Summer always makes me think of Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer’s Night Dream. The story is full of mischief and fun, and every summer it’s performed in a park somewhere. As we near the summer solstice on June 20, why not take advantage of this playful theme and reinvent the season for yourself? Unleash your creative spirit and enjoy what summertime has to offer!
During the solstice we will experience the longest daylight of the year. It will be the perfect time to enjoy good weather and be outdoors. You might try a movie night in the backyard, complete with popcorn and homemade pizza (gluten-free, of course!). Invite the spirit of summertime play into your life, in whatever way you like.
Summertime ripe for resetting intentions
Summer is the season of the visionary, according to the cross-cultural teachings of Angeles Arrien and described in her book The Four-Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Healer, Teacher and Visionary. Power, joy, playfulness, aliveness, truth, and authenticity are some of the qualities embodied by the visionary.
The solstice is a good time to reflect on what your new vision is and share this with others. I don’t know about you, but here we are halfway through 2020 and I’ve already had to revise my original new year vision plan completely!
New moon powered by solar eclipse
The new moon bears extra influence this year because it will coincide with a solar eclipse. Although we won’t be able to see it in North America, eclipse chasers in Africa or India will notice the light fading and possibly view the solar corona, or ring of light — one of nature’s grandest spectacles. But you don’t need to see the corona in person to imagine what light lies hidden behind your feelings represented by the moon’s deep unconscious. This particular new moon is in the astrological sign of Cancer. So what does that mean?
Sign of Cancer invites new beginnings
The new moon eclipse will take place in the sign of Cancer, on June 20 at 11:41pm PDT. This is a powerful time for starting anew. Whatever you put your energy into now will show up for you later on this year. So your intentions and subsequent actions can be super impactful for the future if you take advantage of this energy. Just be sure your intentions come from your heart as cancer is a water sign, which means it holds a loving presence.
The energies are supercharged this week, so tune into them with an open heart for celebration. Perhaps hold a special new moon wishing ceremony and ask Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of wisdom, and Lakshmi, the Goddess of abundance and love, to support you. For those of you who own a Goddess oracle deck, pick a card and see what wisdom you find there.
Celebrate summer solstice your way!
As if the new moon eclipse wasn’t cool enough, the summer solstice has its own special magic to offer us. Why not invent your own unique solstice celebration? Gather some flowers in the moonlight, lay your favorite crystals around them, do a quiet meditation, have a feast. Maybe you want to gather with some of your friends via Zoom. Create your own magic. Let me know how it goes!
For added information about solstices and equinoxes, take a look at my blog about the eightfold year cycle.
Summertime is precious — and so are you! It may be time to step into your previously unspoken vision and announce your new intentions out loud to the world.
Wishing you a Gorgeously Healthy summer,
Gay