In thankfulness we lift our eyes
With loving thoughts in heart
We give thanks for all things good
For blessings the Creator imparts.
Let our hearts be ever glad
For beauty that abounds
And gives a taste of heaven’s glory
When summer comes around
The Solstice marks the longest day and the shortest night of the year. The Northern Hemisphere celebrates in June, where as those in the Southern half of the world experience their longest summer day in December. Solstice is a combination of the Latin words, sol meaning sun, and sistere meaning still. As the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until on the 21 (roughly), it seems to ‘stand still’ in the tall of the sky.
The Summer Solstice is a major celestial event traditionally celebrated by nearly every religion in the world. Just to name a few, the Celts celebrated with bonfires that would add to the sun’s energy. Pagans believed it was a time of magic when spirits were said to appear. Christians placed the feast honoring St. John the Baptist at this time of year. The festival of Li which honors the Chinese Goddess of light is also held at this time. In India the Solstice marks the end of a 6 month spiritual growth. Buddhists honor Mamaki, the female goddess of light as the perfection of wisdom. Many Native American tribes and first nation’s people honor the Sun gods with the Sun Dance, honoring the cycles of life and death. Perhaps the most meaningful modern ties with the Summer Solstice were the Druids’ celebration of this day as the, “wedding of Heaven and Earth”, establishing the current belief that June weddings bring luck. The great Rising of the Phoenix, a common mythical bird-creature shared by many cultures, is believed to happen on this day when the sun was most powerful. The Phoenix who burns and dies to rise again from its own ashes depicts the significance of death and rebirth. The Influences of seasons have been discovered in archeological sites as far apart as the Pyramid of Khufu at Giza (Egypt), Caracol Tower (Mexico), the Big Horn Medicine Wheel (Wyoming, USA) and Stonehenge (British Isles). It is evident that regardless of ideologies or geography, the Summer Solstice has historically marked its tremendous symbolism and reverence on humanity as a whole.
However, in the modern world we are growing more and more disconnected to our relationship with nature and the empowering and meaningful cycles of the seasons. The practice of honoring the sun (and moon) in ritual and ceremony is often disregarded and easily overlooked in our hectic and contemporary living. Now more than ever, we need to reestablish respect, gratitude and unity with the forces that bind and nourish all things. We can not survive without the earth, sun and moon; they are the foundation to our existence and it is a dis-service when we live out of balance from the remarkable intelligence of nature. By practicing ceremony and acknowledging our own inherent nature as a part of the great web of life we learn to appreciate our connection to all things, and we are then less likely to separate ourselves and take for granted the natural elements and processes of the world. As we establish a sense of Oneness we open ourselves to the rhythms of nature and gain insight and inspiration into the essence of life, transformation and the divinity held within and around us.
The midsummer celebration represents the strength of the sun as the center to which all things are sustained. It is a time of creation as well as a time for bringing closure, liberation and renewal. It is the season between the planting and harvesting of crops; a time of transition and patience. Flowers and medicinal herbs are at their peak bloom and grow in abundance which is considered a blessing from the fertile powers of the sun. They are gathered as gifts, wreaths and bouquets or tossed into sacred fires to cleanse the air and heal the spirit and body. It is a time where most beings; plants, animals and people reach their fullest potential and the strongest energies are at work to expand our will. Summer Solstice ceremonies are an opportunity to reflect upon and extend gratitude for the year past; the treasures, experiences, lessons and the healthy bounty and support of Mother Earth. They are also a time to contemplate intentions and welcome transformation with life’s new bounties and graces for the coming year.
Creating your own Ceremonies or Rituals
There is a slight difference between ritual and ceremony, both of which you can initiate into a personal practice and tradition. Rituals are typically passed down from elders and are not subject to much, if any, change. They are repeated for the same purpose and conducted in the exact manner every time. You could begin a new ritual with intention to pass it along to your children and their children and so on. Ceremonies on the other hand are a bit more adaptive and created from present needs and desires. They hold a sense of freedom and spontaneity. Both are considered sacred and an important method for manifesting our intentions, whether as a group or an individual.
