The Summer Solstice (from the Latin Sol or ‘sun’ and sistere, meaning ‘come to a stand still’) is the longest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere, daylight wise, because the Sun seems to come to a stop at its zenith and remain there longer than usual before reversing direction and moving south again. It is celebrated in many cultures, and this year it came with a few interesting aspects that will likely last longer than a season.
It happened during what’s called a ‘Strawberry Moon,’ which according to certain native American traditions marks the time to start harvesting the ripening fruit; this can be taken both literally and figuratively. The last time this phenomenon happened was in 1967, a year filled with important social events.
First, the American Civil Rights movement emerged strong after a series of race riots erupted across the country (referred to as the ‘long hot summer of 1967’). Then what’s known as the Summer of Love brought to public awareness the counterculture of the ‘hippie movement’ with 100,000 ‘flower children’ gathering peacefully on the streets of San Francisco to question war and rigid social tenets through music, communal living, and free love.
This sparked other groups to question the status quo as well, which was already quite polarized due to the Vietnam war. The peace movement expanded from just hippies, mothers, and students to include war veterans, artists, civil rights activists, social organizations, and clergy members (the most famous, of course, being Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), and together they pushed the US government to end the war a few years later.
Now, these may seem like many other social developments throughout history, but along with the 1968 student protests in certain countries, social outcries and revolts all over the world, and the technological advancements that also prompted environmental awareness, they set off the gathering of minds for the New Age movement in the ’70s, and in time would bring about the beginning of the Feminine Cosmic Cycle we’re now hastening the pace toward.
There’s a Planetary Conspiracy Supporting Your Transformation
Social change doesn’t happen without resistance, so we’ve witnessed both governments and civilians, and in general the excessive Masculine they represent, turn even more rigid and power-hungry in the past 30 years or so. More deceitful. More violent. More militarized. For the same reason, the spiritual revolution we’re now initiating entails some struggle and requires the strong determination to not give your power away by investing your attention in confusing information, discouraging news, or ‘quick fixes’ aimed to keep you distracted and off-center (from drugs to entertainment, to the promise of political change or spiritual power). True self-empowerment begins when you discover and remain in your center.
Which brings me back to this Summer Solstice.
You may be feeling a worldly burden on your shoulders while you’re tugged in different directions and also pushed to make plans and take action—both individually and collectively. This strong push and pull is meant to help you question how you’ve been doing things until now, where you’ve been investing your energy, and where you want to be headed in the next few years. It’s time to shed what no longer serves you as you clarify what you do want in your life, and WHY.
Yes, I know, you always have to be doing this, but now the Universe is conspiring to pull you apart so you can put yourself back together in a more conscious manner. Do you want to just give up your projects and plop on the couch to watch TV or find another way to evade responsibility or escape the world (or job, business, relationship, projects, etc.), as it seems harder to concentrate on the task at hand? Do you feel like you’re at a standstill on some (or many) levels and lack the clarity as to what your next steps are or can’t find the energy or time or courage to move forward?
These are things you may want to reflect on, as the Summer Solstice illuminates the trend of this year: letting go of past, familiar, comfortable ways to hide behind an outdated self-image you’ve been carrying since childhood and step up to the spiritual responsibility of healing and discovering new ways to manifest your full potential. In other words, out with the old, small, wounded you to welcome the new YOU you are responsible to reinvent.
Of course, this transformation won’t happen without resistance, but the more you resist, the longer you’ll feel stuck and confused or in pain. So the real question here is, are you willing to remain trapped in the illusions of the ego-mind, as usual, or are you ready to let deeper aspects emerge to lead you toward greater self-awareness and a more continuous connection to the core of your soul? Contact me today to gain the clarity and guidance you need to navigate these uncertain, overwhelming but also potentially wondrous times!
© 2016 Yol Swan. All rights reserved.
