XIX
The Sun
We all know the saying of ‘if you fly too close to the sun you get your wings burned’, yet how do we know how close is close enough? It is only when we experience that singeing we acknowledge we perhaps have gone too far. Up until that point it is easy to assume we are well within the realms of being safe, yet the line between safety and risk is a very fine one indeed. There will be some people who purposefully cross that line. They feel they are not truly living if they play it safe all the time, and live for that moment where they really are aware of their own mortality and the thread that holds it together. There will also be those who believe they have to put themselves through such an ordeal – that by embracing the flames they are purging themselves and burning away all that is not right with them. This might explain the rapture we see on the face of individuals who are undergoing such a ritual. It will be an alien concept to most of us, yet to them it is the ultimate act of purification. Who is to judge them, and say they are wrong?
As consort to the Moon, we are reminded that there is no life without the existence of the Sun. At the same time, we are given timely reminders that it can also take away life. A single flame is sent out which when fed, turns into a fiery furnace destroying all in its path. In time, new life will spring from the ashes. Our being here may be in that state of emergence in which case we should be celebrating for him as he begins life anew. On the other hand, he may be in the throes of being taken down by the flames. He is aware there is a cycle of sorts at play and has centred himself accordingly – he does not feel the searing heat around him. The energy of the Sun is to be welcomed and embraced. After all, we know it is not going to be there for us forever…