5 Ways To Celebrate The Summer Solstice And Deepen Your Connection To The Sun

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This Saturday, June 20th at 5:43 pm Eastern Time marks the Summer Solstice – the longest day of the year and for many, it signifies the official start of summer. In pagan tradition, however, Summer actually begins on May 1st and ends on August 15th, which is why the Summer Solstice is also known as Midsummer’s Eve.

The Sun is the giver of life and cultures and religions around the world have honored the Sun. In ancient times, the Sun was given great reverence and many myths were created for it was unknown as to how or why this entity moved through the skies as it did, nor how or why it would disappear in the middle of the day (eclipses), nor share less of its light at certain times of the year.

Yet every culture recognized that life came when the Sun was present. For lifetimes we have honored and respected the Sun. Its movement has dictated when we rise when we sleep when we plant, and when we harvest. Life revolved around the movement of the Sun in the sky. This all changed when science was able to explain the daily journey of the Sun (it was not some life-giving being who walked each day from east to west), the Eclipses (no one had stolen the Sun), and the shortening of the days. We began to move away from living in rhythm with the Sun. Ultimately Industrialization took us farther and farther away from an awareness of the Sun as we moved out of rural farmland communities and into urban settings.

The alarm clock became the way we rose in the morning, electricity made awareness of the sun unnecessary, and consequently living in rhythm with the Sun was forgotten.

We have moved away from our connection with the sun and the natural rhythm of life.

The Solstice is a great time to reconnect with the sun

Here are 5 ways you can reconnect:

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• Watch the Sunrise – On June 20th the sun will rise at 5:21 am Eastern Time. (To find your sunrise visit this link and change the location). If you’ve never seen the sunrise, it’s a beautiful thing. Do some pre-day scouting for the best place to watch the sunrise. It rises in the east.
• Surya Namaskara/Sun Salutation – Surya Namaskara is a series of hatha yoga asanas done to honor the Hindu solar deity, Surya. If you don’t know the series, there are a number of YouTube options or Wikipedia has the sequence in photos. Start your day with it, or plan to do it at 5:43 pm Eastern to mark the actual mid-point of summer.
• Plant Marigolds – Buy Marigold plants or grow them from seed (it takes about 45 days). Marigolds are known as the herb of the sun and are a symbol of passion and creativity.
• Reset Your Rhythm – Reset your rhythm to the rising and setting of the sun.
• Connect to The Sun Through Incense & Oils – Frankincense is associated with the Sun, and the essential oil is found to vibrate at the highest frequency, compared to other essential oils. Other oils associated with the sun include chamomile, lemon, orange, and rosemary.

Reconnect with the sun

When we feel in need of love, energy, healing, replenishment, reassurance we can turn our face to the sun and absorb its transformative, life-giving energy. On a cloudy day, close your eyes and see the sun in your mind’s eye, recall the feeling of turning your face to the sun and soak up its energy in this way.

Don’t live disconnected from the Sun. Open up your awareness, remember that the Sun is there to be an active element in the fulfillment of your life.

I’ll leave you with this Maori Proverb:

“Turn your face toward the sun and the shadows will fall behind you.”