Summer solstice | welcome the new season and celebrate summer
While the seasons change 4 times a year, only twice a year there is a solstice. Today we are celebrating the summer solstice, also known as Midsummer. The day of the year with the most daylight, the longest day of the year. After this day the nights will slowly get longer until we arrive at the winter solstice, which is the longest night of the year. The summer solstice marks the first day of summer. Most years this day is on the 21st of June, though in a leap year like this, it might fall on the 20th of June like it is for me this year.
All throughout spring we have been enjoying the slowly growing longer of the days. More daylight and sun, more energy. The world has been in a stage of growth. And today we are showing our gratitude for the sun, her light and warmth and the life it has brought.
DRESS FOR THE OCCASION
This day we celebrate so let’s dress for the occasion! Let’s capture the summer energy in today’s outfit in any way that works for you. For me that is light colors, soft silhouettes and light, flowy fabrics. A favorite but me is anything by Daughters of India*. I love their hand printed designs and light, flowy fabrics.
JOURNAL | setting intentions for the season ahead
I think one of the most beautiful things to really help you embrace a season, a change in seasons, is through just reflecting and journaling. We are halfway through the year so if you set any goals or intentions for yourself at the start of the year, now is the perfect time to check back in with them. If you didn’t set any goals but would still like to do so, go ahead and do that right now. Here are a few prompts to help you along.
PLAN READY
I am starting with preparing my bullet journal for the coming months and would recommend you to do the same. Or if you are using a regular planner, make sure it's all set up for summer. This gives me a nice overview of the coming months and means I am all set for any upcoming summer plans.
JOURNAL PROMPTS
To reflect on the past season and really embrace the fiery energy of Summer I have some journal prompts for you. So get your favorite notebook out (you can find mine here*) and a pen you love (I use the Conklin Duragraph rainbow*) and let's get journaling.
So let's celebrate the summer solstice together by reflecting, planning and just harnessing that beautiful, fiery, energy and putting that onto paper to help us in this next season.
VISION BOARD
I really love working with a vision board. You can watch me make my current vision board in this video. I do this around New Year every year. If you did not make your own vision board this year, I would highly recommend you to try it out. I find it super helpful.
I feel like New Year's is a beautiful time to make a vision board but honestly, the summer solstice is quite a perfect time to make your vision board as well. So if you don't have a vision board yet or you feel like your vision board doesn't really align with you anymore, go ahead and work on that first.
GOALS AND INTENTIONS
We are halfway through the year so if you set any goals or intentions for yourself at the beginning of the year, this is the perfect time to check back in with those. How are you doing with them? Are there any resolutions or goals that are no longer serving you or that you already reached? Are there any goals or resolutions that just don't align with you anymore? And are there maybe other goals or resolutions that you want to focus on a little bit more in this coming season?
I think we never should see any goals or resolutions as set in stone. We change as persons, our lives change and so can our goals and resolutions. So if there are any resolutions that are no longer serving you, feel free to let go of them. It is okay. (And if you need it, I am giving you permission to do so right now.)
If there are any resolutions that you really want to focus on more, you can make a plan for yourself on how you are going to do that. What steps do you want to take in this next season to work on those goals and resolutions?
If you didn't set any goals or intentions at the start of the year but you would still like to, this is a perfect time to do that. Today is as good a time as any. I don't think you really need that rigid starting point of the new year for any goal setting or intentions. You can definitely start them any day of the year. But why not do that right now at the summer solstice?
Do you have any goals or intentions for summer? What are they and what are the steps you can take to reach them? I think it's super helpful to break down your goals into smaller, more manageable steps. If there are some new goals or resolutions that you would like to add into the mix go ahead and do that right now. Again, break them down. So what is something that you can do to reach those goals and to work on reaching them, if it's a bigger goal.
PEAK MOMENT
At the summer solstice the sun is at her peak. It is the longest day of the year and the most daylight is reaching us from that fiery heart of the sun. Are there any peaks that you have experienced recently? Let's reflect on those. What were they? Are there any moments you've been really proud of yourself? We often forget to celebrate those moments, so let's take a little bit of time and really celebrate them right now.
FIRE UP
As the summer solstice is very much a fiery moment in time, what is something that lights a fire within you? What is something that makes you really excited? That gives you energy? What is something that you really want to do? What is something that lights that fire in you and how can you harness that fire, that thing that really gets you going, this coming summer?
LET IT GO
After the summer solstice the days are going to be getting shorter again and our energy is slowly going to be focusing back inwards. Which means that there is a beautiful energy of letting go, which will be even stronger in fall. But there is a first little starting of it in the summer, after the summer solstice.
This is a beautiful natural cycle that is reflected very much in our physical world, in the changing seasons, but that also relates to our inner worlds. So after this beautiful fiery peak, what is something that is no longer serving you? What is something that you can let go of in this next season to make space for new things but also make space for reflection and slowly going back inwards.
The things that you are letting go of can be actual physical things, but they can also be habits, behaviors, maybe thoughts. So it can really be anything.
PERFECT SUMMER DAY
Okay, let's take a break from all of the heavy reflections and end our journal session on a lighter note. I want you to think about what your perfect summer day looks like. What are you doing? Who are you with? And are you able to plan a day like that for this summer? Or even better, plan multiple days.
SEASONAL FOOD
Summer is a season of abundance, there is so much fresh and seasonal fruit and vegetables to enjoy so let’s celebrate them in today’s meals. Find out what is in season where you live and make something delicious with them. The more local the better but of course see what is possible for you. You can find my nice-cream recipe here, a definite summer staple in my book.
And while summer is a season of abundance, don’t go overboard. I know that I always crave lighter meals during the warmer months so that is what I am leaning into today.
GO OUTSIDE
What better way to celebrate the power of nature and the life giving energy of the sun than spending a good chunk of our day outside? Go out into your garden, a park or the beach. Feel the warmth of the sun on your skin or the breeze of the cooling evening air.
That was it for today. How are you celebrating the summer solstice? For now, good luck with the next steps on your bridge and I wish you all the happiness and an amazing rest of your day.
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