This new study goes up on Every Day Original tomorrow morning at 10am EDT.
If you've ever gone camping in a secluded place and walked away from the safe and warm glow of the fire, you've probably experienced a flash of fear for what could be out in the darkness with you, unseen. It's a very common and natural emotion for us having evolved ever watchful of predators. Though this fear may still strike in the darkness of one's own home, thanks to electricity, we live mostly free from this psychological marauder. Before electricity, when the sun went down, candles and campfires would have been our only feeble weapons against these fears, leaving us nothing to do but wait through the long darkness until the sun rose again to save us for another day. So in addition to the harvest symbols of our agricultural ancestors, the autumnal equinox represents the the last waning light before the long and psychologically safe days turned into the long and fearful nights of winter. From this perspective, it's easy to see why the sun and it's light plays such a strong role in the myths of so many cultures.
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| Oil Study, 6 x 8 inches |