celebrating summer solstice
If I’m being perfectly honest, Summer Solstice is one of my most anticipated days of the year, in part because I am a Summer gal through and through, and in part because of the wonderful traditions that have come to life over the years! When I first began to intentionally celebrate Summer Solstice, it was an important milestone along my personal path toward tuning into to the rhythm of the seasons, connecting more deeply with natural world, and in turn feeling more connected and at peace within myself. It is my understanding that the Universe speaks and teaches in sacred metaphors, if we’re quiet enough to pay attention.
June 21st is Sumer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the longest day of the year, where the Sun reaches the peak of its northernmost pathway. A beacon of light, abundance, warmth, joy, and blooming, this day ushers in the first day of Summer! Everywhere we turn we see vibrant petals, pollinators buzzing, people gathering, and we feel the warmth of the Sun on our skin. After the cozy long nights of Winter and the preparations and plantings of Spring, Summer brings themes of vibrant blooming, beauty, pleasure, and merriment. Now is the time to let our senses run wild, to listen, taste, smell, feel, and see what dreams are coming to life.
I want to share some of the ways that I love to celebrate and honor the first day of Summer in the hopes that you might feel inspired to begin your own traditions or build upon the ones you may already have. Take what you like, leave what you don’t, feel free to make it your own, there’s no wrong way to worship the Sun!
Suggestions on how to celebrate!
Watch the sunrise and the sunset. This one is a non-negotiable for me! I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the Sun on the longest day of the year than by being there to greet it when it first peaks over the horizon at dawn and watching at the end of the day when it sneaks beyond where eyes can see. Invite your friends, bring cozy blankets and sunshine colored snacks! (Sunrise is typically a more quiet and peaceful time of day for me, so this is when I like to integrate some of the other suggestions you’ll see below).
Make a flower or stone grid. A lovely way to ground into any intentions or prayers we may have for the season is to integrate them into an active meditation. Prepare by gathering bright flowers, stones, or leaves you have available in your environment, yellows and oranges are a great homage to the Sun (you can just as easily use store bought flowers if you don’t have easy access). Choose a prayer or intention that feels prescient at this time, perhaps integrating solar themes of gratitude, abundance, wellness, joy, love and confidence. With your prayer in mind, carefully arrange the petals, leaves, and/or stones to create a design that flows from your heart. You’ll have beautiful art on the canvas of the Earth for the Sun to appreciate from above and an offering for others to enjoy while it lasts.
*Pro tip! If it’s windy, do not fret! You can enjoy watching the petals dance around as a way of honoring the impermanence that infuses the world we live in ;)
Make a solar infused herbal oil. The Sun is warming, steady, joyful, transformational, and confident. This is wonderful energy to harness and have on hand for when you may need an extra dose! Making a solar infusion is simple! Choose which herbs you’d like to work with, if you don’t have a deep understanding of using herbs topically, lavender, calendula, or rose are usually pretty safe bets, but of course do your research! Choose a base oil, like organic sunflower, jojoba, olive, apricot seed oil, or any combination of them. Fill a sterilized glass jar 2/3 of the way full with plant material (make sure it is fully dried, otherwise you may find yourself with a mold problem… no thank you)! Pour your base oil(s) of choice into the jar, making sure that the dried plant material is covered by at least a couple of inches. Stir up the contents, put a lid on the jar, and label it with ingredients and the date. Place the jar in a warm sunny spot and ask that the Sun infuse its powerful energy into the oil, shaking it at least once a day. After 4-6 weeks use cheesecloth and a funnel to strain and squeeze out the now infused oil into a sterilized container to be used as body oil, or in salve or cream making in the future!
*Fun fact! One of the herbal oils I craft called Golden: Everyday Ritual Body Oil first began as a solar infusion I made on one Summer Solstice in an effort to capture that sparkly summer feeling and bottle it up so that I could slather it all over and infuse it into my being everyday, especially in the cold months of Winter. You can find it here!
Write a poem or draw a picture in honor of the Sun. This one doesn’t require explanation! I like to share whatever I’ve created with trusted friends, or leave it as a surprise on a stranger’s car with a special flower!
Journal. Take time to settle and be still. Write down some highlights or important moments or lessons from the Spring season. Honor your experience. Identify and write down any goals, hopes, or intentions for the Summer Season and identify a few concrete steps that you can take to bring them into fruition. If it’s in your practice, ask for divine guidance by pulling a tarot or oracle card, and take time to journal and reflect upon it.
Ignite change with movement! The Sun makes life on our ever-changing planet possible with it’s warmth, and it mimics the flame within all of us that is capable of alchemy, transformation, healing, courage, and change. A flame is never stagnant, take this opportunity to move your body as a message to the Universe that you’re ready to grow and bloom into the person you are becoming. This can look like a yoga movement practice, dancing, walking, swimming or something else that speaks to you, just get moving!