Sweet Summer Solstice
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Our Summer Solstice Celebration
“Hello, lovely Rose!” I texted joyfully Monday. “Wednesday is solstice and I’m wondering if we want to do tea together? I’m free from noon to 2!” Rose and I prioritize gathering at solstice and equinox. We both love a good party, and one tied to Earthly bounty — irresistible.
The seasonal holidays of equinox and solstice center on our sun’s relationship with the earth and are turning points in the four seasons. Celebrations at the shift in recession of lightness or dark can bring our attention to all that Mother Earth is and offers. It is an opportunity to notice how we, in parallel, experience darkness and light within our own natural rhythms of growth and creativity.
Rose and I gathered flowers, herbs, and fruits to celebrate the day and our relationship. We adore each other’s directness and unabashed enthusiasm for life. Upon receiving my text, Rose sent me a list of possible activities and foods and asked me to choose which I found most fun and festive. As per usual, I picked “all,” and then we discovered what we were most drawn to in the moment when the day arrived.
On that day, Rose brought the most gorgeous sun tea I’d ever laid eyes on. Slices of lemon hung suspended within a bright pink tea at the top of her quart mason jar. Rose petals tinted the glorious concoction, and it was flavored too with lemon balm and lavender. You can see the end result on the table there, above.
After a light lunch, Rose and I foraged in the vegetable garden and picked goumi berries from our little forest garden. Rose had foraged her tea ingredients (lemons aside) on her side of our neighborhood, and we agreed to make flower crowns for ourselves another day if we felt moved. At lunch I laughed to the point of tears with shared stories of parakeets and jumpropes, before we explored the science behind flavor and taste.
What do you do to celebrate the seasons of the Earth or the seasons in your life? What rituals with dear friends bring you joy?