Summer Solstice

RITUAL: Solstice Celebration | SOLAR TERM: Xia Zhi | SEASON: Summer

June 21 - July 6

The tenth solar term of the Chinese calendar is called Xia Zhi. Xia Zhi begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 90°, marking the Summer Solstice. The sun at its zenith signals the middle of Summer or the beginning of the hottest part of the season.

The word, solstice is derived from the Latin words sol, meaning Sun and sistere, which means to stand still. The Summer Solstice is the day on which the Sun reaches its most Northernmost position. At that moment, it seems as though the Sun is standing still, pausing briefly at its most extreme position, before reversing its direction and moving south again.

This year, the Summer Solstice falls on the 21st of June. Also called the estival solstice, it’s the longest day and the shortest night of the year. Midsummer’s day occurs when the Sun is at its highest position in the sky because the North pole has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. There is continuous daylight within the Arctic circle in the Northern hemisphere.

Some calendars mark this day as the first day of summer. Midsummer’s day and night are celebrated as an annual holiday with feasts and festivals, rituals and celebrations in cultures all over the world. Pagans referred to the Summer Solstice as Litha and rituals were performed to honor their Sun gods, the divine light, and the element of fire.

You can create your own rituals to celebrate Summer Solstice. Study the traditions of your ancestors. Or, find a group local that is hosting an event or festival in your area.

Summer Solstice, with its intense light and heat, make it the most yang day of the year. It’s important to stay cool and hydrated however you choose to celebrate the longest day of the year. Make some fresh squeezed orange juice or lemonade to drink. Put on a pretty cotton sundress, wear a sun hat and bring your water bottle.

Sunrise

Sungazing

Wake before the dawn so you can greet the sun as its first rays of light peak out over the horizon. Gaze at the sun for a few seconds or for as many minutes as you’ve worked up to. If you’ve never sun gazed, stand or sit facing the East with your eyes closed, feeling the light on your eyelids.

Sun Salutations

Even if you don’t practice yoga, on the Summer Solstice, rise with the sun. Go outside. Roll your mat out on the grass. And perform 108 sun salutations.

Sunshine Walk

Next, go for a walk in the early morning light just after dawn as the sun begins to rise in the sky. Leave your sunglasses at home. If you usually wear contacts, wear your eye glasses instead. Allow the light of the sun to enter your being through your eyes.

Sunbathing

Get some morning sunlight before it gets too hot outside. Feel the rays of light on your skin. Bask in the glow of the sun.

Solar Noon

Sun Tea

Making sun tea is one of the ways you can harness the solar energies. Just add some loose leaf tea or tea bags to a large glass container and fill it with filtered water. Then, find a spot outside on your porch or deck, or even in the grass in your backyard where you get full sun during the day. Let the power of the sun steep your tea, moving your sun tea container as the sun moves. After 3-5 hours in the the midday sun, place your sun tea in the refrigerator to chill.

Sun Cleansing

Sunlight has energy cleansing and charging properties. You can place items outside in the sun during the day to clear their energy. Crystals can be placed outside on the ground in indirect light under a tree. Or, just hang a load of bed linens or other laundry outside on a clothesline to dry in the sun.

Sundial

Create some garden art to celebrate the sun. Make a sundial for your yard to tell time. Or, collect some yellow, orange and red flowers and crystals and create a mandala in the Southern sector of your property.

Glow Up

Summer Solstice is the perfect time to put some effort into your own personal Glow Up. Create a Summer skincare routine designed to make your healthy skin glow. Eat healthy living foods, like organic raw fruit and veggies, that will make you glow from the inside. Take your exercise routine outside to benefit from the fresh air and sunlight. Drink plenty of water with electrolytes to hydrate the cells of your body.

Sunset

Golden Hour

Golden hour is a photography term used to describe the red and gold tones of light just after sunrise and again just before sunset. In addition to watching the sunrise in the East, you can watch the sunset in the West. Plan your day so that you can be outside at golden hour in the morning and early evening. Take a walk or go to your favorite scenic spot to watch the sun go down and the stars come out.

Candlelight Meditation

Make your own beeswax candles. Light one on the Summer Solstice. Get into a comfortable meditation pose and gaze at the flame. Imagine that you are breathing in and out the light of the fire element. Sense that this light is flowing through you, cleansing and charging every cell of your body. Then, close your eyes and see the flame with your inner vision. Direct the flame to enter each chakra beginning with the root chakra and ascending to the crown chakra. Envision each chakra filling with this fiery light. When complete, keeping your eyes closed, lie down for a few minutes.

Bonfire

Summer Solstice is the perfect time to light a communal fire. Attend a beach bonfire. Go camping and make a campfire. Or, light the fire pit in your backyard. Gather around the fire as a family. Roast marshmallows and make s‘mores.

Stargazing

Once the sun goes down, stay outside to stargaze. Lie down on a soft blanket and watch the night’s sky. Observe the midnight black cloak studded with shimmering white stars. Appreciate the dark of its blank canvas and that negative space that makes the light visible.

Happy Summer Solstice!

Share in the comments below how you plan to celebrate the Summer Solstice!

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Dara Eden is the author of HER Rituals for the Divine Feminine, a periodical guide created in December of 2021. The 8 Elements, her life’s work, provides guidance about how to honor the essential needs and highest values of your personal feng shui element. Inspired by an Internet challenge designed for men, she created 365WISE, a daily self-care practice that supports women in honoring their needs and listening to their inner wisdom.

In HER Rituals, she offers insights, ideas and intuitive guidance about ways to honor your needs, values and unique expression of the divine feminine.

HER Rituals is a Womb Wisdom KeepHER’s guide to cyclical rituals for sovereign women. It provides insightful information, inspirational ideas and intuitive guidance on daily and seasonal rituals you can practice as a form of self-care. Read about ancient wisdom and philosophical principles, holistic approaches and traditional skills, slow work and intentional living, embodiment practices and immersive experiences.