The summer season solstice, often known as midsummer, or Litha within the pagan custom, is the longest and lightest day of the 12 months within the Northern Hemisphere. That’s as a result of it’s the purpose when the solar reaches its northernmost level within the sky within the constellation of Most cancers. Whereas there’s some annual variability, it most frequently happens on June twenty first, which can be the primary day of Most cancers season. Listed below are a couple of straightforward methods to attach with the season and have a good time this 12 months’s summer season solstice ritual.
Including in a couple of particular practices or rituals may be a good way to tune in to the distinctive power of the season and honor the heat, mild, abundance, and camaraderie that the day brings. A couple of years in the past, I used to be lucky sufficient to have a good time the summer season solstice approach up in Reykjavik, Iceland. I’ll always remember the expertise of strolling alone across the marina at midnight, the large transport boats bathed in a wealthy, golden mild. The ensuing power of a lot solar is large and bountiful, and the collective spirits are usually excessive as folks come collectively and benefit from the sunshine, seasonal meals, and nature.
11 Rituals For The Summer time Solstice
1. Have a ritual tub
Run a lukewarm tub (particularly if it’s a scorching night time), mild a circle of candles round it in honor of the height photo voltaic power, sprinkle in some flower petals from in-season blooms round you, and add a couple of drops of your brightest important oils (assume: jasmine, geranium, rose, lavender, bergamot, or clary sage).
After your enjoyable soak, stand within the water and scrub your physique down with a home made honey and salt scrub made by merely combining 3 tablespoons of honey with 3 tablespoons of sea salt in a small container (this rose honey scrub is nice for the face in case you’d desire!). Rinse it off whereas visualizing any undesirable heaviness or caught energies being scrubbed and washed away.
As you drain the tub and blow out your candles, take a second to mirror in gratitude on the wonder and abundance you have already got in your life to create a vibration that welcomes in much more.
2. Collect flowers
One of the vital conventional methods to honor midsummer is to assemble flowers and set them out in an ample show. If in case you have flowers (and even fantastically flowering weeds!) in your backyard, you can use these, or drop by your native florist and select blooms which might be each native and in season.
—Smaller flowers may be woven right into a garland or crown.
—Bigger stems may be labored right into a wreath on your door or a centerpiece for the desk.
—Set some recent flowers in your altar (when you’ve got one).
—Separating flowers from a big bouquet into smaller bunches and inserting them in numerous locations round your house so as to add to the bountiful feeling.
3. Feast exterior
Consuming exterior, whether or not meaning heading out for a picnic, having a BBQ, or just shifting your desk outside, is a good way to have a good time the brightest night time of the 12 months. Select a menu primarily based on native, seasonal vegatables and fruits, which within the Northern Hemisphere may embody strawberries, peaches, plums, cherries, inexperienced beans, dandelion, corn, eggplant, cucumbers, tomatoes, and melons.
Add within the seasonal herbs, too, particularly when you’ve got them rising in your yard or porch pots. Nothing says summer season like recent inexperienced herbs!
4. Brew a backyard mix iced tea
Another excuse I like to develop my very own herbs and flowers is that I can make my very own solar teas (they’re nice for cocktails, too!) In peak summer season, among the most strong crops in my backyard additionally make the very best brews.
Select no matter you’ve gotten available, equivalent to lavender, rose hips, chamomile, mint (develop this one in a pot—it spreads like a weed!), lemon balm, echinacea, lemon verbena, or dandelion root, and mix them collectively as you want. Pour 1 liter of boiling water over 1 cup of herbs and permit them to set for 3 to five minutes, then pressure by a sieve.
After the brewed tea has had time to chill, chill it within the fridge, and sweeten with honey for a wonderfully refreshing summer season drink.
5. Gentle a bonfire
Making bonfires to have a good time the summer season solstice is a long-established pagan custom. Why not convey collectively family and friends for an enormous hearth, and have a good time the longest night time of the 12 months together with your nearest and dearest?
