In a really sad song written by Neil Young (and also recorded by Johnny Cash) you will find the lyrics “Aurora borealis / The icy sky at night / Paddles cut the water / In a long and hurried flight …”

The Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is a natural light display that occurs in the Earth’s northern hemisphere. The term comes from the New Latin words aurora, meaning “dawn”, and borealis, meaning “northern”. The first known use of the term was in 1707. 

These Northern Lights are more likely to be visible during what’s called a “Solar Maximum” because of the increased solar activity that occurs at this time. 

What is “Solar Maximum?”  

According to Space.com, Solar Maximum refers to the highest rate of solar activity during the sun’s approximately 11-year solar cycle. It is indicated by the intensity and frequency of sunspots or solar events visible on the surface – and when charged particles from the Sun collide with Earth’s atmosphere, it can create stunning, vivid, frequent auroras often seen at lower latitudes than usual.

Solar activity has been gradually gaining strength during its current Solar Cycle 25, and … estimates [are] that Solar Maximum will occur between late 2024 and early 2026. 

There are 3 interesting facts to consider here:

First, we don’t know when Solar Maximum will occur, [and] for all we know, solar activity could still ramp up until early 2026. That’s a loooooong window. Solar Maximum is also not a single moment in time and can last for years. 

So, why do we care about this fact?  

Because learning to tolerate ambiguity like that in real life helps reduce stress. 

Journalist and author Maggie Jackson says, “We have a very negative view of uncertainty. We largely see it as paralyzing. But actually uncertainty is, first of all, a kind of ‘good stress.’ When we meet something new, ambiguous, or unexpected, we have a stress response, both physiological and neural, that allows the brain to be more receptive to new data. Our attention broadens and our working memory improves. It’s a kind of wakefulness that’s really important, giving us the opportunity to learn.

Is the season you’re in a single moment or will it last for years?  Maybe it’s ok not to know. 

Second, auroras are visible at any time in the solar cycle, even during Solar Minimum. The sun doesn’t stop bombarding us with energetic particles just because its activity has reduced.

Why do we care about this fact?

Because recognizing that joy and beauty and progress can occur in the everyday, not just in the big, dramatic moments makes our life richer and helps temper our hard-wired tendency toward negativity.

Kelly Barron talks about it this way, “The other day I spoke with a friend I hadn’t connected with since the pandemic began. When I asked how she was, she unexpectedly said she had just tasted the best cherry in her life. 

Her delight was refreshing, and it didn’t alter the underlying fact that she felt heavy-hearted and off-kilter because of the state of the world. She nonetheless found momentary joy in a bowl of cherries.

Just like irritation or sadness, subtler moments of gladness arise throughout our day. Bringing awareness to the many small good moments we experience isn’t a denial of everything else that might be wrong. Instead, it’s an honest appraisal of what might be arising in the moment. “

And finally, third. Auroras are fickle creatures. You can have the perfect geomagnetic conditions and fail to see a show, or it can be in the middle of solar minimum and suddenly the skies light up with an exquisite display. 

Why do we care about this fact?

Because acknowledging that not everything can be managed or predicted helps us let go of our attachment to what we might be expecting, and instead, accept our present moment. 

Moshe Ratson shares that when an experience or situation does not fit our expectations, we can become disappointed or frustrated. Often it’s because there is a gap between the reality we face and the way we think it should be. It could be that our frustration and disappointment highlight the discrepancy. 

We can do the very best we can with the knowledge and resources we have at the time, and still, other factors may interfere with our plans.  

By accepting that some things are beyond our control, we create room for greater clarity and contentment in what’s happening right now.

This last May the possibility of auroras showed up – quite expectedly – in Northern Utah.  My sister Maureen quickly wrangled up some of our family who lived close enough to get to a place away from the city lights, including my cute mom, and drove and drove and then waited and hoped.  

The photo on this blog post is one of the images she captured that magical night.  

I can’t wait to hear about how you are:

1. learning to tolerate ambiguity,

2. recognizing that joy can occur every day, and

3. acknowledging that not everything can be managed or predicted.

And if you need help with any of it, I’m your gal.  Just say the word!   

PS Happy BIrthday today to Maureen – nurse and photographer extraordinaire and one of my biggest cheerleaders. 

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