It is the full Strawberry Moon tonight. It looks lovely, I am sure. It is cloudy here so I can't get a look at it right now. I wish I could say that I had an extravagant and luxurious ritual for this holy day. I wish I could say that I had all kinds of decadent things to give in offering and delight in. For, if there was a time that was ripe for luxury, summer solstice is probably it. It is sultry but the real heat of the summer hasn't arrived yet. The flowers are still in full flourish because the oppressive heat of late summer has not dried everything out (ideally). The ideal, however, is not in effect right now at my house.
It is a night of restless children, muggy and sluggish air, and temperatures that are still over 80 deg F inside the apartment at the moment. I am not complaining, though. I look around my home and I see it is littered with signs of how good my life is right now. My children are healthy. My husband is well employed (and currently enjoying time out with someone quite dear to him) and we are secure in our home. We have not only the things that we need but a little bit extra to both put by until it is needed and to indulge ourselves a little here and there. I even have the indulgence of a nice cool beverage and some ice cream in the freezer if I wanted it. I am profoundly grateful.
Some say that the fairies are out and at play right now. I think that they are out and about all the time. I do think, however, that they are most likely enjoying the weather and the abundance in the world right now here. Last week, horrible things happened. Right now, somewhere in the world, something horrific is happening as I type this and as you read what I have written. I do not seek to deny that these things happen. I am sorrowed by this truth, but I accept it as part of the world we live in.
At the same time, however, I am choosing to focus upon the good in my life. I am turning my attention towards the blessings that are given to myself and the world at large from the gods right now. I am bending my mind towards the graces that are given to us from the spirits of the world. For how much is wrong in the world, let us remember that there is also great good. And let our hearts be open to that joy which comes from such good in our lives.
A spiritual mentor of mine once said that gratitude is the antidote to grief. I am not sure if that is completely accurate. It does, however, make it easier to bear and helps us realize that we have the capacity to make something holy, beautiful, and wonderful despite (or perhaps because) of all the horror that is in life. Embrace the ones you love. Drink wine and share the sweets you have hidden away for that special 'someday'. Because 'someday' is today, and it can be everyday.
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