Saegoah Celebrations: Lux (Summer Solstice)

Lux is a Saegoah Solterra celebration of the longest day of the year.

A Saegoah is by definition anyone “Seeking Complete Harmony Within Nature” (or in other words Seeking Ehoah) and it is up to each Saegoah to determine what that means and how this would relate to going about celebrating events in nature.

The Solterra (solar-earth) events are considered the most important of all natural events because it is through the relationship between the sun and earth that we have the days, nights, seasons, and the solar year that effects all life on earth. By celebrating the Solterra events we encourage our lives to be in proper relation with the cosmos we are a part of. In remembering this relationship we are more likely to enact our more mundane activities in accordance to the realities of our environment.

What follows is really just one way of celebrating the longest day of the year for this particular Saegoah and can be a source of inspiration for others looking for ways to celebrate.

WHAT TO CELEBRATE?

One method of approach for setting the theme is to look at what is it that marks it as an event. In this case it is the only time of year we experience so much daylight, and daylight is important to us because we are diurnal creatures and sunlight provides energy to earth’s lifeforms via the light harvesting plants and the food chain that follows. Being diurnal creatures our most used sense is the sense of sight and with sight we see movement and colours around us. So for this event we involve things that emphasize these features with rainbows of colours, tassels, flags, ribbons, dancing, and tricks of light.

An additional layer added to this celebration (and all the other solterra events) is one of the life stages of the human animal. This is because as human animals we have biological changes in our lives that impact to our sense of self identity and our relationship to our community. It is by celebrating these life stages that we support those going through these changes and help them become successful in them. Considering that we experience the most light and therefore energy at this time of year, the life stage that best expresses these effects would be the vigorous adolescence, and a major marker for adolescence is puberty. So the theme would very much revolve around “coming of age”, self expression, and gender identity – which makes it all the more (and coincidentally) suitable to have lots of rainbows.

It can be difficult to know what would be the best way to celebrate and cultivate success in our adolescent people since there is still much to learn about this very life changing time in our lives. So it will certainly be something that will change and grow as we come to know more.

For now what would be done is the festivities begin at the break of dawn when the dawn light strikes the crystals/prisms display at the center of the grounds; refracting a cascade of rainbows all over, setting off cheers and the adolescent teams who have entered the Rogaining Race. Rogaining being a sport of long distance cross-country navigation where the teams have to strategize which check points to reach and be back in time with the most points; and in this case be back before the solar midday. As teams return to the festival grounds they are showered with coloured water.

At midday a noon cannon (a cannon set up so that the midday light is magnified to light the fuse, otherwise manually lit at the appropriate time) goes off. Water works are then started that the racers go through first then the rest of those gathered at the festivities go through afterwards if desired. The waterworks would be optimized for catching the most rainbow refractions at that time of day.

After the midday point the prime activities are interactive illusionist lessons involving optical, auditory, tactile and temporal illusions. This is in order to test young minds to question what is presented before them before accepting it as truth, because even our most trusted senses can mislead us.

Outside of these main events themed around our maturing youth, and throughout the day at the festival grounds, are performances, games, costumes, and art that continues on the theme of colour and light for all ages. Such as making and flying kites, making colour blending tops, kaleidoscopes, and colourful candy; see flag poi dancing, magicians and display colourful costumes.

GAMES & COMPETITIONS
There are covered stall games (and performances) that require darkness to see the light effects. Such as lining up rays of light to refract a rainbow at the targets – either timed race or between two parties. There can even be a score board option.

Prior to the festival, gardeners can compete on growing the best rainbow flower and submit their entry on the day of the festival and either have it on display or sell it to festival goers.

Body painting artists and their models can compete in a best body art competition. While costumers can do a best costume competition.

Areas on the festival grounds can be reserved for a best art display competition and be voted on by the festival goers using their tickets.

A best colourful food competition can be done and be judged before the closing ceremony.

CLOSING CEREMONY
When dusk arrives there are a colourful light based musical performances that mark the end of the day. One of which being the light xylophone (The light xylophone involves placing cups of water over various coloured lights and when you tap them, not only do they have a range of sound but an aura effect occurs in the dark).

After the musical performances the rainbow feast would begin (with the in-theme food in the colorful food competition to be eaten) as a dinner theater with the performance themed on this time of year the the trials of youth – ideally this would be put on by the youth themselves.

Festivus Lux/Festive Light of the Year’s Midday!