The summer solstice falls on the 21st June every year. You might know it as the longest day when the sun is at its highest point in the sky. But did you know that there’s a spiritual meaning behind the summer solstice?
The ‘sun standing still’
That’s what the word solstice means in Latin. The sun is literally standing still in the sky and it’s out for the longest time on the longest day.
Ancient cultures like the Celts, Greeks, and Romans celebrated the solstice with rituals and festivals. For many, it was a celebration of the coming harvest and the start of summertime.
The spiritual meanings behind the summer solstice
The solstice is a celebration of the sun
The solstice is the celebration of the return to light after a dark winter, and of the power that the sun brings to earth.
It’s an appreciation of nature’s beauty
Everything looks better in the sun and the warmer months are when plants thrive and animals breed. That’s why fertility and rebirth festivals are popular, and why the perfect time to celebrate the solstice is seeing the sunrise, watching it set, or just taking a long walk in nature to appreciate what the time of years has to offer.
It’s a celebration of what’s to come
The start of a new season is the perfect time to reflect on what’s gone before and look forward to what’s to come. The perfect time to dig out your journal and recognise the growth and change in your life.
It’s symbolised by fire
The solstice is a celebration of the sun’s light, and that’s why many ancient and modern festivals focus on celebrating it with fire and bonfires.
It signifies new beginnings…and the return to winter
The summer solstice is the midpoint of the year and a time of new beginnings. But after the longest day comes the journey back towards the darkness of winter. The circle and duality of life; death and rebirth, light and darkness, beginnings and endings.
Do you celebrate the summer solstice? We’d love to know. Do you do any rituals? Here’s one you might like to try.
Summer solstice ritual- New beginnings
As the summer solstice is a time of new beginnings, there’s no better time to reflect and let go of what you don’t want to carry with you, whether it’s fears, regrets, or those old stories you keep telling yourself.
Write anything you want to let go on a piece of paper, then burn it in a fire proof bowl.
As it burns, say ‘I now release in the flame, the Goddess of Fire will consume my pain. It is done.”
When the paper has burned up, let the ashes cool, then bury them in the garden.