It’s Sunshine Day!

Human beings have been appreciating sunshine from the beginning of time. Today, April 19, is Sunshine Day, a day dedicated specifically to the pure enjoyment of the warmth and light that comes from the Sun. The sun is moving out of the fiery sign of Aries and into earthy Taurus, and after a long winter, there is nothing quite like a clear, cloudless spring day when you can go outside and enjoy the sunshine.

Scientifically, sunshine or sunlight is the radiation that the sun gives off. Figuratively, the word is also used for cheerfulness, warmth, and happiness.

I just can’t stay inside all day
I gotta get out get me some of those rays
Everybody’s smilin’
Sunshine day
Everybody’s laughin’
Sunshine day
Everybody seems so happy today
It’s a sunshine day

~Stephen McCarthy

Why Celebrate Sunshine Day?

The Sun is perhaps the most important influence in our lives. He heralds the coming of each new day, and lets us know that it’s time to get up and get going But more importantly, His appearance actually makes us feel like getting something done. In His light, we’re motivated to move about, grab our to-do lists, and become productive members of humankind ~ something crucial in today’s busy world, since no one I know can afford to waste a perfectly good day.

But the very sight of Him does much more for us than that. It just can’t help but make us smile. And that even goes for folks like me who aren’t morning people at all. There’s just something downright joyous about seeing the Sun light the world around us. The Sun lightens our moods, quickens our steps, warms our hearts, and just generally makes us happier people.

Those aren’t the only things the Sun does for us, though. He also contributes largely to our good health. how? By supplying our recommended daily dosage of Vitamin D, the very substance that helps the body to absorb calcium. And not only does the Sun manage this without effort on His part, He manages it without effort on ours. Only about ten minutes of sunshine per day does the trick ~ and we’re well on our way to having healthy bones and stronger bodies.

The Sun’s list of responsibilities goes on and on. He rules our calendar, starts each week by holding dominion over Sunday, and marks the comings and goings of the seasons in the cycles of His journey.

His position in the sky at the time of our births is responsible for our natal signs, and thus He is largely responsible for how the rest of the world views us.

He’s responsible for the blowing of the winds, the growth of the plants, flowers, and trees that populate the Earth and for the oxygen we breathe.

And even with all this stuff on His plate, He still finds time to entertain us with sunbeams, rainbows, sundogs, and the like. I’d say that he is a very busy star, indeed.

Taking all this into consideration, it’s little wonder that the Sun has managed to infiltrate our lives as a household word.

• We say happy people have a sunny disposition.
• We refer to those with freckled faces as being sun-kissed.
• Florida is known as the “Sunshine State.”
• Japan is known as the land of the “Rising Sun.”
• Scandinavia is the land of the “Midnight Sun.”
• We don sunglasses and sun hats, then head for the beach to sunbathe.
• We add sun porches to our homes, and have sunroofs installed in our vehicles.
• We also brew sun tea, order our eggs sunny-side up, and purchase Sunny Delight at the grocery store.

Even the realm of musical entertainment isn’t immune to the influences of that big, blazing, gaseous mass that warms our backs and lights our way. Remember these songs?

• You Are My Sunshine
• Here Comes The Sun
• Seasons In The Sun
• Waiting For The Sun
• Good Day Sunshine
• Let The Sunshine In

The Sun influences our lives in other ways, too. If it weren’t for the Sun, in fact, life as we know it would simply cease to exist. Without His warming presence, plant life would be nearly nonexistent. Vegetables would be limited to root crops like potatoes and carrots. And flowers? Well, they’d be a thing of the past as well, since even those that bloom at night need His light and warmth to bring them to bud.

But even if we could do without all those amenities, other problems would surface. Without sunlight, electric bills would skyrocket, and without warmth, so would heating bills. And there’s no way we could just go back to the basics of firewood and candlelight. Why? Because without the warming rays of the Sun, trees would be in short supply. And using them for heating, cooking, and melting wax would not only drive them to extinction, but would present a much larger problem: a total lack of oxygen to our planet. The Earth would be come a cold, dark, dank place. For all practical purposes, it would be virtually uninhabitable.

