Pale pink as the first blush of the sun. Blackberry petals. Tight clusters of new fruit. Plumes of meadowsweet. Towering pollen dusted nettle. What is blooming in your Solstice verge? (Please tell us! How is the Earth expressing its magic? Leave a comment below.)
I write to you from England, where I am lucky enough to be spending this Solstice portal. While I am visiting family and enjoying space from the so-called United States, I’m also filled with dread and anxiety about our future and the fight ahead of all of us. In typically wet England, we’re having a heatwave in June. With unusually high temperatures comes a sense of intensified foreboding. I keep thinking about the frog in the kettle, who isn’t aware that the water is boiling until it is too late.
The frenetic energy of Solstice is undeniable in this current planetary moment. As solar energy reaches its peak, we are forced to face what makes itself known, obvious, even voracious for our attention. While traditionally Summer Solstice is a moment for celebrating the Sun’s longest day, this Solstice has a heat that is scorching the edges of my sight. Wars escalate, genocides continue, and fascism is gobbling up more and more control. Solar force is consistent, but now it is also energetically amplifying, as our planet hurdles towards climate collapse, and ocean and climate temperatures spike.
Pagan wheel of the year traditions have always tempered the solar force with water worship. This is symbolically resonant, as Summer Solstice marks the moment the Sun moves into Cancer. We dive into Cancer’s realm, welcoming space for healing, nurturing, and security. As the Sun’s force reaches its most powerful pinnacle, we are encouraged to turn towards self-care – and don’t we all need the reminder? Enacting rituals of care is my personal intention for this Summer Solstice; care rituals that are relational, collective, and reflective of the present moment. May we continue to center the needs of Trans, Indigenous, Immigrant, Black, and otherwise marginalized people during this time of their most intense need.
What acts of care and healing can you consciously participate in at this time?
Personal outreach to those in your community members who may be the most vulnerable under this administration. Ask what you can do to support them at this time.
Pay attention to the Moon. At the Solar peak, the Sun can suck up all the energetic force. Balance your system with lunar worship or moon bathing.
Practice self-regulation techniques that help you to stay grounded and present in stressful situations. Return to your breath. Shake the stress out of your body. Drink water.
Learn from and listen to the communities that are at the center of the fight for justice. Center the narratives of Palestinians, Indigenous peoples, Black and Trans people as you learn how to best show up for collective liberation.
Meditate with, pray to, and practice magic with water.
This Solstice moment has the potential to spotlight the areas of your life that are most inflamed. If you are moving through confusion, the Solstice will highlight that sense of uncertainty. If you are grappling with self-doubt, the Sun will illuminate the discomfort you’re feeling. If you’re enraged with yourself and the world, be careful or you too might scorch the earth. There’s a wisdom to this intensification. We must be willing to face our fullest selves in order to evolve through the challenges. In this bright Solstice light if we are able to take an honest look at ourselves, we may gain the perspective needed to shift into new patterns and paradigms of growth and healing.
Think of the Summer Solstice as a Full Moon. This is a time for releasing energy, clearing space for the next phase of blooming. As we turn towards the harvest season, we must attune to what is coming to fruition, even if what has come to be is not our desired outcome. How can we reconcile the state of our lives, as well as the state of the world, while facing what needs to be changed?
Solstice rituals of release include; offerings to water, bonfires, burning effigies, and healing petitions to spirits of plant and place. No matter where you find yourself at this moment of release, find a way to let go of something you’ve been holding on too tightly to. Let go of your failures – send them down the stream with a petal and a wish. Let go of the spells that didn’t come to pass in the ways you hoped – you weren’t ready for those blessings, not just yet. Let go of the critical voices and beliefs keeping you from basking in your authentic glow – because fuck those who might disrespect or judge your choices.
It is the Summer Solstice and the world is on fire. What are we hoping will emerge from the ashes, and what can we save from being destroyed?
A reminder that I am currently traveling, but my books are open for July intuitive consultations. Book with me here: