Summer Soul

Tomorrow, June 16, the Summer Solstice arrives. For those on the East coast the magic hour is 6:34 pm. This is what happens; the North Pole at its maximum tilts toward the sun. The sun reaches its highest point in the sky all year. What this means to us is ..LIGHT glorious light. Especially to those of us on the East Coast who hoard daytime during the few hours of winter light in the dead of winter. Even if you attended a solstice gathering this weekend, don’t let the actual solstice pass without an acknowledgement of the longest day of the year. People celebrate the Solstice for many reasons; religious, culture, or just because it feels so good. It you are in the feel good category, my ideas at the end are for you.  Just as an FYI the solstice is known as Midsummer. Midsummer, you wonder? Well, there is an explanation for that term. 'Midsummer' refers to the middle of the period between the equinoxes when the sun is at its highest, not the middle of the season we commonly regard as summer that takes place during the second half of the "light half" of the year.  No matter what you chose to do or not do, around this planet the solstice is celebrated with joy and celebration. The past few days have included feasts, bonfires, dancing, circles, and in some cases, naked sprints across town.

So what to do if you are home alone on Monday without herbs, oils, a smudge stick and a group of people who want to hang out? Grab yourself and keep it simple. Gather a candle, some paper, powered sage and sit under the full Strawberry Moon. Light the candle, sprinkle it with sage. Tear your paper in half, write down what you want to release, burn that list. Write down goal and aspirations, keep that list. And if you are really feeling righteous, turn on some soulful summer tunes and take a nap under the stars.