The fundamental task of everyday life
is to discover the reality
behind appearance...
-Buddhist maxim

Behind the experiences crafted into the Solar Calendar is a broad conceptual framework that combines western scientific knowledge with a quality of mind and attention that we see in Eastern philosophical thought and among Native Peoples in the Americas.

What was once regarded as the most profound and heretical knowledge about the relation of sun, earth and moon, is today relegated, at best, to elementary astronomy in science classes. Yet, misconceptions about the scientifically correct explanations for the seasons and lunar phases continue to be profound and widespread in the popular imagination. Similar misconceptions accompany the relationship between season and culture.

The educational program of the Solar Calendar Project revolves around a largely self-directed discovery process that we call: "The Rhythm of the Seasons Experience," (ROS)." The ROS experience utilizes the concept of "Season" as a framework to examine and hold together the many ways the movement of sun, earth and moon impact all of life. And, as a central tool, the program utilizes the natural cycle of our seasons on earth as a metaphor for cultural change.

The focus of the ROS experience is to engage the visitor in an integrated art, science, and perceptual experience. The art will be manifested in the earthwork form of the Solar Calendar itself as well as the Phase III interpretation of the exhibits. The science is embodied in the various interactive educational exhibits (see Design). And the perceptual dimension, both cultural and physiological, plays itself out in the interaction between instrument, activity, architecture and cultural story.

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