Solstices are important and ritualistic days that were designed to celebrate the changing of the seasons and a new energy.
You can read more about this year’s Solstice energy here, but if you are curious how to celebrate and honour this Divine time, here are some easy rituals.
Summer Solstice
The Summer Solstice celebrates the longest day of the year, a day that is believed to hold the greatest energy, prosperity, vitality, and strength.
In Pagan times, the Summer Solstice was referred to as Litha and rituals were conducted to honour the Sun gods, the Divine Light, and the element of fire.
People would rejoice and energize themselves under the warm light of the sun, believing that because the Sun was strongest that day, so too was God.
Vibrationally, the Summer Solstice is a time when Yang energy is high as well as the Root, Sacral and Solar Plexus Chakra.
Today, there are many ways that you can pay tribute to the sun including spending time outdoors, bringing nature into your home, setting up a fairy garden, doing yoga sun salutations, chakra mediations or lighting a candle.
Creating a protective amulet for the year ahead that is charged with the energy of the solstice is also a great way to capture the energy and vitality of the Sun. Here’s how:
Summer Solstice Ritual
- Choose your favorite crystal that evokes feelings of strength, passion, fertility, prosperity, creativity, fire or any other energy that you relate to the Sun. Orange and yellow colored crystals work well for this.
- Go outside and build a mandala of orange, yellow or red flowers. Alternatively, you can just create a sacred space and decorate it with orange, red and yellow fruits and vegetables or herbs.
- Your sacred space should also include a small bowl of water to help balance the energy. Keep a space in the center for your crystal.
- Place your crystal over your heart or stomach and set your intention- what energy do you want to bring in for the rest of the year?
- There are no rules what intention you create, but because we are dealing with the energy of the Sun, try to set an intention that is based on taking action.
- With your crystal either over your heart center or stomach area, say your intention out loud.
- Place your crystal in the center of your sacred space or mandala and allow it to soak up the energy of the Sun- best done from sunrise to sunset.
- To help your intention to be received, spend the day enjoy yourself and basking in the warm, prosperous rays of the Sun.
Winter Solstice
The Winter Solstice celebrates the longest hours of darkness or the rebirth of the Sun and is believed to hold a powerful energy for regeneration, renewal, and self-reflection.
In Pagan times the Winter Solstice was referred to as Yule and was a celebration of the Goddess (Moon) energy. It was believed that on this day, the Moon would give birth to the Sun.
Because of this, many celebrated Yule as a day where light reigned over darkness and believed it was a sign of good things to come.
Just like the Summer Solstice, the Winter Solstice was also celebrated with fire however, while the Summer Solstice was more about fertility, the Winter Solstice was honored as a time of birth or the start of a new cycle.
Yule was traditionally celebrated by lighting a candle or decorating trees with holly. In fact, many Yule rituals have been adopted in the celebration of Christmas.
Today, there are many ways you can celebrate the Winter Solstice such as spending time writing in a journal, inner reflection, doing dream work or meditation, working on your Heart, Throat, and Third Eye Chakras and bringing more Yin energy into the home.
You can also celebrate with a Goddess bath on the night of the Winter Solstice to help clear away the old and welcome the new. Here’s how:
Winter Solstice Ritual
- Fill up a bath with warm (not hot) water and light some candles or incense around the bath.
- Next, you want to add cleansing herbs to the bath such as sage, chamomile, basil, peppermint, cinnamon, sandalwood, lavender or rosemary. You can add them dried, fresh or as essential oils.
- As you sink into the warm water, imagine yourself being purified and cleansed from your feet all the way up to your head. Allow yourself to relax into the water and imagine all the old and unnecessary thoughts and feelings being washed away by the energy of the night.
- Honor your shadow self and offer your fears to the Mother Moon. Allow her to give you the power to re-birth them into something new and positive.
- After the ritual, drain the tub water out completely and discard the herbs outside in the moonlight.
We are all connected to the Universe, the Sun, the Moon and Mother Earth, so no matter what ritual you choose to do on the Solstice, why not spend a few moments feeling and honoring this Divine connection.
