Preparing for the Summer Solstice!

You can probably guess I use herbs in at least one of my rituals to celebrate the Summer Solstice! Litha invites us to relax, celebrate nature’s gifts and soak in the summer sun! This year’s double spring, thanks to the Chinese New Year’s Year of the Wood Snake, made it feel like warmer weather would never arrive1 Now that it’s almost summer, warmer temperatures are on their way in the northern hemisphere1 

Below you will find several rituals I have used to celebrate the summer solstice1

1. Make Mini-Herbal Wreaths 

Supplies to make Summer Solstice Wreaths

Plan to make several wreaths to share with friends!

You’ll need:

• Clippers
• Floral tape
• Floral wire

          Gather your herbs. Again, be flexible and use what you have available.  I used:

• Ivy to make the base.  You can also use grape vines or honeysuckle vines.
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Thyme
• Lavender
• Lamb’s Ears

Make circular wreaths out of ivy. I plan to wear mine on my head so I checked to see that it would fit!

Arrange the herbs on top of the ivy base, then use floral tape and/or wire to hold them in place, weaving around the wreath.

Mini Herbal Wreaths for the Summer Solstice

2. Get Up Early and Watch the Sun Rise

Invite friends to join you! If you’d like, wear your herbal wreath on your head and keep it on all day! Have one for each guest!  (If they don’t want to wear the wreath, that’s fine. I’ve found some people are reluctant!)
​Make pancakes the shape of the sun! Ha! Or make sunny scrambled eggs with a few snips of chives and basil! 

3. Journal 

Find a quiet place, perhaps in your Peace Garden (Creating a Peace Garden!) to journal. Write down some of the things you’d like to do during the summer months. Consider your values - health, relationships, creative projects, beauty and order, play and relaxation, for example. Even though many of us take the summer off from formal education, summer is still a great time to include reading, learning and teaching. Have you been thinking about learning to play a musical instrument, becoming more proficient at yoga, or learning to make sushi? Summer is a great time to learn a new skill. What are you planning for your vacation? Will you be traveling or taking day trips? Take some time to dream and set your intentions. 

4. Connect with the Earth

Get your hands dirty! There is a natural antidepressant called Mycobacterium vaccae found in soil. The bacterium stimulates serotonin production. In other words, playing in the dirt will make you happy!

You might want to paint using earth colors.  Did you know that the colors burnt sienna, burnt umber, raw sienna and raw umber are rich brown pigments, originally made from natural clays found under ground in the soil in towns in Italy? Make some paints from the soil in your area! Or reach for the siennas and umbers in your watercolors or oil paints. 

Look for fossils, weed your garden, plant seeds or make mud pies! Have fun!

5. Play in Water

Spends some time in and around water. Ideally, dip your feet in the ocean, a lake or stream. If that’s not an option, a swimming pool or hot tub would be a great substitute. None available? Run through a sprinkler or make water balloons and toss them around! Or go to a Baltimore Orioles game and sit in the Bird Bath section! The way they’re scoring this year, you may well get soaked! (The fans in the Bird Bath section are sprayed with water when players get doubles, triples and home runs!)

6. Light Up the Darkness

Light up the grill and have a cookout! If it’s not too dry in your area, you might want to have a bonfire as the sun sets! Light candles , lanterns, torches, or burn incense!

7. Watch the Sunset

Take a blanket outside to watch the sunset and stay for awhile to do some star gazing! 

You might want to consider not turning on the lights or using any electricity in the house after the sun goes down,. One of my friends is planning not to use any electricity in her house after sundown for a week following the solstice. 

How Do You Celebrate the Summer Solstice?

If you have rituals to celebrate the summer solstice, I’d love to hear about them. Please share in the comments below!