Why the Summer Solstice Asks for Your Attention (And How to Answer)
A simple guide to ceremony, offerings, and receiving the Earth's most powerful blessings
What a powerful time we're in right now. Today, we're stepping into something that happens all over the world simultaneously… the Summer Solstice. While we're celebrating the beginning of summer here in the north, down south in Peru they're celebrating the beginning of winter. Different seasons, but we're all celebrating the beginning of what those energies bring.
And those energies? They're really powerful.
The Solstice: When Earth Offers Her Greatest Gift
Right now, at this very moment, the Earth is tilted at her maximum angle toward the Sun. The Northern Hemisphere is receiving the most direct sunlight it will get all year. We're literally bathing in peak solar energy. This isn't just an astronomical event. It's a cosmic reset button being pressed on the entire planet.
The word "solstice" comes from the Latin meaning "Sun stands still." For the next few days, the Sun appears to pause at its highest point in the sky. Ancient cultures built stone circles and temples oriented precisely to capture this moment because they understood something we're just remembering: timing matters.
Indigenous peoples around the world have marked this day for thousands of years because the Earth herself is in a state of maximum receptivity to solar energy. Your prayers carry further. Your intentions take root deeper. Your ceremonies connect you to something vast and ancient.
Why This Day Changes Everything
Solstices are global events that mark the beginning of different seasons, and every season brings its own energy. The energy of summer, what we're stepping into now, is the energy of fire.
Think about it. The Sun is closest to the Earth right now. It's the hottest time, but it's also the most energized time. This is when your body is absorbing the most Sun.
But here's what's really happening energetically: the solar plexus chakra (our center of personal power, will, and manifestation) is receiving maximum activation. The fire element within us aligns with the fire element surrounding us. This is why summer feels like expansion, growth, action.
Your ancestors knew this. They planned their most important initiatives around these cosmic cycles. They started new ventures, made major decisions, and performed their most powerful ceremonies when the Earth's energy was aligned to support those efforts.
Here's something I really want you to understand: if you want bigger results with less effort, it's good to follow the cycles of the Earth.
What Ceremony Actually Is (It's Simpler Than You Think)
These energies are happening whether we do a ceremony today or not. But here's the thing about ceremony: I love to explain it this way:
Ceremony is a physical acknowledgment of what is not physical.
The Sun's heat? We feel it. But the energy of the Sun, the protective energy, the warmth, the power, that's not physical. We sense it. These ceremonies are to acknowledge that even though it's not seen with my eyes, I know it's here, so I'm going to do a ceremony to acknowledge that.
When you perform a solstice ceremony, you're not just observing the event… you're participating in it. You become an active collaborator with the cosmos rather than a passive recipient of whatever energies happen to come your way.
The Heart of Every Ceremony: Offerings
A ceremony always includes offerings. Always. You can look at this across all cultures, it's sacred reciprocity, Ayni.
An offering can be so many things:
A song. Prayer. Physical offerings like flowers. Acts of service when I go to the ocean and see garbage, I'm always picking it up. That's an offering. Your presence simply showing up with full attention. Your gratitude genuine appreciation creates an energetic exchange.
On this day that marks the beginning of summer, you give offerings to two things: the Sun because it's closest to the Earth, and the Earth, the land where you're at.
A Simple Solstice Ceremony You Can Do Today
In Peru at this time, we do a big offering called Despacho. There's a whole ceremony made in the Earth with sacred smoke, physical offerings… the most beautiful flowers, put with such beauty in the ground. Then you cover it and do prayers. There's song, there's music.
But you don't need to make it complicated. Here's what you can do right now:
If you have a little backyard, perfect. If you don't, go find a beautiful place in nature. I used to do this when I didn't have a backyard. Take some flowers with you. Take some tobacco if you have it, some bird seeds.
This could be your prayer: "Thank you. Thank you for my life as I enter summer. Thank you, great Sun. Thank you for blessing me as you are closer to me. Thank you for lighting my way."
