June 20/Third Quarter Moon

My Father Figures, Juneteenth, and Summer Solstice

Today is the last quarter moon. I was surprised that it was today. I was living under the assumption that it would be Tuesday or the next day but the phase arrives at 10:10 pm here in Minnesota. Each primary moon phase is approximately 7 days apart and though I know these fall unpredictably, I was surprised when I went to my calendar today and discovered that it wasn’t falling later in the week as I expected it to, so this will be a short post.

Tomorrow is the Summer Solstice here in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest day of the year. It is also the last day of my special offer on subscription price. Take advantage and join the journey.

Yesterday was father’s day and Juneteenth both. America’s second year recognizing Juneteenth as a national holiday. Do you know the story behind Juneteenth? Here is Heather Cox Richardson’s description of the history. The TikTok I share below also shares the history:

@joinhealamericaDr. Buster Soaries, Jr. explains the deep history of Juneteenth.#HealAmerica #Juneteenth #RacialJustice #America #Love #Unity #juneteenth?

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Did you get the day off work? Did you acknowledge it by drinking something red? Eating watermelon?

Below are photos of me and my father figures:

Becka, Dad and I last summer at Kalaoch Campground.

Becka, Rachel, Bill and I in our Austin backyard circa 1982. Photo credits Mom.

I honored them with a walk and a phone call. Last night, the father of my progeny went to see a comedy act in downtown Minneapolis with me and some good friends. Which served to feel like a celebration of his fatherhood and we took the time to recognize Juneteenth while enjoying the neighbors fireworks with felt like a wonderful way to celebrate freedom. We are not free until all people are free.

Here are some thoughts until I write again: we are winding up this lunation and so if you have been following along with the series of moon meditations that I have been putting up on the podcast, you know we are entering the last week of this moon cycle. This week we bring our attention to endings. Next week the cycle begins again with a new moon, when the moon is between the earth and the sun and therefore reflects no sunlight back this way. We don’t often take the time to finish as enthusiastically as we begin. This week we bring our attention back to ending.

Which reminds me of a song in the Hamilton Soundtrack. I can thank my kids for some great musical influences and this is one. There is a song near the end of the musical, an ode to George Washington’s goodbye speech, where he and Hamilton “will teach them how to say goodbye” It’s called “One Last Time.” There is no question that Washington had faults, including and perhaps especially owning other human beings. But still, his stepping down was so symbolic. This song tells how he shared what he had learned. The reflections of the themes of the show. Washington, everybody really, telling the upstart, immigrant Hamilton he talks too much, and “History has it’s eyes on you.” If you don’t know the musical, I highly recommend seeking it out, the music, the movie, or see it in the theater, all of it. It has great inclusive optics and attributes Hamilton’s endurance to the perseverance of the women in his life. More soon.

Much love, Tina