The Luminary Dance of the Season

The sun and moon are in a celestial dance during the solstice on June 20 and the full moon on June 21

Dreams in a Jar by Starbie B. (Collage, 2021)

Aspects of the Summer Solstice

I’ve always loved the sweet, sticky heat of summer days and the balmy buzz of summer nights. Where I live, summer usually brings electrifying thunderstorms that come in fast and furious and dissolve just as quickly, leaving a muggy electric charge in the air. Getting briefly caught in a torrential downpour offers a quick reprieve from the heat before the sun returns in all its glory.

The hot, sultry weather of summer¹ calls for enlivening hangouts with old friends and the thrill of possibility when making new ones. The sun’s rays coax us into the world as it coaxes seedlings to burst through the soil. Summer is for stimulating and inspiring socializing; for going outside and seeing what happens.

The summer solstice marks the longest day and shortest night of the year in the northern hemisphere. This year, it’s followed by a sun-moon opposition (aka a full moon) the next day. The longest day of the year is followed by the brightest moon of the month, so this solstice is particularly potent. The sun is also conjunct Venus and Mercury in Gemini, so mental stimulation and seeking pleasure through socializing and exchanging ideas are emphasized. You may feel called to craft, whether artistically or magically, or strongly desire to seek beauty and pleasurable joy in your environment. Trust that instinct. This is a potent time for doing anything that inspires and delights.