Summer Solstice Wants You to Treat Yourself

I know we say this every year, but seriously…where has the year gone?! I’m only just starting to get back in the flow of things and yet summer is already upon us in the Northern Hemisphere. How are you feeling?

Whether you’re feeling fully in control or lost at sea, I’m here to provide somewhat of a checkpoint. As I’ve mentioned in my previous articles, I like to mark the astrological seasons, and I’ve already shared a ritual that you can use for the Spring Equinox. Now, it’s time to talk about the Summer Solstice.

What is the Summer Solstice?

A solstice is a point in time when the Earth is at maximum tilt. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the Summer Solstice occurs when the North Pole is pointed closer to the Sun than at any other time of year. It appears to us as if  the Sun is higher in the sky than other times of the year. This causes us to experience the longest day and shortest night (in terms of daylight hours) of the year, hence the name solstice, which comes from the Greek solstitium—from sol (Sun) and stitium (still or stopped). In the Southern Hemisphere, the June Solstice is the Winter Solstice. Since it’s on the opposite side of the earth, the South Pole is furthest away from the Sun on that day. Folks in the Southern Hemisphere have their Summer Solstice in December. 

The Summer Solstice is in June for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere and marks the start of astronomical summer. The energy of the Summer Solstice relates to abundance and bloom. It’s a time to appreciate and enjoy our blessings, and make any necessary changes to ensure they continue to flow for the rest of the year.

The truth about rituals

A ritual is an excellent way to mark significant moments in the calendar. Especially because by committing to do a ritual at these points, you’re able to be self-reflective and take note of personal growth (or stagnation!) almost on autopilot. But a ritual doesn’t have to be complex, expensive or even time consuming. In fact, for me, the simpler the ritual the better, as you’ll be more likely to come back to it time and time again. Of course, it’s exciting and powerful to engage in, for example, a group ritual in a forest around a fire with drumming and howling and all the rest of it. But, let’s be honest, who has the time, energy and money to do that regularly?

I follow a simple formula for rituals which helps to break down what’s really important. Energy + Intention = Magick. Energy is created by the activity or activities you do within the ritual. Your physical environment, the day/moon/season, and any tools you use (incense, crystals etc.) can also help infuse the desired energy into your ritual. Intention is your reason for doing the ritual. What is it that you want to observe, request or give thanks for? When your intention and the energy of the ritual align, you make magick. Not magic as in Sabrina the Teenage Witch but magick as in transformational change.

Making use of these two elements—energy and intention—I have a super simple Summer Solstice ritual for you. As mentioned, this solstice is all about abundance. For us in the Northern Hemisphere who are observing it on 21st June, it is also the start of Cancer season, an astrological season associated with nesting and care-taking. With this in mind, all I encourage you to do this Summer Solstice is…treat yourself!

Yes, you read that right. No elaborate, multi-step ritual this season. I very simply want you to do something nice for yourself—something out of the ordinary. I want you to remind yourself what it feels like to be pampered. I want you to enjoy luxury without guilt. I want you to put yourself first, even if only for a few hours. I want you to celebrate the home that is your body. I want you to forget Hot Girl Summer and instead have a Home Girl Summer.

Time to treat yo’self!

As multipotentialites, we spend so much time focused outside of ourselves—our work, our projects, our collaborations, our goals, our milestones and, honestly, managing our basic needs with often inconsistent incomes. So if, when you read “treat yourself” you thought Okay, I suppose I can order takeout tonight, you’re probably not alone. But I need you to think bigger. Not necessarily bigger in terms of expense or lavishness. But this treat should be exactly that—a treat. Not something you do regularly anyway. When you spend so much time working, looking after others or trying to tighten your belt, it can be easy to forget what it looks like to treat yourself. So here are a few ideas…

• Tasty food. Could you treat yourself to a 5-course meal cooked by a private chef? Or take the evening, consult the internet, and cook the 5-course meal yourself? If you do most of the cooking at home, can you rope your partner, children or friends into making you a lavish meal?
• Spa day. Of course, you can physically go to a spa but you can also create a spa day at home. Give yourself the day off, get out your best candles and essential oils, make a simple face mask, run a hot bath aaaaand relax.
• Get away. Depending on where you live, you can have yourself a peaceful getaway by driving only an hour or hopping on a train—whether it’s to a lake, a forest, a beach or even that park you’ve been meaning to visit for years.
• Escape in some culture. Book yourself a ticket to a show, a movie, a concert or some other performance you can lose yourself in for a few hours.

Hopefully these ideas have got your creative juices flowing. The main point is, this Summer Solstice, you deserve to do something that is really and truly just for YOU.

Your turn

Do you get to treat yourself often? What treat are you thinking of gifting yourself this solstice? We’d love to hear your experiences in the comments!