Summer is upon us! On Saturday, we will experience the longest day of the year – the summer solstice. This turning point brings vitality and meaning into our lives. It ignites a desire to frolic, explore, and socialize. As well as a longing to connect with what really matters and let the rest go (to lighten our load – because who wants to feel weighed down in summer?). So drink in the sunshine, gather with friends, and stay out late in the summer air.
Since the solstice marks a significant transition, it is a good time to create your own little ritual and set your intentions for the coming months. Summer opens up a sense of freedom and play. It loosens our hold a bit, allowing us to be more flexible and adventurous. It also helps us to be more light hearted and easy going, feeling that touch of summer magic in the air. When we align with the energy and make the most of it, summer can infuse our lives with vitality, joy, and new possibilities. Plus, we can have a lot of fun!
As we move into summer, we also move into the sun sign of Cancer. Cancer is a sensitive water sign that loves nourishment, comfort, connection, and a deep feeling of home. Some may say this is a good time of year to come home to oneself: to connect to our inner and emotional life, to consciously inhabit our bodies, to cultivate a beautiful and inspiring home or office, and to find a sense of peace and ease in all that we do. When the energy infusion of summer solstice blends with the deep love and care of Cancer, there is a wonderful opportunity for creating both a fun and meaningful experience.
I see summer as a chance to free oneself from what shackles our lives and to live from our hearts. Heaviness may come in the form of outdated commitments or strategies, complicated expectations, striving for perfection, comparing ourselves to others, staying in a situation that no longer works, trying to control everything, or any other number of things in our lives that just leave us feeling bound up and overwhelmed. Summer, with it’s lightness and possibility, gives us an opportunity to be honest with ourselves about our feelings and how we are living our lives.
Unlike the seriousness of winter, we can approach self-reflection with a generous and light-hearted perspective. It is not about assigning blame for things getting cumbersome, stagnant, or out of balance – it is simply a time to check in and see what we can let go of to lighten our load, and to re-asses what has meaning and resonance for us. It’s a gentle and joyful realignment, a new calibration that is more about honoring what is and what is to be, than beating ourselves up over what has been.
And in this getting present, letting go, and re-focusing, we can attune ourselves more deeply to what is in our hearts. We can take the time to compassionately witness and express our emotions. We can ask for what we need and cultivate an environment where everyone is honored. We can also create space for listening to our passions and desires and find fun ways to start exploring them. By freeing up our hearts and giving ourselves permission to explore what inspires and enlivens us, we create a new landscape for the parts of ourselves to emerge (especially the parts that get starved while we are so focused on what is practical, logical, reasonable, etc.). In summer, we take risks. We look at the world through new eyes of possibility and we say “yes, I can have this.” We suspend our skepticism and we take a leap of faith. And we lean in to our community so that we have warm arms waiting to receive and celebrate us for our courage and creativity…and for the bright light that we are!
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