Summer Solstice

We couldn’t imagine a better year to celebrate the summer solstice! After well over a year of ups & downs from COVID-19, things are easing up and in many places, gathering with friends, family or chosen tribe is a real possibility. This type of celebratory gathering is exactly what the summer solstice is about!

The summer solstice is the longest day of the year (and shortest night) and marks a turning point in the seasons. While the days will begin to shorten after the solstice, the heat of summer is still on it’s way. Cultures around the world and through time have celebrated the summer solstice as a time of life, abundance and creative energy. The sun, the giver of all life on earth, is in full power and fueling the growth of all our food sources. 

In 2021, the summer solstice also coincides with Father’s Day! So we celebrate the Sun & Fathers together, which seems an apt connection, as many cultures refer to the sun as Father Sun! 

After the hardships of the year that has passed, the celebratory energy of the summer solstice seems particularly poignant, and for many of us, will mark a significant shift into a new normal. It seems like a great time to reflect on the past year, what was hard, what silver lining’s there were, and how we want to more intentionally move forward from here. 

Here are 4 ideas to incorporate into your celebration this June 20th:

• Have a big cookout feast on an outdoor fire. Splurge on your favorite foods and treat your friends & family. Consider foods that are traditional to your heritage. 
• Pull out drums, guitars, rattles or other instruments and dance, sing & make merry. Find easy songs to sing together.
• Organize a gathering of like-minded people to set intentions together. Consider vision-boards, reflecting on challenges & successes and sharing with others what you want to bring into your life.
• For a solo idea, find a beautiful spot in nature to sit quietly and watch the sunset. Let your senses take in the natural world all around and attune yourself to it’s rhythms. 

Whatever route you decide to take, be sure to brew up some cacao to enhance the experience. Whether with others or on your own, cacao will help you drop into the celebratory energy more fully. It will help you connect with loved ones, loosen up your musical talents or tune into the subtle energies of the earth. Cacao is a great ally in seasonal ceremonies as it will support whatever intention we’re bringing. 

However you decide to mark the occasion, doing it with conscious attention helps us acknowledge the rhythms of life. We can more fully appreciate the times of light and growth, as well as the times of dark and stillness. It is this ebb and flow of life that calls us into a deeper understanding of what it means to be alive and to meet each moment with a full heart. 

To get your cacao in time for the summer solstice, make sure to order by 9am EST on June 14th