On June 21st the sun in the northern hemisphere reaches its highest point in the sky. Now is the time of maximum brightness what the Chinese call tia yang (highest yang). Yang, we remember, is bright, expressed energy. It is action. The sun at mid-day at the time of midsummer is, for those of us living north of the equator, tia yang. Traditional associations made with this time of year are fire, south and the physical heart. It is interesting to think how the ancients made the connection with the innermost organ, the heart, and the outermost time of year.

I came across a fascinating biological factoid in my studies this year. Possibly it might help explain this seeming contradiction. The subject is human cell walls. A lot of attention is being paid these days, in the world of cell biology, to what goes on at our cell walls. It turns out that our cell walls are bristling with photon receptors! Light receptors on every cell in our bodies. There is more: the fascia tissue that holds us together turns out to be fiberoptic. I guess those of us with some metaphysical background already knew this. Now the "straight" biologists have gotten the message as well. I know of several companies racing to produce light-emitting diode therapeutic devices. Stayed tuned.

This is the message for this year, 2002, time of highest yang. We are bodies of light—and that information is leaking out to our brothers and sisters in the world of the academics. Good reason for a mid-summer celebration, I think. I know a lot of dark energy seems to be gathering this year but keep in mind that "light is us;" always has been and always will be. Happy Solstice!

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Dr. Joseph Odom, O.M.D., L.Ac. is an acupuncturist in private practice in San Anselmo, California. He can be reached at (415) 258-9551 or jodomm@aol.com.