(Image courtesy of Giancarlo Piccinato via pixabay.com)
Thursday, June 20, 2024
Summer Solstice
Pluto Retrograde
Day Before the Full Moon (or First Day of the Full Moon)
Hello, and Blessed Solstice!
Summer Solstice up here in the Northern Hemisphere, Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.
I am in the Northern Hemisphere, so I will be focusing on the Summer Solstice in this post.
A note on my personal practice and how I view the holiday: I’m seeing posts claiming Litha/Midsummer is “the start of summer.” Please take a look at the “mid” in “midsummer.” We are at the center, the peak, the MIDDLE, and we now start to move toward the dark half of the year. It might be the start of Capitalist Summer, but in the Wheel of the Year, I am at MID summer. For me, the “start” of summer is Beltane.
Your practice is yours and you must do what works in your life, but today, for me, is the middle, the peak, of summer.
Since autumn is my favorite season, I am very excited we are moving in that direction.
I am, however, learning to appreciate the warmth.
My apologies for not posting at the dark/new moon. I had to do some serious work to remove something out of my life and move it along a different path at that time. It made more sense to adhere to the adage of “To Know, To Will, To Dare, To Keep Silent” at that time, especially the “Keep Silent” bit.
That is what I did. My intention manifested in a lovely, creative way I didn’t expect, that is positive for all involved, and I am deeply grateful.
A friend who is heat sensitive talked, yesterday, about telling herself, in the heat wave we experienced, that she was basking in the sun like a lizard, she is lizard, and the word “bask” stood out for me.
I’m dealing with sense memory stress from something that happened around this time three years ago now. It’s much better, and I am in an immensely better situation than I was, but my body and mind revert to the upset. Our bodies hold those memories. A lot of the past weeks has been about healing that, acknowledging it, and layering on positive new memories that are relevant to my current reality.
The fear still pops up and has to be faced.
The cards (both tarot and oracle), people, and situations around me, remind me that I am in a positive place filled with possibilities. I don’t have to rush my choices, but I DO need to choose (7 of Cups, anyone?) and then take action on the choices.
This morning, after meditation and an online ritual with a group of fellow witches, I thought to myself, “I’d like to go back to bed.” I thought about it; I got ahead on all my work, my deadlines are met. The world will not stop if I take a nap. Even if I hadn’t made my deadlines. . .the world WILL NOT STOP if I take a nap. As I ran an errand, I thought, “I really want an ice cold vodka martini and some popcorn” and then realized – my schedule is clear this afternoon. I can do that, if I still crave it at the time –and then, if I want, I can take a nap. My day is clear to enjoy however I want.
Today, this sunny, hot summer day, the peak of summer, I will bask: bask in the sunshine, bask in my friends and family, bask in the spiritual work, bask in all of you. I will enjoy letting the day unfold, connecting to the sun and my own inner light. I will honor the peak of the sun, and the wheel turning back toward autumn for us, and spring for our Southern Hemisphere friends.
Whatever is on your plate today, take a few minutes to bask in the weather, yourself, your family, your friends, and the large community of all of us.
Blessed Solstice, my friends!
Blessed Solstice to you also.