Summer solstice; it’s the first day of summer, the middle of the year, AND it’s the longest day we will have this year. Many people know about and recognize the summer solstice, but there is so much more to it than just a day marking the beginning of summer.
The summer solstice is a very exciting and spiritual time! Recognizing and celebrating it can assist you with your spiritual growth and help you achieve your dreams and desires. And, not to mention, celebrating this spiritual time will give your vibes a serious boost going into the second half of the year.
Here’s how to celebrate the summer solstice so you can reap all the spiritual benefits.
Happy Blessed Summer Solstice to all! <3
What is the Solstice
Two times a year, our planet experiences what is known as the solstice. It marks the coming of either longer days or shorter days.
The earth orbits around the sun on a tilt. For half of the year, the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun and, therefore, more exposed to it. Giving us summer and making the days longer and the nights shorter.
Whereas the other half of the year, when our planet rotates around the other side of the sun, the southern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun. At which time they experience the summer season with longer days and shorter nights.
The summer solstice marks the point in time when the sun is at its highest point on the horizon, and we experience the longest day of the year. This is when whichever hemisphere you are closest to (Northern or Southern) is facing the closest to the sun. In fact, the sun never even sets around the pole of your hemisphere during the summer solstice. Creating what is known as the “Midnight Sun.” Rather than going down for the night, the sun’s light remains visible along the horizon.
The summer solstice occurs for those in the Northern hemisphere around the 21st of June and those in the Southern hemisphere around the 21st of December. If you are interested in more details of what the summer solstice is and how it works, I recommend reading this article on Vox, which explains it well and has many beautiful illustrations to help explain how it works.
Spiritual Significance of the Summer Solstice
The summer solstice is about letting go and allowing the flow of the universe to take its course. It is officially summer and officially time to rest, have some fun, and celebrate.
Over the last six months, mother earth has been hard at work creating new life. Now that life is full in all its glorious and vibrant colors. The trees, plants, and flowers are in full bloom. The sky is bright and blue. The work to create life is finished. All that is left to do is enjoy it. At least for now.
The summer solstice is full of spiritual potential. It is a time of awakening and enlightenment and it is a symbol of the light’s triumph over darkness. This is a time of fertility, new beginnings, and positive energy.
It is our connection to one another, to source, and a time to reflect on and bond to the earth, mother nature, and the light within all things.
A Time of Celebration and Joy
The summer solstice is a time for celebration, fun, enjoyment, and for living in the moment. It reflects the hard work we have done and the need to enjoy the fruits of our labor.
Just as mother earth has laid way for the green, colorful, and full-of-life bounty that is now abundant on the planet, we too, have spent the year working to achieve our dreams and goals.
And the summer solstice is about celebrating it all. Celebrating our accomplishments, celebrating the beauty around us, celebrating mother earth. And celebrating all our triumphs and achievements.
It is about taking a step back from everything and spending the day in a show of love and gratitude for what we have done, what the earth has provided, and the pure enjoyment our spirituality gives us each and every day.
This is one of the most important times to release the need to work or be in control and, instead, just let it all flow. This is the time to sit back and enjoy it all. After the summer solstice, the nights will become longer as the light will wane over the next six months. This means the time for new beginnings and change will soon be upon us, and the need for more work will come. But for now, it is about letting that all go. And taking time to just be in the moment, enjoying all that we have accomplished.
A Celebration of Light and Positivity
The summer solstice represents light and fire. As the longest day of the year with the most sunlight, it is time to celebrate our connection to the light. Including the light of the sun that nurtures the planet and feeds the life upon it, the light of spirit that nurtures goodness and feeds our souls, and the light that burns within us – to nurture and feed the dreams we have.
For most of the day during the summer solstice, the earth is soaking up the sun’s intense energy. Filling the planet and those of us on it with strong positive energy.
