Prickly issues

It's the Aphelion today, the time of the year when the Earth is furthest from the Sun. It usually falls the day before - American Independence Day - however with this being a leap year, an extra day has been slotted in, thus shifting the man-made calendar.

It was also today that Prince William received the Order of the Thistle from HM the Queen in Edinburgh, just after 11am. Hopefully the reader recalls that William was born by Cesarean on the summer solstice during an eclipse, thus the Sun temporarily obscured. Hopefully the reader sees the connection in terms of the Hermetic dictum - "as above, so below". Certainly it looks like others do.


Don't want to go too much about his award, details are on wikipedia. As usual, there is a sketchy history which no one seems to know too much about. For sure, back on 29th May 1687 when King James 7th of Scotland, 2nd of England, re-founded it, he claimed he was reviving an earlier order, although no one seemed to take a note. 

The image above is of St. Andrew - patron "Christian" saint of Scotland - as found on the Thistle's "badge appendant" which is used only on "great occasions", suspended on the collar. Note the "gold rays of glory" which emanate from Andrew's head. Some would claim that this too relates to the Sun.
 
cheers

Note - 29th May is also Oak Apple Day . In 1660, Parliament declared it a holiday to commemorate the restoration of the English monarchy.  Also see my post from 2009 - Arthur's Treat, relating to 28 musically minded military personnel from the Royal Regiment of Scotland, posing on top of Arthur's Seat whilst Prince Harry layed a wreath in the Big Apple's Ground Zero