Today marks the summer solstice. For some, the summer solstice is just the longest day of the year as the Earth’s orbit around the sun reaches the greatest distance from the equator, but it is so much more. The summer solstice highlights the journey from the blossoming of spring into the full abundance of summer with trees full of rusting leaves and nests of chirping baby birds, flowers stretching towards the sun in continuous bloom, bushes full of ripe berries, and kids laughter over sidewalks covered in chalk art. It represents bounty and energy when everything is ripe and flourishing around you.
At Gaia Passages, we recognize and honor the passages that happen as youth transition from one developmental stage to another and the same with nature as we pass from the promise of spring to the colorful celebration of summer. It is great to immerse yourself in the abundance of all that is blossoming around you and soak up the sunlight, but it is also a great time to harness that energy. Capture that bounty and reflect it in your life, nurture your relationships, your connection with nature, and even yourself. Blossom.
So celebrate the spirit of summer! Wiggle your toes in the grass, taste the juiciest berry you can find, witness a butterfly escaping its cocoon and taking its first flight, and embrace the new season. And remember when you harvest the vitality of summer, like flower essence in a bottle (very much like the header photo which is from our Wildflower Day Camp), it can enrich your long sunny days, but also allow you to bring that joyful spark forward into the future.