Let’s think about how we can mark the Summer Solstice. In the Southern Hemisphere this year we celebrate it at 05.27 on the morning of 22 December 2023.
When the Southern Hemisphere is tilted more towards the sun, which happens between December 20th and December 23rd, we experience our longest day and shortest night of the year.
On this year’s Solstice we will have 13:47:09 hours of daylight. The Summer Solstice is a time of celebration, of honouring the light and our connection to the Sun and the Earth.
But there can be more to the significance of the Solstice than the astronomical details.
Look back on the year
As we move towards the end of the year, it is good to look back over these months and reflect on the achievements and the challenges.
You may want to write down these questions and your answers. Think about the different aspects of your life: relationships, work, health, leisure, creativity. For each area ask yourself:
- What have I achieved during this year?
- What was my favourite experience this year?
- What was the most difficult thing that I had to do this year?
- Is there anything that I wish I had done differently?
- What has reached its peak in my life?
- What have I learnt from the challenges of the year?
- What happened in this year that I am grateful for?
Look forward towards the New Year
As the great wheel of the year turns, we are preparing for the coming year. For most people, this past year has been very challenging. So many of us are looking forward to new beginnings.
For the different aspects of your life, complete these sentences:
- The change and growth that I am excited for in the New Year are ….
- Next year I want to continue …
- I want to try …
- I want to stop …
- My other INTENTIONS for the year to come are ….
If you want guidance in setting goals click here.
Rituals to mark the Summer Solstice
Other ways to mark the Summer Solstice can involve the use of the natural elements.
Fire is the element of summer. South Africans need no excuse to light a fire to stand around with friends and family.
But while we surround the fire, let us also honour our own inner fire. Just like Earth’s powerful sun, we each have our own inner fire: a sun burning inside us that nourishes our hopes and dreams. Your inner fire is that fierce and powerful spirit that enables you to get things done.
Create your own chant to acknowledge your inner fire.
Now is a good time to let go of what is negative in your life or what is holding you back from achieving your aims. Write down these things or draw symbols of them. You can use the element of air to let them go. Climb to a high point, tar up the paper into tiny pieces and let the wind carry them away. You can hold them in your hand and blow them away with your own breath. There are other ways of letting negative things go, which you can find here.
Use other elements to mark the Summer Solstice
You have already been planning for the year to come. Now take a garden pot and fill three quarters of it with a mixture of soil and compost. The soil in these pots reminds us of the element of earth, which grounds us and gives us security.
Then take a small pinch of flower or vegetable seeds and sprinkle them onto the soil. Each seed represents a project, a dream or an idea that you would like to start as the year changes.
We are putting into the dark earth an idea or a dream that needs to gestate. Some months will pass before these plants appear and hopefully flower or bear fruit. So take a few moments to think about your hope for the future, then cover the seeds with soil and water them.
And now rinse your hands in a bowl of purifying water. The element of water represents both the conscious and the unconscious. So you have an idea in your conscious mind but it will also gestate in your subconscious.
If you are in the Northern Hemisphere where you are celebrating the Winter Solstice, read about the lessons of winter here.
Wordways Ceremonies offers ceremonies that acknowledge different seasons and natural events through the year. Contact Vanessa to find out more about them.