Spiritual experience of a sunset

There were dark clouds covering the sky, it had been raining, seeing the sun set was not likely, then minutes before the sun was due to set a sliver of clear sky, little wider than half that subtended by the sun opened up beneath the clouds, between the clouds and the horizon. It lit up, glowing red like molten lava running off the mountains and along the sea.

Then the sun dipped below the clouds. It was like a looking into molten gold.

It was easy to see why our ancient predecessors worshipped the sun. The giveth of life, the taketh away of life.

I felt sad my lovely friend Sian was not with me to share the experience.

I could see the sun moving. Slowly it sank below the horizon, then disappeared from sight. As it did so, the clouds caught fire.

I was reminded of a passage in The Valkeryies, where Paulo Coelho goes off in search of his angel in the Mojave Dessert. A shock wave in the air like the close passing of a high speed train, then he is aware of a presence. He is told not to look around. A bright light as bright as the rising sun to his side. Then a golden arm glowing as bright as the sun reached in front of him to write in the sand.

An intense light, almost as strong as the morning sun, shone on his left side … He looked down at the area he had just swept clear. QAnd that was when the golden arm, as brilliant as the sun appeared, and began to write in the sand.

I regret I did not have my camera, but then maybe better I did not, as instead of trying to record, my focus was on the sun.

We are told not to look direct at the sun. For some time later the sun was etched on my retina.

Tags: Puert de la Cruz, religion, setting sun, spiritual, sun, sunset