Message from the President:
President’s Message
Summer! After much kicking and screaming, spring (or what was supposed to be spring) has finally given way to summer!. Growing up in the urban setting of Paterson, NJ, I , along with all my friends, couldn’t wait for the school doors to close and set us free to enjoy the long days of summer. That usually included a week “down the shore”. As I got older, l was able to make that trip more frequently. With each passing summer something within me changed, most times for the better, not the worse! Today, Sharon and I are happy to call the NJ shore our home, with the long trips to get here being replaced with a look out the window, a walk to the beach, or a bike ride to the boardwalk. But what is the metaphysical aspect of “summer” in our lives?
June 21 was this year’s Summer Solstice. The word ‘Solstice’ comes from a combination of the latin words sol, meaning ‘sun’, and stitium, meaning ‘stop’. Together they mean a period of the year where the sun appears to have stopped, paused or halted. The summer solstice is the longest day (the longest period of sunlight) of the year. Ancient cultures such as the Mayans, Druids and Egyptians built temples or structures that capture the exact moment of alignment. The head of the Sphinx is crowned by the sun on the summer solstice and the Temple of Kukulkan in Chichen Itza signals the precise moment when the summer solstice occurs by having its north and east sides fully illuminated and the south and west sides covered in shade. From the sky, it would appear as if the pyramid were diagonally split in two.
We all know the light, warmth , and energy the sun brings…a life force energy. The summer solstice is a celebration of the return to light, and reminds us of the light within each of us. It is a time to show gratitude and celebrate the abundance and blessings that are in our lives, and reminds us how precious each day and season is. The rays of the sun dissolve the shadows in our lives. Just as we shed our clothes and jump in the water during the summer, metaphysically we can let go of the safety net and meet new challenges with enthusiasm, especially when things appear to be out of control.
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”
—F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
The weeks ahead will have several favorite and some new events at UBTS, including a re-schedule of our Rocket Launch, the John of God Crystal Bed Healing Sessions, and an evening of music at “Unity Honky Tonk By The Shore!” So dig out your cowboy boots and western wear and join us for a night of music, dance, and fun on September 22!
Tom
Board President
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