And yet we tend to take the Sun for granted. We simply expect it to rise each day and light the Earth. Maybe it’s not our fault, though. Since we live in such a modernized world, the magick of the Sun seems nothing less than commonplace. But no matter whose fault it is, such an attitude is also pure and unadulterated travesty ~ for the magick of the Sun is truly nothing less than miraculous!

Thinking About The Sun

I have been thinking about the Sun a lot, and a number of things have occurred to me.

• We can count on the Sun. It shows up every day… on time… as expected.
• The Sun shines on everyone, saints and sinners alike. It doesn’t matter if you are a good person, if you deserve the sunshine, or if you are a terrible person and don’t deserve it at all. The Sun is right there, shining.
• Even when we can’t see it, it’s there. Cloudy skies, storms, and rain? The Sun is still shining.  Even at night, that Sun is still shining somewhere.
• The Sun is the Sun no matter what. We can complain that it’s too hot, or we can wish the days were longer, or shorter. We can throw temper tantrums, we can beg, we can cry, we can do ritual and ceremonies… and the Sun remains the Sun. It does not change it’s essential nature to suit our needs. It is what it is. No apologies ~ no regrets.
• The Sun is good. Yes, too much Sun can have a detrimental effect. But, in essence, the Sun is good. It gives us life, warmth, happiness, energy, Vitamin D. It shines. Some people really suffer from not enough Sun during the Winter months.
• Does the Sun worry about the future? I bet not! I don’t think it dwells on the past either. I can’t imagine the Sun is full of angst and regret, remorse and guilt, frustration and anger. I think the Sun is way too big, too powerful, too in the moment for that kind of thing.
• The Sun withholds nothing. Boom! There it is. The Sun. In all it’s glory. All of it. Not just some of it, or pieces of it… all of it. Right there in the sky. Shining.
• I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that we love the Sun. We love it because it is, we love it because of what it does for us, we love it because we need it, we love it because we love shiny things… we have lots of different reasons to love the Sun.

I wonder what would happen if I was more like the Sun.

A Sun Meditation

At sunrise, sit facing the sun. Meditate on light, on the dawning of a new day. Ask yourself what it is you wish to bring into your life. Thank the sun for illuminating your path.

At sunset, watch the sun as it disappears over the horizon. Reflect on your day and the coming darkness.

• What shadow aspects of your being do you need to confront?
• What do you want to release, or complete in your life?
• What do you need to work on in your night dreams?

Give thanks and make an offering to Father Sun; receive his blessings and gifts.

Creating Your Own Sunshine

Just in case today is a rainy, stormy, or otherwise dreary day, I found this nice little article by Missy Haugen about how to create your own Sunshine. Enjoy!

Sunshine. To me, sunshine means warmth. It means happiness and smiles. When the sun is shining, many people are more pleasant to work with, more open to new ideas and more productive. It’s true, studies have proven that!

Years ago, after a drought of sunny days I challenged myself to find ways to spread sunshine even when there were clouds in the sky. One thing I tested out was seeing if the word ‘sunshine’ had similar affects as looking outside and seeing the sun shine and I found that it was true. When I talked about sunshine or asked people their plans for the next sunny day, people would smile.

This challenged me to take things a step further and see what else I could do to brighten people’s day. What I discovered was that whether it was a piece of chocolate, a short conversation at the drinking fountain, or a fun greeting when they arrive at work like “good morning, sunshine.” It brought out smiles. We were able to forget about the dreariness going on outside and enjoy the day.

What I learned from my challenge is that I can’t wait for the sun to shine in order to have a great day. There are many things that can bring out the sunshine on a cloudy day and I need to take things into my own hands. So, the next time the sun decides to hide out for a few days, try any of these tricks to bring a little light to everyone’s day:

• Tell a joke/laugh with those around you.
• Share a new recipe.
• Take the time to chat over a cup of coffee.
• Give a sincere compliment.
• Help someone out with a task.

These are just some things that can bring a little light to someone’s life. What are some things that you do to bring the sunshine when it’s dreary outside?

Sources:

• Vocabulary.com
• Everyday Sun Magic
• Circle of Song
• The Prosperity Project