Solar wind, lunar eclipse and a vigil for the ocean come to Charleston

Join the Hands Across the Sand vigil for moments like this. 

Tonight, President Obama addresses the nation from the Oval Office about the oil catastrophe in the Gulf. While his rhetoric may hold water, a prime time presidential address only skims the surface of the crisis facing the country, and the state of South Carolina.

The oil gushing into the Gulf, the tragic loss of human life and the sacrifice of wildlife indicates a deeper well of grief, the result of spiritually blind way of life which is ultimately self-destructive.

Here in Charleston you can wake up and make a difference. Our beaches are alive in this summer heat. Waves crash, kites flutter, seagulls scream, the brown pelicans skim and dive, children build sandcastles, and the marshes suck and pucker in the changing tides. Every day offers an opportunity to engage with the natural world, learn the importance of our ecosystem, and realize our small place in the crash, pull and swirl of things.

Find the spirit to ride solar winds. 

Right now, the heat is excruciating. While probably not a direct result, this heatwave coincides with increased solar activity. A sunspot gave an amazing show this weekend just as it rotated out of view, and solar winds are reaching the earth, causing geomagnetic storms at the poles. All this leads up to the summer solstice on June 21, when the sun literally rules the day.

On June 26, the full moon occurs, casting our landscapes and seascapes in clean silver light, though the humidity promises to diffuse the glow. A partial lunar eclipse will also briefly be visible at dawn as the moon sets to the west a little after 6am.

Another sort of vigil at Folly Beach - looks as if made by a full moon 

The solstice, the lunar eclipse and increased awareness of the state of the world offer opportunities to vigil and prepare for the changes all must undertake. Coinciding with these celestial events, the Charleston community comes together for Hands Across the Beach, a nationwide vigil in which neighbors gather on the shore to join hands, express concern for the ocean, promote clean energy, and call for the tidal spiritual shift necessary for sustainability and protection of the natural world. You and your friends can join other concerned families at the Folly Beach Pier at 11am on Saturday, June 26. Bring your hopeful, revolutionary spirit - the one capable of joining forces with all others, including the earth, sun, moon, wind and sea.