Solstice!

Joyful little things you might like to do

Just a quick one! Sunday is Father’s Day, well done all the dads. But it’s also summer Solstice, Midsummer. Shakespeare knew there was magic around, and so should you.

I am not a knit-your-own-granola hippy. I just bought the Shark Chill pill and use enough chemicals on my face to strip the paint off a battleship. But I do believe in ritual, in gratitude, in something outside of ourselves that gives us reason to resist individualist culture and celebrate together. I’m just a girl, standing in front of the sun, asking it to bless her.

The summer Solstice always occurs at the exact moment the sun enters Cancer, which is the maternal sign of the zodiac. It might be Father’s Day but it’s mother month. Cancer is all about nurturing, emotion, caring for yourself and others. This goes some way to explaining the hippy, take-care-of-the-earth energy that the solstice brings. It’s in keeping with the spirit of Glastonbury, which ordinarily happens over Solstice.

You may find during this time that you unconsciously move towards self care in a macro way. The healing energy is potent, and if you’re a hustler/workaholic like me, it’s around this time that a very feminine, emotional energy is more readily available. Realisations arrive, like you need a rest or a break or a holiday. Big moves and bold ideas might occur to you about your self and your/your family’s life that if actioned would have a lasting positive impact. I read Daisy Buchanan’s lovely piece this morning about 24th June marking 4 years sober for her, and smiled to myself. ‘Ah yes, Cancer season.’

I probably don’t need to tell you that it’s the World Cup at the moment, which I love, but it does mean there’s quite a masculine vibe about the place (earth) that could do with a little offsetting. Solstice is an opportunity to get some joy out there that doesn’t involve beer flying around.

You don’t need to go to extremes! Or do anything game changing! Here are some nice things that you might do to celebrate, to raise your frequency and call in positivity:

• Have a meal outside. You probably do this all the time but making it intentional is powerful, especially if you cover the table in flowers

• Have a walk in nature with friends or family (or your dad!), with the express intention of noticing something beautiful

• Make an altar with your household - ideally outside but inside works fine too. You will need a candle to represent fire, then collect other things to represent earth, water and air. Whatever that means to you. They might be flowers, feathers, stones or crystals, a bowl of water, incense, herbs, fruit, photographs of things you love….whatever. Here are some very simple ones that illustrate how sweet and easy it can be:

• Dance! Dance to this! Or this! This recommendation makes me feel quite vulnerable, but in the spirit of open-heartedness I share this piece of music I heard in Bali a few years ago and I put it on whenever I need to feel happy and grateful. You will spend two minutes thinking who the hell are these hippies then if you allow it, it will become infectious. Read the comments beneath the video, they are lovely.

• Affirmation: I have enough, I am enough, I do enough. Five times in the mirror. I can’t even begin to tell you what a difference that will begin to make.

• Sing something, literally anything. Singing is mood enhancing, pain relieving, endorphin releasing, stress reducing! People at the World Cup are experiencing this!

Or if you have a bit of time and space tomorrow, do some lite journalling.

• What am I most proud of since this year began?

• What five things am I grateful for?

• What three qualities do I appreciate in myself in this moment?

• What seeds have I planted that I choose to take through to the end of the year?

• What isn’t making me happy, that I can begin the process of letting go of?

• When I look back on 2026 in December, what do I want to see? (it doesn’t have to be realistic, these are your desires, they are limitless)

If you REALLY want to go for it, and why wouldn’t you, this is what I’ll be up to:

I Wrote Down My Dream Life. Six Months Later I Was Living It.

Really all this is just encouragement to think of tomorrow as a blast of joy and hope in what is otherwise quite a difficult world. The comments are open - feel free to share what you’re up to ESPECIALLY if you’re going Stonehenge.

And how will I be celebrating Cancer season? Well, I’m on a wellness retreat from Tuesday. This means you’ve had two fancy posts this week and will get another when I’m back. Love and light til then!