A star is a massive, luminous ball of plasma. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth. Other stars are visible in the night sky, when they are not outshone by the Sun. Among the billions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy there is one that stands out. There is one that we can call our star, our Sun. Though our Sun may seem like any ordinary star it is one of the more complex things in the universe. It gives light and heat to entire planets. It provides many elements essential to life on Earth.
This hot ball of molten plasma heats our planet, creates our weather, and plays a significant role in improving our health. This fiery mass is also the driving force behind harsh weather patterns, life threatening illnesses, and disruptions in our lives.
Sol, or "Old Sol" as scientists refer to the Sun, plays a powerful role in our everyday lives. From the beginning of time it has influenced, molded, and helped shape many cultures.
For most of its life, a star shines because thermonuclear fusion in its core releases energy that traverses the star's interior and then radiates into outer space. Almost all elements heavier than hydrogen and helium were created by fusion processes in stars.
There's nothing to fear --- you're as good as the best, As strong as the mightiest, too. You can win in every battle or test; For there's no one just like you. There's only one you in the world today; So nobody else, you see, Can do your work in as fine a way: You're the only you there'll be !
So face the world, and all life is yours To conquer and love and live: And you'll find the happiness that endures In just the measure you give; There's nothing too good for you to possess, Nor heights where you cannot go: Your power is more than belief or guess --- It is something you have to know.
There is nothing to fear --- you can and you will. For you are the invincible you. Set your foot on the highest hill --- There's nothing you cannot do
Midsummer is perhaps most widely thought of in terms of Shakespeare's work, A
Midsummer Night's Dream. Did you know that this play's timing and use of faeries
ties in with one of the eight holidays in pagan tradition?
Litha, or Midsummer, is held around June 21 at the time of the Summer
Solstice. This is the longest day of the year, and a celebration of the height
of the sun's power even as it begins to fade for the rest of the year. It is a
celebration of the earth's fertility, and felt to be a time of special magic,
where plants have healing powers and faeries, elves, and sprites are more
readily seen. Those who use crystals in their workings will often "recharge"
their energy out under this special sun. Young people would pick bouquets of the
extra-magical midsummer flowers to place under their pillow, believing it would
give them psychic dreams about their future spouse.
Bonfires were common to represent the power of the sun, and people would leap
over them. Traditional colors for this festival are "sun colors"--gold, red, and
orange. Even foods served for feasting are often kept along this color scheme
(carrots, oranges, meats with red BBQ sauce, red wines or beer). The practice of
celebrating Midsummer (and the remaining times of solstice and equinox) has been
carried forward since ancient times, and like many pagan traditions was
Christianized and converted into St. John's Day, where it is still celebrated in
many countries worldwide. Denmark, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and
Lithuania are just a few who recognize this holiday. Midsummer's Eve in Ireland
is called Bonfire Night.
In Portugal, Midsummer festivities are known today as "Santos Populares"
(Popular Saints) and now correspond to different municipal holidays: St
Anthony's Day in Lisbon (June 13), St John's Day in Oporto, Braga, and Almada
(June 24). These holidays are days of festivities with good food and
refreshments. The traditional midsummer bonfire is also built. In some places,
revelers try to jump over the bonfire. In Lisbon, it is still the tradition to
celebrate multiple marriages (200 to 300).
Dancing (including a maypole dance, still common in Sweden), drinking, and
merrymaking is common at Litha, while those who have combined it with Christian
practices sprinkle holy water, and their bonfires are called "St. John's fire,"
after John the Baptist for whom the revised holiday is named.
So as Litha approaches this year, put a flower under your pillow and see if
you have a Midsummer Night's Dream of your own!
LISTEN to MY PLAYLIST OF PORTUGUESE (related) MUSIC:
Movies:
Lord of the Rings, Midnight Express, Shinning, Dances with Wolves, Merlin, Brumas de Avalon, Harry Potter, etc...
ALL MOOVIES WITH THE FOLLOWING ACTORS:
Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, Antony Hopkins, Jack Nicholson, Robert de Niro, Nicole Kidman e Harrison Ford.
My father
- His lessons and memories...
Quotes like this one:
'How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young,
compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and
tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will
have been all of these. '
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George Washington Carver (July 12, 1864 – January 5, 1943)[1] was an American botany researcher and agronomy educator who worked in agricultural extension at the Tuskegee Institute, in Tuskegee, Alabama, teaching former slaves farming techniques for self-sufficiency.
