Summer Solstice: Celebrating The Sacred

Today is the day of ascension, the climactic point in our yearly journey through the seasons. In the northern hemisphere, the Sun is strong and the day stretches long. (If you are in the southern hemisphere instead, this healing message is more timely for you).

Summer Solstice celebrations are not bounded by time or space. In ancient days, the Mayans and Aztecs used this day to build many of their important structures. Countless indigenous tribes also perform their own rituals, dances and prayers. 🌞🙇

Nowadays, from the Icelandic secret midnight sun music festival, to the noodle tasting in South East Asia, to the mystic Stonehenge gathering in Britain…when the Sun shines outwardly and unreservedly, without a doubt, we feel its purity, power and presence.

However, Summer Solstice season is also a time when we can feel more emotionally charged than usual.

Especially if life has been busy and hectic for you lately, many previously unprocessed emotions can re-surface. Nothing is hidden under the Sun, and now those unwitnessed feelings are finding ways to catch your attention.

If you are feeling more intensely than usual – it’s very normal. Don’t be afraid of the rising tides – actually they can be very refreshing and cleansing for your energy system.

While emotions play an important role in our life and although we should be reflective and mindful, we don’t need to be consumed or controlled by our emotions.

There are creative ways to express the unexpressed: release those raw feelings in a healthy manner, utilise them for your art or process them in your healing journey.

Listen to your intuition, do whatever needs to be done. It’s a good opportunity to purify.🔥

Here in Britain, weather is known for its temper. But Summer is pronouncing itself with its scent, light and crystal sky. When the golden rays don’t stop shining on the jasmine bush until 10pm, Summer is here.

These days good news often doesn’t get the attention it deserve. So I’ve collected some, initially just for myself to counterbalance all that doom scrolling! Sharing some in this letter with you, may they contribute to brightening your day.

:: Though it is a long way to go, 10% of all global electricity generated in the past year was produced by wind and solar, more than doubled what was anticipated in 2015.

:: If you are a keen planter/grower, you probably have heard that fungus is key to support ecosystems, capture carbon, and even communicate with trees to help their wellbeing. 10k samples of fungus are being collected from around the world to map out the vast underground fungal networks.

:: 710 species of wildflowers were recorded in Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland last year – the highest number recorded since the project began 10 years ago.

:: 250 million trees were planted by over two million people in Uttar Pradesh, northern India, to keep a third of its total land area under forest and tree cover. Plastic bottles left in the national parks of Tanzania has been recycled and made into desks and chairs for local school.

:: Safeguard the present for the future generations. Over 1,000 different varieties of apple have been rescued from extinction by just one man in North Carolina.

:: Inspire the next generation. NASA’s Artemis programme plans to land the first woman to walk on the Moon in 2024.

(sources of the news: various issues from The Simple Things)

Happy Solstice!

Much love,

Yiye Zhang 章一叶