Celebrate the Summer Solstice (and Full Moon and beginning of Cancer Season)

We have some magical energy happening right now that you want to be aware of. We have the Summer Solstice, a Full Moon, and the beginning of Cancer Season all happening between June 20-22, 2024. For this post, I will be sharing how the summer solstice has been celebrated over time and by various cultures and also give you some ideas for how you can mark this special time of the year when multiple celestial events are happening all at once.

Thursday, June 20th is the Summer Solstice for the Northern Hemisphere. This is when the sun is at its northernmost point in the sky. In the Artic Circle, there is 24 hours of sunlight and it is the longest amount of daylight for the rest of us in the northern half of the world as well. 

Many cultures celebrate the solstice. Ancient Egyptians used it to mark their New Year and honored their sun god Ra. They also honored the emergence of the star Sirius and had celebrations where they would play drums and chant beginning at dawn.

Ancient Greeks also used the solstice to mark their first day of the year and would have festivals honoring the god of agriculture, Cronus. It also was used as a one month countdown to the beginning of the Olympic Games.

Stonhenge, the rock formation in the United Kingdom has been a mystery in many ways but it is aligns with the sun on the solstices. In Northern and Central European Neolithic cultures, the summer solstice was marked by the lighting of bonfires and ceremonies to strengthen crops for the remainder of the season to ensure healthy harvests.

There is evidence that solstices were revered by the Mayans and Aztecs too based on their architecture which aligns with the shadows created by the sun on specific days.

Native American tribes honor this day as well. The Lakota (or Dakota) tribe recognize the solstice as one of the most ritualistic days of the year and honor it through Sun Dances around a tree which they believed to be a bridge connecting  the Earth and the heavens on this day. They would paint themselves in colors to represent the sky and sunset, daylight and night.

Pagans celebration on the summer solstice is called Litha. Litha is the Sun's day and is as it is the center of our universe, Pagans use ceremony to bring themselves "back to center" - to their hearts and the creative source. They also believe that a doorway in time opens on this day and that it is an opportunity to imagine what is possible for yourself and to expand your vision for your life.

I am a student of Shamanism through the Qero lineage and it is thought that the veil between worlds is very thin on the solstice due to the sun being at it's most powerful. I will be celebrating this day with two of my shaman sisters and we will be in nature together, creating mandalas with natural objects, cleansing and charging our mesas (medicine bundles with crystals and rocks) using fresh flowers, oils and rainwater, taking time to reflect on the intentions we set for ourselves at the winter solstice and setting our intentions for the next 6 months. We will celebrate the changing of the season and thank Pachamama (Mother Earth) for all she does to sustain us.

As a descendant of Swedish immigrants, I would be remiss to not mention Midsommer. This is the famous celebration held on the solstice where people come together to celebrate with outdoor feasts of fresh foods, create flower wreaths, and dance around the Midsommer Pole. 

Along with the solstice, we also have a full moon on Friday and the beginning of the Cancer zodiac season. The combination of these events provides you with a perfect time to create your own ceremony.

Here are some ideas you can incorporate into your celebration:

-Take your crystals and JNJ baubles out to cleanse under the sun and moon's energy. Even just placing your stones and beads in a windowsill will work.

-If you have the space and the conditions are safe, a bonfire is a great way to celebrate.

-Write down intentions on pieces of paper and send them into the fire, releasing them to the universe.

-You can use your Intention Necklaces or Intention Bracelets to infuse your hopes and plans into them by repeating them while moving your fingers along each stone.

-Play drums, chant, sing, dance, or do whatever feels right to you.

-Have a feast using fresh foods and herbs available in your region right now.

-Pick a fresh bouquet of flowers to set on your table.

-Buy some native plants and plant them in your yard.

-Stand outside with open arms and thank your deity, nature, the universe (whatever) for allowing you to be here for another summer season.

 

Ceremony is whatever you make it out to be. Just do what feels right and allows you to honor these special days.

Do you have anything special you do to mark this time of the year? Send me an email with your thoughts? I love to get ideas and learn from others!

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