As we approach the Summer Solstice which happen on June 21st in the Northern hemisphere let us give thanks for the wonderful light that shines so brightly even when the skies are grey. As we marvel at these wonderfully long summer days and the short nights let us recall the journey from the moment of the Winter Solstice Dec 21st that led us to this moment. At the time of Winter Solstice we and the planet in the northern hemisphere are immersed in the darkness of long nights and very short days. Sometimes this darkness may have seemed overwhelming. This journey from overwhelming darkness to shining light which the planet made in the past 6 months is an essential and recurring aspect of life. This results in the energies of darkness and light, night and day , winter and summer, masculine and feminine which all dance together to create the tapestry of life our personal life, of our communities and the life of planet earth. We begin to understand that change is always happening and that in fact change is the only constant in life and so we can learn to embrace those changes and so live with more ease and grace in our daily lives. Now at the peak of summer we experience the wonderful blossoming in the gardens, in the fields and the hedgerows. We remember that everything that is blooming in high summer began its journey in the dark cold months of winter.
This journey is beautifully expressed in these lines from The Rose
Just remember in the winter far beneath the winter snows
Lies the seeds that with the suns love
In the spring becomes the rose
We may alsonotice somegrowth in our own personal lives, some inner changes, some change in our behaviours and perhaps we realised that these changes are the blossoming of seeds sown/planted in cold and hard circumstances (wintertime) of our lives.
At this time of summer solstice it may be useful to reflect on your own journey since that moment of Winter Solstice.
Consider what aspects of that journey you found challenging, which dark moments were particularly difficult for you, what beliefs, signs and/or people supported you?
What was it that allowed you to keep trusting yourself and the unfolding mysterious journey of your life? As you consider this journey are you willing to celebrate the new blossoming in your life?
At the time of greatest light, both in us and in our world, the shadow aspects of life becomes more visible. As we and the planet are illuminated with greater light we become more aware of the shadow aspects within ourselves. The shadow aspects of self are those aspects, both positive and negative, which we find difficult to accept and embrace as integral parts of ourselves. We push it aside and pretend it is not ours or we project these aspects of us on to other people. When we embrace those shadow aspects of self and surround them with light and love (acceptance) we transform those shadow aspects and welcome them into our lives so allowing us to have access to more dimensions of ourselves
At this time of Summer Solstice you might like to take some time apart.
Allow yourself to sink down into a quiet and deep place within yourself.
Call on the spiritual energies that support you in your journey to be with you now. Acknowledge some aspects of yourself (shadow) that you have resisted and that has longed to be a part of your life. Allow yourself to accept this aspect as fully as you can. Sit with this part of yourself and embrace it as fully as possible. Breathe in and out deeply and allow whatever feelings emerge to be OK. Give thanks to this aspect of you that presented itself to you for integration into your life. Stay as long as you need and when it feels complete bring your awareness back to present time and celebrate!
Enjoy the light and the summer time even as the planet begins its journey back towards the Winter Solstice.
Le Beannachtai
Dolores Whelan