I love celebrating the Seasonal Cycles, especially the Solstices and Equinoxes which mark significant turning points along the wheel of the year and are so rich with symbolism and meaning.
Summer is my favorite season and this year I travelled up North to the Baltic Coast, close to the Danish border to celebrate Summer Solstice surrounded by beautiful nature, good food and precious company.
I took the time to create some meaningful rituals, creative and mindful activities to nurture my Soul. Some of these I am sharing with you in this blog post.
A filmed version is available on my YouTube channel (you can watch the video at the end of this blog further below).
June 20th/21st, 2022 marks the longest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere — and it also marks the official beginning of summer. This day is one of the most celebrated days around the world, and it’s most commonly known as the summer solstice. The sun appears at its highest point in the sky, resulting in the longest period of daylight of the entire year.
Celebrating the summer solstice started with ancient cultures across the globe, spanning Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Before Christianity took hold of the European continent, Germanic, Celtic, and Slavic groups welcomed the solstice (better known as Midsummer) with feasting and bonfires. During Midsummer, bonfires were ignited to banish evil spirits and demons, as well as to harness the power of the sun and guarantee a good harvest in fall.
On the American continent, many Native tribes took part in ceremonial sun dances to celebrate the solstice. While it’s not certain exactly how ancient Central American civilizations might have celebrated the solstice, Mayan and Aztec people built temples and other buildings to align precisely with the shadows cast by astrological occurrences, including the summer and winter solstices.
Many ancient summer solstice rituals still take place in some shape or form today. No matter how you do it, observing the summer solstice celebrates living in tune with the seasons and honoring the cycles that command our natural world — and especially the warmest, sunniest cycle of the year!
Every year I come up with my own rituals to celebrate summer solstice. This year it started with a creative mindfulness exercise.
Painting the Sun
For this creative project I downloaded a free sun mandala template, glued it to a round canvas and played with crystals (charged outside in the sun), flower petals and watercolor paints. I had not specific design in mind and just used the colors I felt intuitively drawn to. I listened to the birds singing and allowed myself to get into a mindful flow of creating without judgement.
Setting up my Solstice Altar
Setting up a sacred space for celebrations and rituals can be a beautiful part of your spiritual practice. Each object you place in your space or on your altar with a mindful intention, is an act of honoring your connection to Spirit. I started by decorating my altar with gorgeous flowers from the garden and by placing symbolic objects representing the four elements earth, water, air and fire, on the table.
What I have placed on my altar:
- Candle
- Flowers
- Incense (sandalwood)
- Aromatic herbs (rosemary, mugwort)
- a chalice with water
- a rock with salt
- crystals (charged in sunlight)
- fresh blueberries
- images with symbols of the sun and fire (from oracle & tarot decks)
- cards from my personal SoulCollage® deck
These elements add an extra dimension such as smell, sound (I could not bring my singing bowl, so the birdsong provided the sound vibrations) and touch. In the case of the shimmering water and the flickering candle they also add movement. All together they help me focus and connect more deeply on all levels.
Tips for setting up your own altar:
- Gather symbolic objects: find a pretty piece of cloth that will define the space the altar will take up such as a dresser or table. Start with a cup of water, a stone or crystal, a candle, a feather and if you wish fresh flowers and/or herbs.
- Choose a location: This should be in a spot that is convenient, yet out of the way enough that you won’t mind it being there for a while (or long term if you wish to have an altar for all seasons).
- Place the items on your altar in a mindful way: Take a deep breath and focus your intention on creating this sacred space with love and purpose.
- Place your stone or crystal on the Northern side of your altar and welcome the spirits of the North. Your stone or crystal represents the element earth ( nourishment, stability, grounding, fertility, roots).
- Place your cup of water on the Western side of your altar, welcoming the spirits of the West. Your cup of water represents the element water (emotion, healing, change, intuition).
- Place the feather on the Eastern side of your altar, and welcome the spirits of the East. Your feather represents the element air (knowledge, perception, communication, creativity).
- Place your candle on the Southern edge of your altar, Your candle represents the element fire (energy, passion, desire, transformation). Light the candle, and welcome in the spirits of the South.
The SPIRIT OF FIRE
Summer is the season of fire.
Fire is a powerful, masculine element, and is symbolized by a triangle or a pyramid pointing upwards, towards the skies. The fire element is associated with planet Mars, and the corresponding zodiac signs are Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. Fire governs the spirit and resides within the solar plexus chakra.
In native cultures, fire was thought to be a gift from the creator that carried the power of renewal. Fire can maintain life – and destroy it. It can purify and transform – and it can annihilate. Fire represents your life force, the spark of life and the light within you.
Purification by fire creates transformation. It is important to tend to our inner fires to maintain and balance our energy. Fire that burns too brightly burns out quickly, but a fire that’s left to smolder dies..
Some summer solstice traditions hold that the ashes from a Midsummer bonfire can protect one from misfortune or that the ashes—when spread across one’s garden—will bring a bountiful harvest.
It was thought that bonfires would boost the sun’s energy for the rest of the growing season and guarantee a good harvest for the fall.
Burning Ceremony
Since the element of fire is so strong at this time I felt impelled to perform a burning ceremony to symbolize the letting go and transformation of all the things that no longer serve me. On a piece of paper I wrote down everything I am ready to burn and transform through the power of my inner fire. All the things that keep me from shining my light fully. Once I felt truly ready, calm and relaxed, I set the piece of paper on fire using a candle and collecting the ashes in an Abalone shell (it’s safest to do this outside! Be sure to act with care when handling open fire!). As I watched the piece of paper slowly diminish and turn to ashes I imagined all my burdens and limiting beliefs burning away. Now that I feel purified and renewed there is space for new growth and new beginnings. Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes I leave the past behind.
Summer Solstice Journaling Prompts
- Reflect on the fire that burns inside of you, that fire that makes you feel fierce and powerful. Express gratitude for that part of yourself. How does that fire manifest in your life? What has it helped you accomplish recently?
- On the Summer Solstice, the sun is at its peak–Write about a time recently you felt at your peak. What are some peak moments you experienced this year? What have you accomplished recently that you feel really proud of?
What would you like to see grow & flourish for you this summer? What do you hope to harvest in the fall?
- invite the spirit of fire into you life to burn away the things you’re resistant to letting go of.
- allow the fire to clear space for new growth to nurture you
- what rich new life will you ignite with the newly lit spirit of fire inside your heart?
Solstice Tarot Reading
Working with my oracle and tarot decks – in this picture you see three cards from my Inner Journey Tarot – A 22 Major Arcana deck for intuitive Soul-Exploration” is part of my spiritual practice. I came up with a simple 3-card-spread especially for Summer Solstice. You can watch the full reading in my YouTube video (see below).
Tarot JOurnaling with Collage
After the tarot reading I created an intuitive collage in my Tarot journal inspired by the insights and guidance the cards gifted me.
Why not take out some crayons, some papers and magazine images and create an intuitive artwork inspired by the spirit of fire, the energy of summer or whatever else you feel inspired by right now?
My wish is for you to find joy in this video and blogpost and that they inspire you to create your own personal rituals and mindful activities to celebrate the magic and wisdom of the seasons.
May the light of the Sun illuminate your heart so that your heart can illuminate the world!