Bare in mind, one does not have to eat the roots of a tree or smear mud across the body and dance naked under the full moon to participate in and establish a sense of tradition. Ceremonies and rituals are simply ways in which we honor those things in our life that are sacred. It is when we take special time out of our busy lives to slow down and share in the sweetness and common interests that bring us closer to others, and closer to self. It can be as simple as offering your children story time every evening, the same time, the same soft pillow, the same snuggles, the same lullaby and the truest, most wholesome intention to share the love and bind the experience with honor and respect. It could be a walk in the woods on a full moon, a candle light bath at the end of a long work week, or a monthly potluck gathering with close friends.
Midsummer is a wonderfully exploratory time to create new traditions that represent your own unique beliefs, experiences and intentions. Rituals can be highly personal and are not contingent upon religious or cultural standards. They help us by nurturing our relationship to the world that surrounds us. They provide a safe place to trust and be open to our intuition and are a sacred expression of our own deepest nature.
Suggestions for Summer Solstice (can be modified according to season):
- The Chinese suggest that summer is the time for laughter!! Give yourself permission to be silly, have fun, giggle with friends, watch comedies and live with a sense of innocence and lightness.
- Balance your fire element and go swimming, if possible, in natural bodies of water.
- Take time every day to extend gratitude to the four directions, the sun and the moon, earth and sky, the elements and all creatures.
- Bless your loved ones, and strangers too frequently through out the day
- Make an effort to rise with the sun and watch the sunsets. Energy is very clear at these times and the veil is thin.
- Incorporate Sun Rise and Sun Set mediations, walks, hikes and friend gatherings
- Mantras for liberation: Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
- Honor the sun with your asana practice outside, move into Sun Salutations beneath the early morning and early evening sun light
- Wear yellows, reds, gold, honor the color of the sun
- Decorate with wildflowers, particularly Sun Flowers
- Prepare meals with summer herbs
- Enjoy the bounty of fresh fruit
- Eat red, yellow, orange foods or drinks
- Thank the bees and enjoy the sweetness of honey, as it is the time of harvest
- Make wreaths and hang on doors and give as gifts
- Sprinkle St. John’s Wart around the house three times for protection
- Gather gold or yellow candles to burn during ceremony or mediation
- Contemplate the things you need to release or bring closure to
- Write them down on paper and burn it or rip it up
- When creating a ceremony or ritual, if possible find open, quiet space outside. For the midsummer celebration always incorporate the fire element ideally with a bonfire but many candles will do. Create a circle, the healing wheel of life, either with others or if you are alone make a circle with candles. In this space you may build an alter or bring intentions such as healing or growth and offerings, such as flowers and fruits. Gather summer herbs such as sage, lavender, rosemary, jasmine, thyme, and basil. Also gather fruit seeds and flowers in a pouch and cup in hands, imagine all your worries, sorrows, fears and pains are held within the bag. Burry or burn the pouch and be done with it, trusting that closure has come and tomorrow will be a new day.
- Embrace the heat and remember it is a time to evolve from the fire, a time of transformation
- Clear the mind from toxic thoughts and foods, establish a pure foundation for renewal
- Be expressive and creative:
- Write down areas of your life you seek growth, renewal and strength, place them in the sun to be charged with life.
- Create new affirmations, place them on mirrors, cupboards, even the steering wheel of your car
- The sun represents creation, so color, paint, draw, build, sculpt, dance, sing, play music!! Don’t think or hesitate, trust and let it move through you! It is a time of Celebration!!
Infuse your sacred creations with love, honesty, gratitude, honor and respect to the laws and beliefs that work together to give us our own unique human experience. May we always be willing to recognize that the cycles of nature and the divine help us to better align with our own personal, internal state of being. May we accept the great gifts of summer by celebrating the sun and its power and by welcoming the transformative process of death, rebirth and renewal. Most importantly, as the sun rises in the East may it remind us of new beginnings and ensure us that there is always a place of light!
Blessings, Namaste, Aho
Robin Afinowich
