Posted by Michael Finkelstein | August 13th, 2011

Dog Day’s Moon

Now that another energy-rich summer solstice is firmly under our belt, and the approaching season’s end becomes a blaring reality, we find ourselves within the balanced force of the full blown Dog Day’s Moon, which has qualities unique to any other time of year.  In these last few weeks of summer, it’s important, as it always is, that we reflect upon the season, and yet it’s also important that we not lose the moment in anticipation of the next.

In modern cultures, August is often associated with “dog days of summer,” and has a connotation of laziness, much a like a fatigued dog laying around on a hot day.  The phrase is often used in excerpts of joy and happiness, embodying a guilty pleasure of sorts, and almost condoning listlessness.  However, a deeper, more skillful look into the origin of the phrase will reveal a very different perspective.

If you haven’t yet had the experience of acknowledging these days for their fundamental meaning, as a time to cherish the last bits of the season, I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. Fortunately, the summer heat has reached its maturation, ripening the qualities of summer that no longer have to struggle to reach the absolute peak of their beauty. Now it is time to allow ourselves to settle down, soaking up the energy that surrounds us.