June is the first month of summer, here in the Northern Hemisphere. The last remnants of spring hang on-the fresh green grass and new leaves, the hawthorn blossom which is now turning pink and beginning to fall and the carpet of daisies. But with the summer solstice only a few weeks away the height of summer is fast approaching and with it the hotter months of summer, where the ground turns drier, the grass goes to seed and the crops ripen.
The summer solstice is a fire festival, back in the Celtic times many bonfires would have been lit to celebrate the height of summer. The word solstice itself means Sun Stand Still and indeed this is the time of year where the sun has reaching its peak in the sky, and the longest day reigns. After the solstice the sun begins to retreat again and the days shorten, but don’t worry the warmest months are yet to come and summer lingers well into the first weeks of September before the colder and darker seasons can be felt.
Traditionally this time of year was used as an opportunity to let go of things that did not serve oneself. This could be physical objects that are no longer needed and clutter up one’s space or it could be an emotion. To honour this, June is the perfect time to journal on the question-What do you need to let go of- and do a physical and mental deep clean. You could even burn this piece of paper afterwards as a summer releasing ritual.
After the bustle and work of spring, I feel like nature slows in summer. The blossoms hang lazily waiting to be pollinated, the bulk of the growth has been established and now is the time to sit back a little and enjoy the glory of it all. Of the hotter days the heat of the sun forces us to take it easier, to lean back on a picnic blanket and shade our eyes from the golden glare of the sun’s rays amid a sky as blue as a pool of water. I’m forced to leave the sweltering polytunnel and I take to opportunity to read outside, have a picnic or brew a cup of herbal tea in the shade of our forest garden in our Kelly kettle. Or if I have just a few moments to myself, I like to kick off my shoes and feel the warm earth beneath my feet.
Midsummer is a wonderful opportunity to lean into what we love about the season of summer, what childhood memories of the season still joyfully linger in our minds and what would we like to recreate this year. Summer really is a time to let loose, play and celebrate and reveal in the beauty of light, warmth and long days!