Summer Solstice: Honoring Your Season

Happy Summer Solstice! We have officially entered the summer season. Truth be told, summer is one of my favorite times of the year. It might be the fact that I am a June baby, but I love everything about summer. I love the warm sun on my face, the wildflowers in bloom, and the overall feeling that everyone is living their best lives. I also love new beginnings, and a new season gives us the opportunity for a new beginning. This new season gives us the chance to reflect on the past season, to acknowledge the lessons that time awards us, and to move forward. So, how will you honor your new season? What will you leave behind, and what will you take with you moving forward?

The word "solstice" is derived from the Latin words "sol" (the sun), and "sistere" (to stand still), so in essence, "solstice" means "the sun stands still". We should take note, and also take this time to pause and reflect. Like the sun, we can allow the summer solstice to illuminate the lessons that came from the seeds that we planted in the spring. What did we nourish and help grow, and what did we allow to wither and die? Whatever you water and feed should grow. Whatever you neglect, will perish and be swallowed back into the ground. This is true of our plans, our thoughts, and our feelings. It is also true of our bodies in some ways. We have to feed the parts of our lives that we want to grow with the things that nourish us most. So, how do we do that? I have 5 suggestions as to how you can honor this new season.

1) Embrace the lessons that you learned from the previous season. Just like planting a garden, you place seeds in the ground in the hopes that what you expect to grow will grow as it is supposed to. Sometimes those seeds turn into beautiful plants that bear the fruits of your labor. Sometimes they don't. The reason for a plant not brought to fruition could be due to neglect, it simply did not receive the nourishment that it needed. Other times it just does not bloom because it was not meant to. The seed was not fertile, so it stayed buried in the ground. This is true of many of the things in our lives. We have dreams that we feed in the hope that they will come to life. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they just stay where they are, buried deep, with no sign of life. We can do our part to try and sow our dreams, but we also need to know when to let go.

2) Let go of the things that no longer serve you. Sometimes the reason why the goals for our life do not become a reality is that they simply are not for us. We can't keep watering the wrong plants and expecting them to grow. Pouring more water on them does not help either. Some things in life just need to be left in the ground. We have to know the difference between fighting for what we want and fighting for what we need. The two are not always in alignment. This goes for dreams, people, jobs, and everything else that no longer feeds our souls. Let go, let it be, and move on.

3) Enjoy the harvest. There are parts of our lives that will bloom with very little effort. It seems that no matter what we do, these parts of our life just seem to flourish with every passing day. These are the things that are meant for us. Embrace them. Harvest the fruits of your labor, and allow them to nourish you in every single way. These seeds were placed in your garden for a reason, even if just for a season. Pay attention to them, so that you remember how easy the things that are meant for you come to you when you allow the universe to unfold as it should.

4) Prepare for the next season. As you begin to take note of your crops, separating the good from the bad, make sure to notice the sorting process so that you know how to prepare for the next season. Now that you know what nourishes you, be sure to plant more of those types of seeds. Pay attention to how the things that grow wildly within your garden make you feel. Embrace that feeling. This is where most aspects of growth happen. You also want to thank the seeds that did not grow because they saved you from the fruit that would have left you malnourished and begging to be fed. They served their purpose as well. You have to know what does not serve you to better appreciate what does. This is all part of the process.

5) Utilize the extra hours of sunlight that you have been gifted. Time is a precious parcel that we are given. It is borrowed, ever evolving, and never permanent. Use this abundance of sunshine to help you shed light on the parts of you that are growing. One of the best ways to do this is to actually spend more time outdoors in the sunlight. You are like a huge plant that derives its energy from the warm rays of the sun. Go outside and play with reckless abandon. Take your shoes off and stand in the dirt or the sand. There is something so grounding about becoming one with the earth. Use this extra time to stop and smell the flowers, listen to the birds as they sing their songs, and witness the smiles of children playing as if the day will never end. These are the days where magic happens.

Summer solstice is a special time of year. I hope that this first full day of summer will awaken something inside of you. My hope for you is that you will embrace the 5 year old inside of you, playing outside from dawn until dusk, finding all sorts of new adventures along the way. Children have a special way of dreaming. Their imaginations are boundless. Feed your imagination with the intent of allowing your reality to be whatever your heart desires it to be, if only for a moment. This is how you will honor your season.

With Love and Gratitude,

Matchmaker Lisa Maria