5 Healing Rituals & Practices to Honor the Summer Solstice
Summer Solstice is coming up fast, and now is the time to decide how you want to celebrate…
On June 20, we honor this major celestial event in the Northern Hemisphere — a magical time when you can connect with the sun’s vital power and usher in spiritual initiation and CHANGE.
What exactly IS the Summer Solstice?
The word “solstice” comes from the Latin words for “sun” and “standing still.” On the 20th, the sun will reach its highest position as seen from the northern half of the Earth, and it will appear to stand still as it marks the height of long days and the abundant aliveness of Nature. Summer Solstice also marks the longest day and the shortest night of the year. And of course for folks in the southern part of the planet, the reverse is true: Winter Solstice comes at this time, bringing the regenerative darkness that nurtures the rebirth of life. (We are thinking of all of our students and friends Down Under)
In ancient cultures around the world, Summer Solstice was considered the turning point of the year. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna describes the solstice as the way out of the physical world and into the spiritual realms. It’s a time (as is the Winter Solstice) when the veil that separates you from nonphysical reality is so thin that it can be easily pierced. Especially if you’re highly attuned to the cycles of the Earth, you might be able to feel this shifting of energy. It offers a powerful opportunity for renewal that stays open for several days before and after the actual occasion.
Summer Solstice rituals & ceremonies
Just as the ancients held special ceremonies on the solstice, you too can connect to the sun’s heightened energy at this time, and take advantage of its radiance to shine light on whatever you want to transform in your life or the world. Plus, if you’re starting to shift out of shelter-in-place, this is an optimal time to explore more deeply what you’re thinking of stepping into.
So let’s take a look at some simple things you can do to celebrate your connection to the sun, and take stock of where you are and what you want to accomplish.
5 healing rituals & practices to honor the Summer Solstice
- Call in your highest intentions for your life or the world. As we birth a new consciousness across the Earth, harness the energy of this day to help usher in change for the better. Light your favorite yellow or orange candle. Call in your angels and guides. Journal about or pray for what you’d like to see come to fruition. Summer is the time of flowering, so let the warmth of the sun help you grow the seeds of your intentions into an abundance of health, happiness, wisdom, peace, and justice.
- Take a gratitude sun bath. Try watching the sunrise on solstice, or do Sun Salutations, and give our life-giver your gratitude for gracing the Earth, for bringing warmth and helping seeds grow. And while it can be hard to keep in mind that good things are happening on Earth, acknowledge a change that’s come that you’re happy about. For example, this week we saw a historic national ruling in the US that protects LGBTQ workers. Another example is that more and more companies are honoring Juneteenth as a paid holiday. While we’re bombarded by bad news left and right, it’s crucial to honor everything you view as positive. That’s one of the keys to uplifting consciousness — and higher consciousness uplifts our physical reality.
- Meditate on this: What role will you play in evolving your community and our global family? This is the time to ask yourself: “What can I do now to welcome the change I want?” This year more than ever, people have felt like everything is out of our control, but the truth is that you always have the power to start working with the universe toward meeting a goal. What steps — even if they seem small — can you take now to uplift your workplace, to change a law in your community, to ensure justice, to shift a broken system, to help someone who’s struggling
- Visualize yourself crossing a threshold. See the place you’re crossing from as what you’re ready to leave behind. See the place you’re approaching as what you’ve been longing for. With the sun shining brightly ahead of you, will you enjoy more nurturing relationships? Make a job change? Be more creative? Use this time when the sky is at its brightest to welcome more nurturance into your life!
- Recharge your life-force energy in nature. As a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I make sure my ties to the sun, the Earth, the sky, the wind, the stars, the plants, and our fellow animals are always intact. I have my favorite places in nature that support my spirit and strengthen my knowledge of the unconditional love and universal connection we all share. Are you making good use of the power of nature to soothe and guide you? Choose a favorite tree to hug. Lie on your back under the sun with your palms up in a receiving position and watch the sky. Marvel at the absolute majesty.
Most of all, enjoy this magical time of year! The more open you are to new energy, the more you’ll increase its presence within you. Remember that like the sun, you can shine brightly, and you have the power to help bring forth the great new growth that’s so needed on this beautiful planet.
To learn more about tapping into powerful life-force energy, check out my master-in-training certification course here.