For the standard Litha rituals in Eire, celebrants used to carry a stone of their pocket and stroll across the hearth 3 times considering of a want. Then they’d toss the stone into the flames, prepared it to be granted. Fireplace is a robust manifesting ingredient, and on an evening with such large solar energy, this can be a fantastic strategy to work with it.
6. Bake with honey
Honey is a sweetener utilized in many pagan traditions of the summer season (usually in mead and candy breads), and these summer season solstice honey cookies coated in herbs and flowers make an ideal dessert or snack. This rustic honey cake additionally hits the mark!
7. Solar energy your wardrobe
Within the Wiccan custom, that is the day to convey out your brightest, sunniest clothes. Gown up in reds, oranges, and yellows, adorn your self with wild florals, placed on any warming yellow gold jewellery, and if attainable, depart your footwear inside. Strolling barefoot in nature is a robust strategy to join with the grounding power of the earth [source].
8. Do a tarot unfold
I really like utilizing important seasonal markers as a possibility to carry a dialog with my playing cards. Since there are six months between the height mild of summer season solstice and the longest night time of winter, why not work with the playing cards to take a look at the potential for development that lies forward throughout that point?
Set the stage on your studying with flowers and lightweight a candle, shuffle your playing cards, and lay three on the desk in entrance of you:
—the first card symbolizes the power you’re being requested to embody and embrace over the approaching months
—the second card speaks to the power you’re being requested to shed and launch with a purpose to flourish into the autumn and winter season
—the third card symbolizes the primary lesson you’re being requested to be taught and combine as you progress into the months to return.
Journal whereas diving into the impressions and insights you’re getting from the playing cards, and are available again round to it in winter to mirror in your progress.
9. Apply yoga or meditation
Each summer season solstice, I maintain a collective follow of 108 solar salutations for my native yoga neighborhood. We come collectively (or stream remotely) and follow in a big circle. I set 9 clusters of 12 small pebbles forward of my mat, and after the completion of every solar salutation, drag one of many pebbles into the middle.
After every set of 9, we take a quick break to stretch and drink water after which hold going till we’ve accomplished our full cycle of 108. Whereas this can be a sacred quantity within the Vedic custom—the variety of beads on a mala—you’ll be able to all the time follow as many as you’ll be able to whereas contemplating the heat and interior hearth you’re creating together with your physique to be an providing.
If meditation is extra your factor, take into account training a strolling silent meditation in nature. Discover a quiet out of doors spot (ideally grassy). And if it’s protected so that you can be barefoot, stroll with one sluggish, aware footstep at a time in a big circle, every step slowly lifting the foot on the inhalation and decreasing it forward of you on the exhalation.
You’ll be able to maintain your arms together with your elbows barely bent and fingers resting close to your low stomach, or allow them to relaxation at your sides. Set a timer, if wanted, in order that you’ll be able to transfer extra deeply into the meditative nature of the motion with out worrying about time.
10. Serve your native setting
Environmental stewardship is a good way to honor the solstice, because it displays not solely a deep respect for the land we’re so lucky to dwell on however makes a distinction in your local people as properly. Collect along with a bunch of households or associates to choose up litter in close by parks or gardens (all the time put on gloves!), and loosen up with some solstice treats afterward!
11. Lay it on the road
Whereas that is actually a summer season tip typically, I’m including it right here as a result of it brings me a lot pleasure! If you’re blessed with a scorching, sunny day this solstice, why not wash up the sheets within the morning, tie up a laundry line, and air dry your bedding within the sunshine?
I promise you, the rewards that night time might be nice, as there’s nothing fairly like sliding right into a mattress that smells so extremely recent and clear…and the photo voltaic power additionally helps to kill any residual micro organism which may be lingering within the fibers.
Irrespective of which solstice practices, rituals, or traditions you select to include, they may all assist to set this special occasion aside, marking the purpose the place the sunshine begins its shift towards the yin, quiet, introspective nature of winter’s Yuletide as soon as once more. Might your longest day be crammed with laughter, pleasure, celebration, household, associates, and nature!
