Summer Solstice

‘Shout out for Summer!’ – Celebrating the Solstice

The Sun’s warmth brings out
the Earth ‘s summer show
Her finery is exuberant
And dazzling

Myriad shades of green leaf
With white petal trimmings
Cow parsley, stitchwort,
hawthorn blossom , wood sorrel

Sparkling with bright colour dabs
Campion pink, speedwell blue
Buttercup yellow
She is mesmerising in her beauty

How will you celebrate the Summer Solstice on Monday June 21^st (or as near as possible to this date) – maybe on your own or with family and friends in a special outdoor space?

However you mark this special time, we are  inviting you  to join us to share your experiences, your creative expressions, your natural wonders and connect with others.

Date to be confirmed 

A time of action, fully awake, abundance, peak focus, alivened, full flow, productivity, fullness, a doorway…  

Please see below for some information about Summer Solstice and some suggestions about how you could celebrate and reflect upon it at home before the online event. 

Booking – Please email us to register your interest

Here is some information about the festival with some suggestions to help you celebrate at home.

About Summer Solstice:

• Solstice means “standing of the sun” and this is an opportunity to stop, be still and celebrate this high point of the sun with its creative fire and light – both outer and inner. It is a significant and sacred time when the day is longest and the night the shortest. Watching the sun rise is particularly special and we know our ancestors have celebrated this time for thousands of years.
• Traditionally on Solstice Eve, torchlit processions would take place round a circular route representing the cosmic wheel of the year and the goddess, Fortuna, who turns the wheel.
• There is abundance and expansiveness to be celebrated and hope of the harvest to come. It is also a time to acknowledge the returning to the dark.
• As this new cycle begins, we can take the chance to count our blessings, to acknowledge our achievements and use the Sun’s energy to ‘ripen’ and manifest them further.
• Of course it’s also a time to be bold and colourful, creative and expressive, to gather together, feast, sing, dance and revel in the beauty and brightness of the season.

Tree Ogham:

According to the Tree Ogham, the Oak is the tree associated with this lunar month. It represents the doorway to the second half of the year. Its Celtic name “Duir’ means doorway. Spend time if you can with the energy of this tree and be aware of its qualities of strength, courage and inner peace.

We have drawn on the work of Glennie Kindred for this information. She has written lots of books and booklets on trees, festivals and ways to connect more with nature You may be familiar with her work but there is much information to be explored and of course, from other sources too –  http://www.glenniekindred.co.uk/ )

Feel free to print out the attached information on The Wheel of the Year & tree ogham

Celebrating Solstice – Before the zoom event:

Here are some suggestions for celebrating this day – but choose whatever feels right for you. Be creative and have fun!

• Stay up all night and watch the sunrise or celebrate later in the day ! by the sea, garden, woodland, special outdoor space
• Quiet reflection time
• Prepare a space for a simple ceremony and to celebrate the Solstice
• Invite friends and family
• Prepare a feast
• Record your experiences – notebook, sketch book, create a song, poem, dance

Quiet reflection time

Whether early in the morning or later in the day, take some quiet time outdoors – lie down, walk barefoot, lean against a favourite tree.

Breathe deeply as you draw in the sun’s energy and feel connected to the earth and to all those also celebrating this day elsewhere. Bring your sensory awareness to your surroundings , reflect on how far you’ve come since the Winter Solstice and how people and nature have supported you in the last year Be aware of any words, songs, thoughts which come to mind.

Think of at least 5 things you are grateful for.

Acknowledge what you have achieved and how much you have learned.

As you feel connected and grounded – commit to help the Earth in some way A small achievable way (or ways) which can be part of bigger changes needed at this time.

Prepare a space for a simple ceremony

• Decorate  the space with flags, ribbons, bunting, natural materials, flowers and herbs, lights in jars Use colours/items to represent the 4 elements – earth, air, fire and water * (see more detail about the elements below)
• Make a circle on the ground with stones, twigs, oak leaves, natural objects
• Place anything inside the circle which represents the sun and the beauty of the summer season – a sun symbol, warm colours, candles in jars, small fire in centre
• Learn a summer song or chant; write or find a poem to share

** The Four elements

• Fire (reds, golds) in the South (creativity, fire, passion, alchemy, active)
• Water (blues) in the West (flowing, healing, life giving, rivers, seas)
• Air (whites)  in the East (air, inspiration, flight, breath, winds)
• Earth (greens, browns) in the North (nourishing, holding our roots, groundedness)

Celebrate

• Decorate yourself with garlands of flowers or a head-dress woven with flowers and grasses
• Each person collect 4 stones to represent the 4 elements. Make a small fire or place a candle in a jar within the circle to represent Spirit/ Life force which connects us all.
• As you start the ceremony,  call in each of the 4 elements in turn and each person place a stone on a cairn within the circle As you thank the Spirit/Life force which connects us all, light the candle or fire within the circle
• Make a fruit cup to pass round Toast and celebrate each other!
• Be spontaneous Invite each person to speak of and share the things they are grateful for, their hopes and achievements and ideas on ways they can help the Earth individually and collectively
• Sing, dance round the circle to mark the turning of the wheel!
• Close the ceremony by thanking each of the elements and taking back 4 stones each (which may be different ones from those you collected)

Feast

Prepare a feast outdoors either a breakfast (after you ‘ve had some sleep if need be!) or later in the day. Enjoy a colourful and nutritious feast with any natural foods/ herb teas, soft drinks or something stronger!

Record your experiences

Jot down thoughts, words, poems, songs, drawings, expressions, photos… anything goes!

 

For the zoom event:

Please bring with you to the online gathering:

• Pencil and notebook
• Cut out card or paper Circle (roughly 20 cm diameter)
• Candle / tealight and something to light it with (optional)
• Creative expressions; ‘stories’, thoughts, words, songs, movements, poems, drawings and/or anything you might have made from natural materials when celebrating the Solstice

See you soon!

Any queries, please contact outrageousnature@gmail.com