I'd like you all to meet Megan, the beautiful blogger behind the blog
Live Well and Breathe as well as the shop
Brass Key Closet! She's here to chat about the upcoming summer solstice (on Friday!) which I'm quite excited about since I know nothing about solstices. Read along with me!
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Summer solstice is a meaningful time for my close-knit group of girlfriends and I.
Solstice usually falls sometime between June 20 - 22 (this year, it's Friday, the 21) and is the longest day of the year, marking the official shift from spring into summer.
All around is thriving abundance of light and of life (my patio herb garden seems to grow exponentially in size with the passing of each day!). People everywhere are intoxicated by the arrival of more and more vitamin D-soaked days, looking forward to holidays and gatherings and summer music festivals.
Three summers ago, when my girlfriends and I planned our first getaway to a
Gulf Island cabin, we did so because we recognized it would probably be the last chance for us to connect meaningfully before the onset of the energetic summer season; the chance re-calibrate and power up.
Anytime I'm with these girls, I am immediately transported to the present moment - what Eckhart Tolle refers to as
"the power of Now". Simply
being. It's what makes our coming together so extraordinary, and why I feel so exceptional for weeks afterwards. And because of this, an annual summer solstice retreat is now a tradition of ours.
The recipe for an amazing solstice retreat is simple...
We always take care to make a decadent but wholesome meal. Fresh caesar salad and buns warmed on the barbeque. Chilled bottles of white wine or dewy cider or non-alcoholic herbed lemonade (recipe posted below!).
Twilight lasts forever on the day's longest year, and that first solstice at the cabin, we wandered to the lake's floating raft and practiced our tree poses while watching flourescent sky melt into flourescent water for what felt like a beautiful eternity.
We returned to the cabin's patio when bats began to dart past, and sat outside with glasses of wine, laughing until our guts ached. When we were ready to move inside, we lit tealights and read fortunes and laughed some more, until sleepiness finally won out.
The rest of the weekend carried on at the same exquisite pace.
Warm cinnamon rolls and coffee on the patio for breakfast; a visit to a local artisan to sample variations of goat cheese; and a lunchtime picnic at the island's provincial park, basking seaside on boulders, spreading smoked salmon cream cheese on chewy bagels.
I cannot explain how deeply restorative and meaningful our solstice retreats are for me (for us!); can't urge you enough to try it for yourself!
Last year's solstice rained torrentially, and we were disappointed at first - bought a potted sunflower to make up for the absence of actual sun, and met at one of our own house's instead of the lakeside cabin. We soon realized, though, that the weather couldn't prevent our being transported again to that extraordinary present moment. We lit candles and a small fire in the woodstove, which helped remove the dampness and fill the high-ceiling-ed living room with glorious warmth. Late into the night we impulsively decided on yoga, indulging in quiet meditation and gentle poses as the rain drummed rhythmically on the skylight. When it was time for bed, we dragged our air mattresses to the living room and camped by the fire's remaining embers, falling to sleep almost instantaneously.
I don't think there's any one specific way to celebrate the summer solstice, so long as you welcome the chance to be kind to yourself and honour the incredible plenitude that abounds this time of year.
My friends and I are already counting down to this year's retreat, the grand finale to my week off of work. Come rain or shine, we will be together to celebrate the shift in seasons. I hope you'll celebrate with us.
...
I first tried herbed lemonade during a road trip last summer, when my sister bought it from a local cafe. It's versatile and refreshing and can be as lavish or low-key as you like.
You'll need lemonade, obviously. You can buy a can from concentrate or, if you find that a bit sweet for your liking, you can prepare your own blend. From Sarah Ban Breathnach's
"Simple Abundance": "Boil two cups of granulated sugar and one cup of water with the rinds of three lemons cut into thin strips for five minutes."
"Let the syrup cool and add the juice of eight lemons."
"Strain and store in a covered container in the refrigerator. Use two tablespoons of the syrup for every glass of ice [so, assess how many cups your pitcher will pour] or carbonated water to make lemonade."
Add a variety of fresh herbs to a large juice pitcher.
The possibilities are truly endless: rosemary, lemon balm, mint, lavender - customize to your liking! Put a hefty handful of herbs in, and muddle gently with a wooden spoon (I don't like to be too aggressive here, because I like the herbs to be pretty still).
Add your lemonade to your pitcher of herbs and stir - voila!
That easy. It's fun to add some circles of lemon and fruit - frozen raspberries or sliced strawberries. Just remember you might need to strain when you pour, especially if you've used something like rosemary or lavender. That's up to you.
I love herbed lemonade as a summer solstice drink because it has a sort of witchy-ness to it fitting for an occasion rooted in nature and the Wheel of the Year. Also, it tastes amazing the day after you prepare it - the flavours brew and make for a way more potent flavour experience. Bottoms up!
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