Summer Solstice

The season is turning, and I feel this transition from spring to summer is a monumental one. Summer is a time of abundance on earth, a celebration of outward joy in the fullness of life.

Today the sun exerts its maximum energy on our part of the earth; the powers of outward physical expression are at their greatest, and the powers of inner contemplation are at their lowest. And of course, just as we reach the point of maximum yang energy, yin energy is reborn and begins to gain strength: The next days will each be a little shorter again, until the winter solstice in December.

I make a point this week to celebrate things I love most about summer: 

• Sleep in, and revel in the more flexible schedule. 
• Spend as much time outside as possible- do some gardening, eat my meals outside, and just sit outside and soak it in.
• Eat strawberries.
• Take afternoon naps!
• Pick bouquets of flowers.
• Go for evening walks in the warm night air. 

If I celebrate the start of summer with enthusiasm I will help to make the rest of the summer richer and more wonderful, and I will reconnect myself to the great cycle of the seasons and the rhythms of nature.

Agenda for the Solstice:

Journal:

Visualize and write about the ideal summer.

What amazing things do I want to accomplish?

Plan a party:

Get together with friends for at least part of my celebration, because everything is more real when shared with friends.

Make a new solar disk:

Each year at the solstice, I make a sun mandala of grapevine with two cross arms. The outer circle represents the wheel of the year, and the arms of the cross symbolize the four seasons. I hang it high in my apple tree to remind me of summer all year long.

Build a Solstice Eve Fire:

Our ancestors lit fires on the eve of the solstice, maybe to symbolize the sun's power. It’s traditional to start a solstice fire with oak and fir: Oak is the tree of power, symbolizing the energy of the sun. Fir is the tree of immortality, symbolizing the rebirth of the sun. We collected a fir cone and an acorn from trees in our neighborhood.

We also took down last year’s battered solar disk from the apple tree and burned it.

Make flower crowns:

A fun way to celebrate!