In Feng Shui, it is said that light is the embodiment of positive energy. So around the time of the summer solstice, we are being nourished with, not just light, but the positive energy that will fuel us through the rest of the year. It will empower us to accomplish more and become the best we can be in all areas of life.
A Time of Fertility
During the summer months, the earth is fertile. The warmth and increased light creating the perfect environment for growth and new life. It also carries the feminine, goddess, or yin energy of nurturing and love.
This divine energy of light and fertility serves to nurture the growth of our spiritual selves and our spiritual purpose. The seeds of new beginnings are being planted within you and your connection to source, light, and your higher self is at its most intense.
United in Love, Life, and Light
The summer solstice is the moment that our need for work, progress, and achievement stands still. It begins a season of light, warmth, harmony, and enjoyment. Yet it also signifies the beginning of shorter days and longer nights. Yet as the sun begins its descent over the horizon and sets earlier with each passing day, those on the other side of the world experience the opposite.
Their days becoming longer and mother nature hard at work preparing for new life to emerge in the spring. It is the ultimate in loving and unconditionally shared experiences between the people of the earth. Our deeper connection to the earth and all its people.
When it is time for our days to become shorter, we begin to push the light to the other side of the earth, so the people, nature, and life have the opportunity to grow and prosper until once again they begin to push and share the light with us.
It is the same light of love, inclusivity, and life that is shared between all of us. Connecting us all.
How to Celebrate and Prepare
Many places celebrate the summer solstice. Some spiritual in nature, and many of them celebrating the first day of summer. There are festivals and gatherings of all kinds of people from all walks of life.
Yet, no matter who you are, where you are, or what race, culture, or religion you are, the summer solstice carries an energy that can be celebrated and honored. A universal celebration shared between all living things on the planet.
It is a wonderful time to reflect on and celebrate our connection to the earth and all living things that share this planet with us.
Although the summer solstice is usually recognized and celebrated for the entire day, the actual event of the solstice occurs at a precise moment in time. When the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer.
At this specific time, the sun appears to stand still which gives the solstice its name. Originating from the Latin word solstitium which means “the sun stands still.” If you want to know the exact time of the solstice where you are, check this website.
Otherwise, there are many ways you can honor this time of year and help bring in the positivity, joy, and hope of the light that has such a wonderful impact on our lives.
Rest and Enjoy Life
The fruits and vegetables are growing and abundant, and they will need to be harvested soon. We cannot rush this process, and neither can mother nature. The same is true for our own dreams and goals. There comes a time when we have set the intention and put in the effort and need to let the universe take its course without our interference.
Honor this time by letting go and allowing the universe to flow around you. Let the universe take its own pace to grow and ripen all the intentions you have set in place.
But just as this is a time for celebration, it is also a reminder that time passes quickly. We need to intentionally take the time to stop and enjoy what we have created before moving on to the next step.
Life is not all about work – there is so much more to it. What is the point of creating goals and working toward them if we never stop and take the time to enjoy what we have created? So, the summer solstice reminds us of the need for love, enjoyment of life, celebrating what is already accomplished, and just being in the moment.
No matter how far you still have to go or how much you still have left on your to-do list – now is the time to forget about that and focus on celebrating and enjoying what you have already done and brought into your reality.
A Time to Release and Let Go
The summer solstice signifies new beginnings. We have accomplished a great many things, and we now enjoy what we have been working for. But as the sun is so high in the sky, it is time to prepare for the next phase.
As you celebrate all you have done and worked for, you also want to let go of what you no longer need and what no longer serves your purpose. This makes room for new experiences, thoughts, and the abundance that awaits you.
Let the warmth and light of the sun high in the sky burn away what you no longer need. Past experiences, old thoughts, and patterns, cords to past relationships – anything that holds you back from moving forward – give it to the light. The light will transmute all those experiences, memories, and feelings into what is good and will serve you going forward.
Imagine what you need to release from your past and see yourself holding it up to the light of the sun. Use your mind’s eye to watch as the sun burns it and the smoke floats up into the heavens.
