Mezzogiorno
Mezzogiorno is both a time and a place. In Italian, it means "the middle of the day", or midday. But in the northern hemisphere, facing the midday Sun means facing South; hence Mezzogiorno also refers to the southern stretch of the Italian peninsula. The same spatio-temporal use is found in the French terms "le Midi" and "midi".
Facing the midday sun can bring longings for a more temperate climate, but as we "head South" the Sun reveals itself to be a complex benefactor. The source of life on Earth is also the bringer of droughts and deserts; temperance gives way to thirst and fatigue.
Solar energy also has its analog as a psychic phenomenon. Images of the Sun are an important part of many mystical and alchemical traditions. But such symbols do not refer to the Sun in the sky, but rather that solar energy that illuminates from within. And, just as some of us may withdraw back from the equatorial Sun to appreciate a cooler clime, so many will step back from a full experience of their own energy.
Perhaps the most famous solar symbol is the winged Sun, which can be traced back to the dawn of human artefacts. The mixture of Fire and Air is illuminating, as it describes an internal fire that transforms but does not burn. The transformation is overwhelming, the state of mind is so atypical as to be truly surreal, truly over-real or hyper-real.
No story can ever capture the essence of the experience without sounding banal or trite; they are not reproductions, but signposts. And yet the same stories need to be retold to keep those signposts from perishing under the weight of cultural weeds; to stop such experiences from becoming un-real.
When we gaze at the Sun, we are not really facing South - we are facing inwards.
Enjoy some solar flares...
Tales from the MAP Room
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