Strawberry Moon Summer Solstice

2019 Strawberry Full Moon and Sagittarius: Summer Solstice to Follow

This week, as we move into summer, we are gifted two wonderful opportunities to experience the incredible healing energy of the cosmos.

First: The Full Moon

Take some time tonight or tomorrow night to sit outside and connect to the feminine energy of this week’s full moon, known as the sweetest moon of the year. Since ancient times, Native Americans have given very descriptive names to each full moon, inspired by what’s happening in nature at that time of year. They call this full moon in June the Strawberry Moon because it is the time of year when wild strawberries ripen and are ready to pick.

As you sit outside under the night sky, allow the light of the full moon to gently open your spiritual side. And listen to whatever fruitful guidance she may offer you. I’ve had some of my biggest spiritual openings outside, under the light of a summer full moon, feeling her energy and receiving her counsel. So head outside and let the moon do her magic on you!

Then you’ll be ready to make the most of the solar energy of solstice this Friday – you’ll be open to hearing what’s best for your body and how to restore and optimize your health, open to hearing the perfection of the now.

Next: The Summer Solstice

The Earth is closer to the sun this week than at any other time of the year, and we are bathed in solar energy. In summer, we celebrate the incredible bounty of the earth and the powerful energy that can turn tiny seeds into nourishment. The warmth of the sun can help you to grow the seeds of your inner being into an abundance of health, happiness, and wisdom.

For those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, Friday, June 21st marks the longest day of the year. Ancient astronomical monuments like Stonehenge are aligned to the sunrise of summer solstice, celebrating the height of glory for the Sun King before the days start growing shorter once again. You can connect to the sun’s vital power at solstice during the extra hours of daylight and remember that you, too, can burn brightly and bring nurturance into your life.

Summer is the time of flowering, a time to reap the rewards of your spiritual efforts and grow in the Light. It’s also a powerful time to recharge your life force energy out in nature, seeing how everything is alive and vibrant under the sun.

Summer is a happy time of year, filled with incredible energy. Use the available energy to walk in the woods (and try Forest Bathing, see last week’s blog, swim in the ocean, or a lake, tend your organic garden (even if it’s just a pot or two on the windowsill) and relish the beauty of nature’s patterns in the vegetables and flowers you grow. Align with the influx of powerful solar energy as you swim or kayak across the water, the sun sparkling its surface and infusing you with joy.

Fuel Yourself Accordingly

It’s a good time of year to eat more lightly, and the perfect time to try eating a more plant-based diet with so much fresh produce readily at hand. Remember to stay well hydrated while out in the summer sun. There are so many luscious fruits available to help your liquid intake. Try blending chunks of watermelon into juice; it’s about 92% water with lots of nutrients and beneficial compounds that lower inflammation and improve your heart health as well.

The Light – It’s Here For You

When the sun is shining and your body is warming along with the outside temperature, and you’re able to sleep outside under the summer’s night sky, you are content in the moment and grateful to be able to serve the light – the moon light, the sun light, the star light, and the inner light of Spirit. So let the light of the full moon and the glorious sunrise of the summer solstice awaken you and guide your way.

shutterstock_130218290.jpg

How to Cultivate Your Inner Light

shutterstock_130218290

Can you think of someone you know who is always positive? This doesn’t necessarily mean that they are always happy—sometimes life throws pretty hefty curve balls—but do you know someone who responds to those curve balls with grace and perspective, who reacts from a place of love and light? It’s these types of people, like Ghandi or Maya Angelou or Mother Teresa, who face hate and fear with love and forgiveness, who are true beacons of light that inspire the world.

The Light Inside of You

You have a light inside of you, too. Depending on where you are in your spiritual development, that light might be a flickering flame or a giant bonfire, but it’s there, and it’s ready for you to nourish it and let it get brighter and stronger.

Those people who seem to be lighter and happier have reached higher levels of awareness. In an expanded state, you realize that we are all connected to the universal field, and this understanding allows you to interact with the world from a thoughtful, loving, distanced standpoint. This is a far cry—and a much happier one—from the immediate knee-jerk reactions and fearful defensiveness that is the pattern of so many who are not coming from an enlightened awareness.

Spreading Love to All

I have traveled all over the world to meet with shamans, priests, monks, and many other spiritual teachers and energy healing practitioners, many of whom were living their daily life full of love and looking at the world and all its struggle from the vantage point of an expanded state.

heart2

What I learned from them, and have confirmed in my thirty years as an energy healer and spiritual teacher myself, is that when you have experienced the light of the divine, even momentarily through meditation, you can begin to cultivate that divine light inside of you. When you begin to express it through your thoughts and actions, it creates a ripple effect of love in the world.

Don’t Squelch Your Light!

Healing and enlightenment go hand in hand—it’s much harder to reach states of expanded awareness when your energy field is blocked or your chakras are spinning incorrectly. Think of it like this: when your chakras and energy field are not operating optimally, darkness fills your field and your body like a drop of ink in water, spreading quickly, and dimming your inner light. This is where energy healing comes to the rescue. With energy healing, you can clear those blockages and begin cleansing, charging and balancing your field, allowing space for the light to return.

Here are 3 tips for healing yourself and growing the light inside of you so you can live a more positive, happier life.

1. Have fun.

Joy is often overlooked in our fast-paced, work-driven culture, but it is one of the most important catalysts for bringing light into your life. If you’re like many, you are often rushing around, caught up in the busy-ness of projects, travel, appointments, etc. and you might forget to take time out to simply enjoy yourself. Take a fun break! Even if you have to schedule it in, make time to read a good book or watch an entertaining movie or take a bubble bath, play games with friends or run with your dog. Whatever makes you smile, laugh, and feel uplifted—do that as often as possible. Really let yourself have fun the way you did as a child, totally free and uninhibited. Think about how good it feels to let go. Joy is healing.

couple3

2. Live your soul’s true purpose.

When you are living your true purpose in life—doing what your soul came to this planet to do—you move further into the light. It’s like a key in a lock, and when you find your true life purpose, each day will feel like a gift. You know how they say, “You never work a day in your life when you do what you love.” I have found that to be true for myself: when I’m doing energy healing or teaching my healing courses, I feel great! I wish for you to manifest your own life purpose, whatever it may be, and if you haven’t found it yet, you can discover it through meditation, working with a spiritual teacher, or other personal work. You can always tell when someone is living in alignment with their true soul’s purpose, because they literally glow.

3. Be of service.

If you’ve been to one of my energy medicine workshops or listen to my weekly show, you have probably heard me say, “Chop wood, carry water.” Be of service. Serving others is a way to help heal yourself. I know it might sound backwards, but giving and using your gifts for the greater good takes your energy and light beyond yourself and helps others. But since we are all connected through the universal field, that light you shine on others comes back to illuminate you. Light brings more light.

If you encourage the light that is already inside of you to grow and expand, it will eventually burn so brightly that others can’t help but see it, and they will want to follow your radiant example. Not only will you be raising your own vibration by living in light and acting from a framework of positivity, but you will also be helping to raise the vibration of the whole planet!

sunset4