and walk in nature. Let the sun shower you with its blessings and bask in the light. Living in a man-made world where everything has a price placed on it, know that the Sun is priceless and it is the source of life on this Earth plane. Enjoy the summer.

Spring

Spring is a time of renewal when the warmth of the Sun returns to all life. Spring brings with it the promise of hope and the springing of new life. Spring is a time to free one’s self from the sojourn of hibernation. All life experiences this awakening. In this awakening we gain renewed energy, and nature gives of its love in all its blossoming splendour. Those parts of the globe that experience winter understand the return of the Sun. This time now in the northern parts of the Earth (north of the equator) is now experiencing that return of light.

Just as the Earth constantly moves between light and dark, so too do we as humans. Life is affected by the varying degrees of sunlight and shade, so too are the creatures of this Earth that experience the play of light. Many cultures celebrate the coming of the spring season

The celebration of spring coincides with a new year for many cultures. Spring is as a new beginning. It is a time to for revitalization and to feel the energizing sun. Life is made whole again during this heightening season. The soil calls all gardeners to tend to their gardens, and to till their soil. The plants and trees express their joy in their growth. It is such a blessing to experience spring in all its splendour. Take the time during this season to feel the warmth of the sun and to smell the new spring air. Feel the presence of renewal and rejuvenation of your spirit and be one with nature.