Summer solstice, the longest day of sunlight in the northern hemisphere, has been celebrated by most cultures throughout history.
On Saturday, Paleaku Gardens Peace Sanctuary held an open house and solstice celebration centered around the Hopi fire circle to commemorate the day.
Visitors to the botanical garden were greeted with smudging, a Native American ritual using herbal sage smoke that is thought to cleanse the receiver’s mind of negative energy and negative aura according to Shelly Mitchell. She used a feather fan to spread the smoke around the visitor, which she said connects the father above with Mother Earth below.
Once cleansed, visitors entered the garden, a colorful oasis spread across seven acres of manicured landscapes overlooking Kealakekua Bay. This unique botanical wonder features meandering pathways with plenty of shaded sitting benches.
“It stirs inner peace and offers a safe place to settle the fear from these past several months,” said garden owner Barbara DeFranco. “This place is a sanctuary for people to come. I have been told there is nothing like it in the world.”
The garden is home to spiritual traditions from around the world, tied together by the botanical garden.
DeFranco said she wanted to do something to heal the community in these trying times.
“When we heard we were allowed to gather again I decided on June 20, then discovered it was summer solstice,” she said.
She chose “Welcoming the Light” for the theme of this year’s open house, inviting Kumu Keala Ching, a Hawaiian composer, spiritual and cultural teacher to share the oli “Illuminate the Self, Welcome the light.” Visitors were invited to gather at the Hopi fire circle for an outside ceremony as Ching and members of his halau chanted. With the fire lit, visitors were invited to light incense and share in the ceremony.
Ching said the purpose of the ceremony was to bring light back into peoples lives.
The garden located on Painted Church Road in Captain Cook features the world’s first Galaxy Garden designed with plantings that map out to scale the arms of our spiral galaxy. In this stunning display, the Earth is but a jewel on a leaf at the galaxy’s edge. Not far away, one can see the visual language of ancestors in 800-year-old ancient Hawaiian petroglyphs, then visit intricate Tibetan sand paintings created by revered Tibetan monks. Shrines are scattered around the garden including Buddhist, Hindu, Hawaiian, Christian, Native American and Islamic. A walking tour greets visitors to an array of plants from around the world.
For more information and to see their schedule of classes and events visit paleaku.com or call (808) 328-8084. They are open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
“With so many walking in darkness, it is up to you how the light should be used,” said Ching. “What you give is what you get back. We need to be vigilant how we walk and the path we take and not let what’s happening outside our island dictate how we feel.”