Sowilo
I've quoted this before in the context of another photo-illustration, but it's hard to resist!
Sun is the shield of the clouds
and shining ray
and destroyer of ice.
(Old Icelandic rune poem)
Midday Sun
360°
This is yet another installment of 360° (although I've never used that term before in this context).
Since even the most skilled nature-and-wildlife photographer can only provide glimpses of the complete outdoor experience, I often post a short series of what I see above, below, in front, and behind me. As a result, you get to virtually travel with me to Europe or simply go on a Rocky Mountain dog walk, like the one this afternoon.
It's too bad I can't make you feel the even-more-refreshing -40C/F weather and the burning wind to fully appreciate what adjusting manual focus with my bare hands to capture the daytime Moon did to my fingers.
Then again, all art is suffering. Wink!
When the Sun is the Moon
Jarilo
Alexander Ostrovsky's Snow Maiden (1873) reads:
Свет и сила,
Бог Ярило.
Красное Солнце наше!
Нет тебя в мире краше.* * *
Light and power,
Jarilo the god.
Our Red Sun!
None more beautiful than you.
Yes, this is the story that inspired both Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
Пятнадцать лет не кажется Ярило
На наш призыв, когда, встречая Солнце,
В великий день Ярилин, мы напрасно
Тьмотысячной толпой к нему взываем
И песнями его величье славим.
Сердит на нас Ярило.* * *
For fifteen years, Jarilo does not appear
To answer our call, when meeting the Sun
On Jarilo's great day, in vain we
As a countless crowd call onto him
And praise him with songs of his greatness.
Jarilo is displeased with us.
Sowilo
Today is blindingly sunny and deathly cold. Unsurprisingly, I am reminded of an old Icelandic rune poem:
Sun is the shield of the clouds
and shining ray
and destroyer of ice.
Winter Sun
Onward to the Sun!
This is a scene of my walking down the mountain during a recent hike. You're probably saying, "Brrr!" looking at all this snow, but if you're doing hiking the right way, you'd be feeling warm and cozy right about now after all the physical exertion.
Upcoming Equinox
For the next few days, I plan to be in the woods with no cellphone signal and, possibly, little-to-no internet. The latter could obviously affect my ability to update this blog.
Thus, I wish you--in advance--a Sun-filled Equinox and a seamless transition to autumn.
Oh, and by the way, the Sun personally asked me to post this image, being somewhat irate that the Moon seems to get all the attention as of late.
Happy now, Sun?
Staring at the Sun
Collectively, I belong to a nocturnal feminine culture of the Moon (yes, Russian). Individually, I'd like to think I operate in the heroic diurnal regime of the Sun.
And I happen to be a night owl.
Sometimes, it gets confusing! ;)
Don't stare at the Sun, children, or you might get disoriented, too, starting to speak in the language of myths!