Summer Solstice Celebration

So, here we are, right smack bang in the middle of summer. So much has happened since my winter solstice. When we have big and profound events occur in our life, it gives us markers from which we measure time. Looking back, my journey from there to here, from dark to light, from winter to summer has been profound and truly transformational. It really has been a journey from dark to light, and marking the end of that journey with the Summer solstice is perfectly fitting.

What markers do you have? What has been your journey this year? Are you ready for the solstice (if you’re in the southern hemisphere)? Are you ready to celebrate the light?

The summer solstice occurs when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky; it marks the longest day of the year (and the shortest night). Its astronomical and seasonal significance has been honored throughout the world since ancient times. The summer solstice is on December 21 2014 (in the northern hemisphere, your summer solstice is June 21, but at this time of year, in December you are enjoying your winter solstice).

Summer Solstice is a high point of celebration. It is the longest day and it has the brightest light. Pagans celebrate Summer Solstice as Litha which means a stopping or standing still of the sun.

The story behind Summer Solstice is that the Goddess is heavily pregnant with the harvest to come, and the Sun God, The Oak King is at the height of his power. But it’s also a day of sadness because today the Sun God, The Oak King battles with the lord of the Dark (winter) Sun, The Holly King, and the Holly King will win and start to take over the skies. After the Summer Solstice the Sun starts to loose it’s strength as we begin to move toward autumn and winter. The Oak King is born on the winter solstice and he shines so brightly for 6 months but this weakens him, and the Holly King lays in wait until Summer Solstice when the Oak King uses his last ounce of strength to make sure the earth has enough power for the harvest to come. The Oak King slowly descends into the underworld his journey will not be complete until Samhain (Halloween) when the Holy King will take over the skies.

When we celebrate the summer solstice, we are in a celebration of light, of the fruitfulness of our labor, of the joy of our expression and the power of our potential. Summer Solstice is a time of light, purification and of healing and reminds us of true power, inner strength and manifestation of our desires. True power is love, nurturing and bringing our dreams into expression. It’s a time to reflect on the light and dark that are both within each of us and within the world around us. This is also a time of celebrations that take place outside and enjoyment of the warmth of the Sun and the beauty of nature that surrounds us. Summer solstice is about embracing all life, everything that is alive with possibility.

Our ancient ancestors celebrated Summer solstice for three months; as time went on, it became a three-day event. Today, in our rushed and modern society, its rarely even a fleeting thought. Yet, to honour and celebrate the solstice is to honour and celebrate our connection with the Divine with the natural world around us, and with all of creation. This connection reminds us we are one and we are masters of our own lives.
To celebrate the sun, do what you love, do what you are passionate about, what makes you feel alive. Go outside and dance, hold a ceremony to purify and let go of what has gone before, burn fires, hike or camp in the bush, even just sit outside and meditate. You could spend some time looking back and finding patterns in your life, think about how those patterns help or hinder and plan ways to enhance or reduce them. You can use smoke and fire in this process, right a list of the things that no longer serve you and then burn the list, giving it up for ever. Smoke and fire and used in ceremonies to cleanse the soul of all heaviness and restriction, and gives you a freedom by lightening your load.

The Summer Solstice connects with the south, with summer, with 12 a.m., fire, present, actions, deciding, willpower, youth, passion, and warmth. Exploring these will help you get into the essence of this time of the year. Summer signifies flowering and action – the development of what we have planned since the beginning of the year. As events unfold and we start transforming our lives, this can be the time to take a break and enjoy life, before the busy harvest period in the autumn. The summer solstice is also a reminder to get going; it shows we need to stop sabotaging ourselves and endlessly planning and instead we need to move, to act.

It’s the right time for a review, ask yourself: How are your plans going? Have you been dithering? Did you consciously choose whatever happened recently in your life? Are you The driving force in your life right now, or have you given away your power?

The Summer Solstice is a celebration and a remembrance of our goals, directions, vitality, self-centeredness, confidence, vision, clarity, courage, motivation, inspiration, awareness, genuineness, warmth and forgiveness. See what you’re up to in life, show love and compassion to yourself and celebrate your awesomeness.

May your Summer Solstice be a celebration of love and light, and may you always bring light and love into this world in your own creative way.

Now, I’d love to hear from you. How will you celebrate your Summer Solstice?

Leave a comment on the facebook page and let me know. Thank you in advance for adding your voice to this conversation.

Much Love

xox

Marlene