Think about all the qualities the Sun gives us. It gives us warmth. It's power, it's fire, it's protection. But it's also light, it allows us to see what we need to see.
Your Summer Solstice Blessing Ritual (Do This Today)
Here's a simple ritual you can do today to receive the full power of this moment:
What You'll Need:
Something from nature to offer (flowers, seeds, water)
A few minutes of uninterrupted time
Access to Earth (your yard, a park, or even a potted plant)
The Ritual:
Find your spot. This could be in your backyard, a nearby park, or even next to a houseplant.
Bring your offering. Flowers are always beautiful. Bird seeds work wonderfully. Even water from your kitchen can be an offering.
Begin with gratitude. Before asking for anything, offer your gratitude: "Thank you for letting me be here. Thank you for this sacred day."
Make your offering to both Sun and Earth. Place your flowers on the ground or sprinkle your seeds while saying: "Great Sun, thank you for your fire, your light, your protection. Earth, thank you for holding me, for providing for me."
State your intention clearly. What do you want this summer energy to help you with? More energy for your projects? Clarity on your path? Courage to make changes? Speak it simply and clearly.
Sit in receptivity. After making your offering and stating your intention, sit quietly for a few minutes. Feel the Sun on your skin. Notice what the Earth is communicating to you.
Close with service. If you see any litter, pick it up. If there's a plant that needs water, tend to it. Let your final act be one of service to the land.
Remember: The most important thing is that the offerings be the best you have, the most beautiful. Give the energy the same respect you'd give a dear friend.
The Practice That Changed Everything for Me
I want to share something I do that you can start today. Whenever I go on a hike, I have tobacco with me. I usually also have bird seeds. There's always birdseed in my trunk.
When I get into a space in nature, I acknowledge that there are spirits here, not only invisible, but also visible. There are spirits of the ancestors that have tended to this land, spirits of the squirrels, of the birds. I'm coming into their home.
I give a little tobacco, some bird seeds, and I'm like, "Thank you for letting me be here."
There are complicated ceremonies and those are beautiful, but I also really appreciate the simpleness of this connection. You can do a ceremony today by taking the time, giving an offering, and acknowledging this sacred day.
What Happens When You Honor the Solstice
When you perform a solstice ceremony, you're not just affecting your own life. You're contributing to a web of consciousness that spans the globe. Every person who honors this day with intention adds to the collective field of awareness and gratitude.
Your ceremony sends ripples through the energetic grid of the planet. It adds your voice to the ancient song that humans have been singing to the Sun for thousands of years. You become part of the living bridge between Earth and sky.
At Stonehenge, thousands gather to watch the Sunrise align perfectly with the ancient stones. In Peru, we celebrate Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun. Native American tribes hold Sun dances and fire ceremonies. You're joining a global celebration that has been happening for millennia.
When we do ceremony, when we give an offering, we align ourselves in a good way to this energy. And when we're aligned with the Earth's cycles, when we're working with these powerful energies instead of against them, everything becomes more possible.
The Blessings Available Right Now
The Sun is giving us everything it has right now. The fire element is at its peak. Your personal power is being amplified. This is the time for:
Manifesting your biggest dreams - the Earth's energy is supporting bold visions
Starting new projects - summer energy is about expansion and growth
Healing and transformation - the Sun's fire burns away what no longer serves
Connecting with your life force - your vitality is naturally heightened
Receiving clarity - the Sun's light illuminates your path forward
The question is: how will you acknowledge this gift? How will you step into summer with intention, with gratitude, with ceremony?
Remember, you're not separate from these cosmic cycles. You ARE these cosmic cycles. The same force that moves the planets moves through your body. The same fire that powers the Sun burns in your heart.
Your solstice ceremony is your way of saying yes to this truth. It's your way of stepping into conscious partnership with the forces that govern all life.
The summer solstice is happening right now. Don't let this powerful moment pass without acknowledging it. Your simple offering could be the beginning of a practice that changes everything.
The solstice energy is at its peak. Step outside, make your offering, and receive the blessings that are waiting for you.
