The Summer Solstice seems to be arriving with a bang this year and bringing the heat in more ways than one. As we take a collective exhale, for a world on the brink, it seems more important than ever to reflect and find clarity in our own lives on how we are operating in 2025. While much of the worldly events feel out of our control, it becomes more imperative to harness our own sovereignty and make intentional choices about who and what we let in and how we move forward. Luckily the solstice is a time when the sun is at its highest point offering us that clear vision and a peek into the second half of the year. This gateway of light offers us the energy to transform things that may have grown out of balance and the light to understand what needs to change. It’s a natural point of reflection and these ancient celestial transits offer us a space to pause, giving thanks for all that is and the tenacity to forge our way forward, continually checking in with our higher self to make the necessary adjustments to stay on course.
So, wherever you find yourself this summer solstice, here are three ways to celebrate this peak moment of light…..may they help you remember your own.
Build An Alter for Pachamama
Purpose: Grounding & Gratitude
Cost: Free
Time: 2 min – 1 hour
Building an alter is simply a way to show your gratitude and devotion to something and in this case, we are honoring Pachamama. The term ‘Pachamama’ for those unfamiliar is the word used in the indigenous traditions of South America and refers to the Earth Mother or embodiment of the Earth as both powerful and life giving. To build an alter is to be in reciprocity with the energy of the Earth, showing her reverence and gratitude for the abundant resources she has given us. Building an alter is also great for the mind, as it allows us the space to slow down and place our attention on all that we have, rather than what is plaguing us.Building an altar, can take as little or as much time as you want, but I especially enjoy doing this by crafting a mandala from pieces of nature. Look for anything in your native environment: shells, pinecones, rocks, seeds, flowers – anything you can assemble into a simple geometric structure. Next, I like to pick a geometry that speaks to where I’m at or what I’d like to manifest in the second half of the year. For instance, if you are looking for more abundance you may want to try making a spiral or perhaps you are looking for balance and want to create a Vesica Piscis. Most important here to pick something not too complicated (unless you have more time and patience to complete) and that reflects what you would like to give to the Mother Earth. Remember we get, what we give and as simple as this activity may sound the energetics of it are multi layered.
Solar Meditation
Purpose: Clarity & Peace
Cost: Free
Time: 5 min – 30 minutes
To practice this simple solar meditation, consider finding a space outdoors at sunrise or sunset where you can feel the warmth of the sun on your body and the light behind your eyes. I recommend reading through the inspiration of this meditation and adopting it on your own. If you feel you need more guidance or have a hard time staying focused you could do a voice memo reading the script outload and then playing it back to yourself during your meditation. Taking this extra step can be especially productive if you’d like to challenge yourself to more daily meditations. Try using it for several days back-to-back to get you in the groove or play it night as you drift to sleep allowing the words to filter into your subconscious.
Solar Meditation for the Summer Solstice
Begin by finding a quiet space.
Sit or lie down in a comfortable position, spine long, heart gently open. Let your hands rest softly in your lap or by your sides.
Close your eyes and bring your awareness to your breath.
Feel the gentle rhythm of your inhale… and exhale…
Allow the breath to become deeper, fuller, slower.
With each breath, feel yourself arriving more fully in this sacred moment.
Now… imagine a warm, golden light above your head—the radiant presence of the sun.
Not the harshness of midday heat, but the loving, nourishing sun of early morning… soft, golden, wise.
This light begins to descend…
Touching the crown of your head…
Bathing your scalp… your forehead… your face…
Feel it like warm honey or golden water, melting tension, illuminating your thoughts.
With each breath, this solar light flows down into your throat, opening your voice, your truth.
Down into your heart, warming your chest, dissolving old walls, and illuminating the chambers of compassion and courage.
Feel this golden light entering your solar plexus—your center of willpower, confidence, and vitality.
Here, the inner sun awakens.
Breathe into this space just above your navel.
Visualize it as a glowing golden orb, expanding with each inhale, radiating with each exhale.
Say silently or aloud:
“I awaken the sun within me.”
“I honor my light, my power, my purpose.”
Allow this light to fill your entire body now—your hips, legs, feet, arms, hands, and spine—until you are glowing from the inside out.
You are the sun.
You are light.
You are life-force embodied.
Now, take a moment to receive a message from the sun.
This may come as a word, an image, a feeling, or simply a sense of peace.
Open your heart and listen.
When you’re ready, place your hands over your heart.
Feel the warmth you’ve cultivated.
Know that you can return to this light, this inner sun, any time you wish.
Take one more deep breath in…
Exhale with a soft sigh…
And when you’re ready, gently open your eyes, carrying the radiance of your inner sun into the rest of your day.
Envision the Future You
Purpose: Uplifting & Motivational
Cost: Free
Time: 2 min – 2 hours
This one is super fun and can be done at any time of the year, but like a New Year’s ritual it’s a natural time to pause, reflect and envision. This practice can be especially potent if you practiced the solar meditation ritual and received any visions or guidance, as small or as insignificant as it may seem now, to your future. These message from the higher self and/or subconscious mind speaks in the language of symbols and may be unclear to you at first. That’s ok, try not to overthink it and allow the message to unfold over time. There are many ways to get creative and envision the future you, perhaps you write out lyrics to a song or write a poem. Maybe you’re a more visual person and want to draw, paint or collage the future you. Whatever path you choose don’t get stuck on the details or the outcome, the main objective here is to see what emerges through the process and not second guess it. This is a wonderful way to start more actively connecting the conscious and subconscious mind. Personally, I love doing this by creating a vision box! A take on the trusted vision boards, I like to collect cool boxes throughout the year that I can repurpose for crafts like this and use as a living time capsule. It’s where my future and present self-merge crafting a visual pathway forward and breadcrumbs of where my soul is looking to go next. When embarking on this ritual, rather than consciously going out and looking for images or words that pertain to what I “think” my future should look like, I allow my subconscious to take over. I love to put on music and flip through magazines or old books (I don’t mind ripping up) for anything that simply “jumps out” at me. It may be a texture, color or feeling that is portrayed in an image, or sometimes a particular word or phrase describes a state that I desire to be in. Again, the important aspect here is not to question what or why but to simply allow whatever to speak to you. I am never disappointed at what emerges. What appears to be a collective bit of unrelated scrapes starts sending messages as I begin to collage the pieces into place. Suddenly the box begins to tell its own story, my future story, that my higher self was writing all along. And just as in real life, we don’t always see how all the points (people, places, and events) connect until we gain some perspective (and often time). The power of this process is to window peak into that destiny being written by you, for you and which will emerge through our active intentions. I’ve been practicing this ritual for over 10 years now and my vision boxes always serve as powerful time capsules to where I was in life and what I was on the brink of doing. The box also serves as a meaningful place to keep artifacts from the second half of 2025. Fill it with journal pages, intention cards, dried flowers or offerings, anything that captures the inner longings of your heart. This is sacred space.
While all these practices can be done as simply or extravagantly as you desire, they can also be done alone or together. Each of these activities are designed to blend beautifully into the next creating a longer more spacious reflection. So, if you can reserve the day just for you, or perhaps a sacred partner or sister, I encourage you to wake up and build an alter, meditate under the sun’s rays, laugh dance and celebrate on Pachamama and close your day envisioning where the second half of the year will go. What may feel like a pause, is really streamlining your future.