The Magic of the Summer Solstice: Sacred Celebrations for Midsummer

As the wheel of the year turns to Summer, we enter into a time of fruition and fulfilment. All the upward energy of Spring spirals to it’s peak and launches us into Summer, when the days are longer than the nights. The result; a celebration of abundance and joy as the natural world explodes into full bloom; lush with trees, flowers and fruits blossoming to their full potential and unfurling in a kaleidoscope of colours.

Whilst each season possesses its own unique beauty, as someone living in the Southern hemisphere, Summer holds a particularly special place in my heart. The warmer Months bring with it a carefree sense of freedom, an expansive energy that propels me into action as I spend more time outdoors replenishing under the full force of the Suns ray’s. Summer can also signal a time of sizzling summer ROMANCE, PASSION, CREATIVITY, ABUNDANCE, and HAPPINESS. What’s not to like?

What is the Summer Solstice?

On the 21st June in the Northern Hemisphere the sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky, reaching the height of its power. The longest day and shortest night of the year occur on this date, marking the beginning of summer, and is known as Summer Solstice, or Midsummer. In the Southern hemisphere conversely, the sun reaches it’s southernmost point in the sky, marking the midpoint of Winter, and is known as Winter Solstice.

The term ‘solstice’ is derived from the Latin words for “sun standing still”, and refers to the point at which the sun’s visual trajectory north or south across the horizon comes to a halt.

The Summer Solstice celebrates the abundance of the earth, at a time when nature is ripe, flourishing with offerings of life. It’s a time to express gratitude for the life-giving sustenance the sun provides and all that it manifests. It is a dual celebration, honouring the LIGHT of the Sun, as well as the beginning of a new cycle of decreasing daylight as the sun begins its journey southward. From now on the hours of sunlight will decrease each day, connecting us once again to the inner world.

Underlying Energy:

The longest day bestows the blessing of more LIGHT, but as we celebrate our dependence on the physical sun, we must not forget to honour the spiritual fire within each and every one of us. It is symbolic of the light of our consciousness shining more brightly in our awareness, and fires up our passions and reminds our hearts of our true potential.

The energies of nature have by now reached their highest point; the earth bursting forth an abundance of fruit, vegetables, flowers and plants – ripe and ready for the picking. Just as the rampant fresh growth exists on earth, the same occurs within our own inner worlds. Nature offers a wonderful reflection to our own lives, if only we learn to tune into it’s rhythms. Summer solstice is a time to experience the fullness of our own expressive and expansive selves, to reach our full potential as we open up to unbridled creative flow, and take outward action towards manifesting our dreams. Celebrate all of your achievements and honour who you are right now, and take stock of who you are becoming. Just as nature overflows in abundance, so can we, so Midsummer is a fertile time for raising our energies and receptivity to abundance. How can we do this? By doing something symbolic to honour this time, and most importantly by relishing in the spirit of celebration. I offer some celebratory ideas below to help you connect to the energies of the Solstice:

8 Ways to Celebrate the Summer Solstice:

1) Prayer Circle:

A slight variation of the Prayer Circle is to head outdoors and create a Nature Mandala whilst basking under the sun’s ray’s. It’s a wonderful way to connect to nature, grounding and earthing you to Mother Earth and all the health benefits that brings. It can be a really mindful exercise too; focusing your mind on the present moment, stilling those unruly thoughts. You can refer to my previous blog post on ‘The Art of Nature Mandalas for more information. The fantastic blog Mystic Mamma is responsible for the gorgeous photo above, and suggests how to create one:

”Gather or buy some yellow and orange flowers and make a SUN MANDALA offering on the Earth. Pick the petals off and arrange them in circular patterns. The act of creating something beautiful and sacred is a holy and healing act. As you do it infuse it with your prayers and hold a vision of peace for our planet.” ~ Mystic Mamma.

3) Make a Wish