Honor the Light Both Within and Without
The summer solstice is about celebrating the light. Take the time to honor your connection with the light and the light that is within you.
Take a moment during the day to stand outside in the sun. If you can, take your shoes off and stand barefooted on the ground. Close your eyes and feel the warmth of the sun on your skin. Imagine a beam of light coming from the sun and entering your body through your navel. See the light glow a bright, beautiful yellow color within you.
Feel the light expand throughout your entire body as it clears away any imperfections. Lifting and releasing any fears, uncertainty, anxiety, and negative thoughts about your self-worth.
Breathe the light in deeply and feel it surge through every cell of your being and fill you with feelings of love, confidence, and empowerment.
As the light grows within you and pours through, you see it shining out of you and spreading positivity and love to everything around you. Feel how the light that radiates from your being connects you to everything around you. The light burning within and throughout you, the earth, and all its inhabitants.
Be sure to thank the light for these positive and uplifting feelings, for all the good it has brought into your life, and for what it will bring going forward.
Honor Your Spirit, Dreams, and Goals
The summer solstice carries the energy of fire, passion, and determination. Honor the side of yourself that will create more, be more, and accomplish more this coming year by lighting a candle or fire in a safe place.
Soak in the power of the flame, and feel its positivity. Dance, sing, and rejoice as you celebrate all that you are. Focus on feeling your connection with the earth, the light, source energy, and all other living things. Then reflect in joyful celebration.
Take this time of reflection and celebration to choose your path for the year ahead. This is a time of ascension, awakening, and enlightenment. Allow this energy to nurture you and help you grow into your spiritual purpose. See your dreams and goals going forward being in alignment with your spiritual self.
Affirmations for the Summer Solstice
Use these affirmations as part of your daily spiritual practice during the summer solstice and throughout the summer season.
- I honor the divine light both within me and without. This blessing of light shines within me now.
- I honor and respect myself and my accomplishments. The blessing of success and prosperity shine through me now.
- I experience love for myself, the earth, and all living creatures touched by the divine light. The blessing of love and light shines throughout my entire being now.
- I send blessings of love to all beings on earth. The blessing of love shines in me now.
- I move toward the warmth and compassion of divine love and light. The blessings of the divine shine through me now.
- I AM willing to let go of anything in my past that no longer serves me. The blessing of renewal shines through me now.
- I AM willing to release any self-limiting thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The blessing of rebirth shines through me now.
- I allow myself to be transformed and my past to be transmuted by the light. The blessing of divine transformation shines through me now.
- I allow the light to wash away any fears I may have. The blessing of divine light shines through me now.
- I AM open and receptive to the good and positivity of life expressing through me. The blessing of positivity shines through me now.
- I AM open to new experiences and possibilities that are divinely guided. The blessing of divine guidance shines through me now.
- Abundance flows easily to me and through me. The blessing of divine abundance shines through me now.
- I AM open to both giving and receiving love, abundance, and prosperity. The blessing of divine balance shines through me now.
There are many wonderful sites that talk about the spiritual side of the summer solstice. All of them have amazing and beautiful ways to celebrate and honor this time. Below, I’ve included a few of these sites. This is only a few, so if you are looking for more do a search for summer solstice rituals.
- MysticMamma: Summer Solstice Rituals, Ideas, and Significance
- The Seasonal Soul: 6 Simple Rituals to Celebrate the Summer Solstice
- Ask-Angels.com: 7 Simple Solstice Rituals for Celebrating the Light
Do you have any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions about how to celebrate the summer solstice? Be sure to share them in the comments below.
More Spiritual Celebrations:
- Bring in the Light: Celebrating the Winter Solstice
- The Spiritual Side of Halloween: Put Some Spirit-uality into Your Halloween
- New Year: A Time for Change? Making New Year Resolutions Work With the Law of Attraction
- Getting the Most Out of Mercury Retrograde
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