Summer Solstice
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, and today, 2020's 20th June marks the lightest and brightest circle around the sun.
The doorway to the second half of 2020, the summer solstice marks your chance to harness the light and power of the sun to activate all that you want to bring into your life. The summer solstice has been a sacred sun celebration for thousands of years. Having served as an incentive for convivial community gatherings and an opportunity for great revelry. The summer solstice emphasises the regal essence of sunlight and this day signifies the dawning of all new life: both outside us and within us. Given the year of extremes many of us have had, this is an ideal time to marry our inner desires with our outer actions. This is a moment for uniting the best of yin energies (tender, sensitive) with our highest expression of yang energies (bold and daring).
This celestial event is extra special as it also corresponds with a new moon solar eclipse in Cancer. During a solar eclipse, the moon is directly sandwiched between the earth and sun (known as a conjunction, or "meet up", of the sun and the moon). During this brief time, the moon can block out the sun’s light, temporarily disconnecting us from our sense of reality. So what has been holding you back this year? Foods for thought: under Cancer's lunation, the pervasive energy is one that offers a healing moment to open our hearts and be more demonstrative with our loved ones. Family-focused Cancer also loves connecting to kin and rules motherhood and motherly figures.
What does this mean for me? Well, here are some ways to celebrate the Summer Solstice and make the most of this potent lunation
Journal
As eclipses block out the sun, they take you into the darkness for the sheer purpose of elucidating what you have been hiding from and avoiding. Dive deep into your subconscious and today, think less about practical matters and instead, tune into your inner voice. Grab a pen and free-write whatever comes up to help process any unsorted feelings. There’s nothing more cleansing than the soothing power of an emotional release and journaling provides a safe, carefree and private way to purge.
Manifest
What a celestially fortuitous time to get manifesting! New moons are the most auspicious times to plant seeds, which will be ready to harvest over the upcoming 6 months until this Cancer cycle is closed with the corresponding full moon of Cancerian fruition in December. Ask yourself: how do I want the rest of the year to pan out for me? After all, we're half-way! Big and small, what do you wish to achieve? What will you achieve? How will your actions play a part in making sure that your goals can be met? Forget the doubts and fears that have previously held you back and embrace the light. Fire and rise up by telling the universe you're ready, worthy and willing to put in the work for the fruit of your labour, whatever the task at hand may be.
Go Sun Gazing
Sun gazing is the act of watching the rise or fall of the sun at dawn or dusk. Research has shown that 'sun gazing' stimulates the pineal gland as the direct sunlight hits the eye, moves through the retinal-hypothalamic tract and then hits the brain. This is said to raise consciousness and awareness, generate feel-good hormones and inspire clarity as the pineal gland corresponds with your third eye or ajna chakra, known as the window of inner vision.
