“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” —F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

On June 21st we have are reached Midsummer, the peak celebration of the fullness of Summer. By now the days have grown longer than the nights and we rejoice in the light and warmth of the sun. Life feels lighter and easier. The birds are singing, the bees are humming, the butterflies are dancing and the flowers are glowing, bewitching us with their colors and fragrance.

This is a time to celebrate the fullness of life. To see the abundance around us, noticing the way everything is coming into full luscious ripeness. It can’t be any other way.

It is also a time to shine our unique gifts and manifest our dreams.

The word “solstice” comes from the Latin word “solstitium”. Solstitium is constructed from sol, Latin for “the sun,” and sistere, “to make stand, stand still”. In some cultures Summer Solstice is also known as “Midsummer’s Night”. It’s the longest day and the shortest night of the year. Following the Solstice the days get shorter again until we arrive at the time of Winter Solstice. But until then, let’s celebrate summertime to the fullest!

Oh, how I love Summer – it’s my favorite season.  And as you know I love rituals and celebrations, so I have listed some of my favorite ideas from this precious little book I found: „Summer Solstice Celebration“ by Estelle Reder. 

Set up a special “Summer Solstice Altar ” in your home with your favorite flowers, yellow and orange crystals, incense, fruit or any other symbolic objects which represent the theme of “Summer” for you? This is the perfect ritual in preparation for a meditation or celebration. Revel in this display of abundance and give thanks with a deep breath and a smile!

Have a picnic that includes seasonal fruits like cherries, strawberries and water melon.

Make a flower mandala (see my “3 Rituals to celebrate the Goddess of Spring” blog post where I presented similar ideas for rituals to celebrate Spring Equinox in March),

Celebrate the Sun with a fire ceremony and jump over a bonfire (if you happen to be in Barcelona on June 24th you can do that at the beach on the day of San Juan). Or light candles, burn some incense and throw fresh herbs like sage or lavender into the flames with your deepest wishes

Do a color/chakra meditation with the color orange:

Imagine a ball of orange energy forming below your belly button which grows larger and larger with each deep inhale.  The orange ball of energy will start to swirl in a clockwise position and you will feel a slight tingle in your lower abdomen and lower back where the chakra is located.  Continue working on this until you really feel the energy. Slowly allow the color to lighten to a light warm orange. Feel yourself bathed in warm and vibrant energy and vitality. Feel your energy rise in joy and creative inspiration. When this chakra is open and balanced, we tend to live very passionately and aim to live life to the fullest! Breathe deeply and if you feel like dancing, singing and creating now: GO AHEAD! 😀

• Paint or make a collage with the theme of Summer. Below is a collage I made for this year’s Summer Solstice with an image of “Stonehenge” that I found in a magazine. Stonehenge, a huge prehistoric astronomical calendar, is oriented to mark the sunrise at the summer and winter solstice. At the Summer Solstice the rising sun lines up with the Heel (Sun) stone outside the circles which casts a shadow on the  Altar stone, thus marking the beginning of the “dying” of the light and the return towards Fall and Winter.

• Summer is also the time to be adventurous and go travelling. I have just returned from a magical trip to Portugal and the Canary Islands and I cannot think of a more rewarding and inspiring activity – apart from art making, of course! Check out my summer travel album to ignite your travel bug HERE.

Where ever you are this Summer Solstice, make sure to celebrate the fullness of Life!