summer solstice... yin & yang...

solstice derives from the combination of Latin words meaning sun + to stand still... as the days get longer the sun rises higher & higher in the sky, giving the *illusion* that it's standing still. summer solstice is the longest day of the year [sunrise to sunset]. this year's summer solstice is today @ 2359 UTC & is the earliest its been in over 100 years; the last summer solstice to fall on june 20th was in 1896 [also a leap year].

this well known chinese symbol is actually from the IChing [the greatest foundation of chinese philosophy whos development is from the natural phenomena of our universe]. it is a symbol that combines the sun and moon [top & bottom, respectfully]. by observing the sky and recording the position of the big dipper, the chinese determined the 4 directions [N, S, E, W] and took note of the seasonal changes. when the dipper points E it's spring, when it points S it's summer, pointing W it's fall, and when it points N it's winter. the light color indicates more sunlight [yang=sun] and the dark area has less sunlight, or more moonlight [yin = moon]. yin begins at summer solstice, and yang begins at winter solstice...