Summer Solstice 2025
The Sun bows Down to Moon at the Summer Solstice.
Throughout history, the Summer Solstice has woven itself into the fabric of folklore and different traditions. Shakespeare captured this enchantment with the Summer Solstice in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, while ancient pagans celebrated Litha, honouring the sun’s power and vitality.
The Summer Solstice is a key festival around the Wheel of the Year. At the Summer Solstice there is a shift of energy, a transition from Sun to Moon, from yang to yin, and from fire to water. The Summer Solstice is a time to celebrate the Sun, the life-giving star at the centre of our solar system, and it’s also a time to welcome back the darkness, as we enter the darker half of the year.
The Sun’s energy gives life to Earth, and without it there would be no life on our
planet. Its gravity holds everything in the solar system together. The Sun-Earth relationship is what drives the seasons, weather, climate, and ocean currents.
It’s easier to celebrate the Sun than to throw a party for the shorter, darker days but we must remind ourselves of all the life affirming things that do happen in the dark. The darkness gives us rest and rejuvenation; babies grow in the dark warmth of their mother’s womb; and seeds germinate in the darkness of the soil.
Now, we are at the height of the growing season, with all its frantic, restless energy. And this is the perfect time to take some time out to reflect on what we have achieved during the first half of the year, and what we wish to incubate during the second, darker half of the year. We pause to celebrate both the power of the Sun and to welcome back the darkness.
The changing of seasons is a time of transformation, of change in nature and new beginnings. In our modern lives, which are often detached from nature’s rhythms, the Solstice beckons us to reconnect with the world around us. Embracing these natural transitions can deepen our sense of belonging and presence and by marking important turning points in the year, we can help ourselves and each other feel closer to our environment. We can use our yoga practice to support this process by including practices that create heat in the body and build our inner strength. Re-charge and energise your system by picturing this sun brightening and expanding as you inhale. As you exhale imagine warm rays of sunlight radiating throughout your body.
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