Welcome & Summer Solstice Ceremony Announcement
Welcome to the Thirsty Soul Podcast, a place that reveals inspiration, creativity, wisdom, and clarity—guiding you into communion with yourself, your soul, and the sacred. Each episode is here to help you contemplate the themes in your own life and deepen your relationship with yourself, your life, and the world around you.
And a little quick update on some events that are happening: if you’d like to celebrate the Summer Solstice through ceremony, you can join me on Sunday the 23rd in Fox Rock County, Dublin, for Burn Bright, where we’ll be supported by our Plant Guardian, Blue Lotus, to help illuminate what you need to see, know, and experience to support the evolution of your soul. Your soul holds sacred messages that reveal timely truths about where you are in your life right now, so you can let the light of your soul shimmer, shine, and express itself through this ceremony. It is truly an opportunity to commune deeply with your soul and to acknowledge and bring forth what it is wishing to share with you. As always, all details are on my website, thethirstysoul.com.
The Beauty of Summer Solstice
And now on to today’s episode, which revolves around the Summer Solstice. As we stand at the threshold of the Summer Solstice—which is the 20th of June, sort of the “true” date (the traditional date is the 21st)—it’s a time to pause. No Summer Solstice is ever the same if you’re alive to the subtleties that lie within it.
As I look outside today, I see little wild roses growing in the trees and in the bushes that were not there last year—and I did not plant them. I see that somehow everything seems really tall this year compared to other years; I was even looking at photographs comparing our hedge to last year, the things that I do.
It is far more “wild” is the word I would use this year—it’s like it just grew and popped out in the last few weeks, which is beautiful to see.
I love this time of year when it is more untamed. I know some people love trimming everything down and giving it a good haircut, but I love the wildness. Even when you’re driving down the road, you might not be able to see around corners fully because everything is just growing all over it. Yet, I do love walking and being in that kind of space because it’s not so sterile.
How are you meeting the energy of the Summer Solstice
The Summer Solstice carries with it a certain energy and rituals, but I’m more interested in how this Summer Solstice is meeting you.
- How is the natural world—nature—speaking to you as you stand at this turning point?
- What is alive in you at this moment?
- As I often like to say, what is nature reflecting to you?
- And how can the medicine of the Summer Solstice support you, no matter where you stand on the wheel?
I feel that most areas of my life stand in a sort of dipping and dancing between Imbolc and the Spring Equinox, with a little teaspoon of Summer Solstice.
I also think of the opposite points of the wheel—the Autumn Equinox and Lunasa—which balance new beginnings, emergence, and the collecting together of things to bring them into form, while, in the midst of all that, there is also letting go, experimenting, finding out what works and what doesn’t work, and tidying things up.
How to receive from this turning point on the Celtic Wheel
In this way, the Summer Solstice, which represents expansion, fullness, ripeness, shining, and flow—even if I may not be fully in that state—can inform where I am at this very minute. Especially if you feel stuck or find yourself traversing different stages and not aligned with the Celtic Wheel (as in, you’re not in your summer phase), it can be used as medicine to support and resource you in this moment.
Because life just isn’t so tidy that everyone in the whole world, or in the Northern Hemisphere, will be aligning perfectly with their Summer Solstice—everyone is flowing and expanding at their own pace.
Even if we are in the depths of our winters, the Summer Solstice can nourish us, even if things are shedding, letting go, or being harvested; in essence, even if it’s past my summer, it can still give me direction. Or, if I’m only at the beginning, it serves as that inspiration, that remembrance to keep going and keep showing up.
The Three-Day Portal of Summer Solstice
Probably most of you know that the Summer Solstice is seen as a three-day portal. It brings in light and illumination—it is the longest period of daylight of the year, where a “grandfather’s son” is at his peak potency. The word “solstice” is often seen as coming from the Latin for “sun standing still,” as the sun appears to rise in the same place on the horizon for several days. This creates a potent moment for us to stop and reflect before we, like the sun, begin to pivot in another direction. It is a powerful time to slow down and honor where we’ve been before perhaps forging the path forward.
The Peak of Summer
Even though it’s the peak of summer, I was just saying to Liam during the week, “We haven’t had our summer yet; I don’t feel we’ve had a summer. The sun has not fully appeared in the sky.” And Liam, the optimist, replied, “Yeah, but it’s only the beginning of summer.” I responded, “Yeah, but the Summer Solstice next week is the peak of summer.” So there can be a part of us that is like, “Oh my God, it’s the peak of summer, and it’s downhill after this year—we’re going to lose that daylight.” But we don’t really lose it until the time shifts in October, really sort of around the autumn equinox.
After the Summer Solstice, the days will begin to get shorter by about a minute every three days, and by the time we reach the autumn equinox, the days will get shorter by around three minutes because the autumn equinox marks equal daylight and darkness. So there is still all this time ahead of us to enjoy the sunlight, even though our mind may think differently.
Inviting the Sun’s Radiance
Coming to the Summer Solstice, if you think of the first thing about the sun of summer, it is its shining brightness and fullness.
How do you feel when the sun is shining?
How do you interact with your day and with yourself in different ways?
It is easy to see the beauty in summer when there is brightness all around, but can we allow ourselves to see and enjoy that beauty even when it is still grey outside? Yet the brightness is there.
The Summer Solstice teaches us that the brightness is always present—not just externally, but internally as well.
But if you think of the sun, can you allow that brightness in?
By receiving that life-giving light, I needed the darkness of winter to feed and nourish my richness, to give me that strength, that dreaming time, so that I could expand and open.
And I’m still receiving from the earth what I need, but now the sun has been feeding me, calling me to open up. Uncurl those petals, reach toward the sun, and turn your face toward the sun.
Can you let yourself fully blossom?
Can you allow it to nourish you, even though the descent is faintly, faintly tapping at the door?
Because when something is at its peak in life, we often need to prepare for the descent—the dying of the old. Things sometimes end so that we can slow down and enjoy these moments when things have been and are potentially ripening for you, when things are coming into full blossom, when life is enjoyable, filled with fun, laughter, and a sense of flow.
And when you feel you are coming into your own—maybe you’ve grown in confidence, maybe you’re feeling the call to action, perhaps you have more energy to devote to yourself, your life, and your projects—the Summer Solstice channels this kind of energy.
It is when you’re feeling deeply connected to life and aligned; it’s that peak of life force within and around you. Everything seems brighter, everything feels luminous, and you’re full of life—like the little “duracell bunny” that could just keep going, because life is feeding you this high energy.
Often, you have more life force available to you than you even know what to do with, and there’s also a sense that anything can happen, that you can do anything. Because of that excess energy and the flow of life force, there is energy available to anchor and bring to life: to feed, nourish, tend to projects, relationships, and life habits that are brewing.
Now is the time to actually take action and let that outward energy manifest.
Engaging with Summer’s Outward Energy
: In summer, you’re out and about much more; you’re usually engaging with people more. There’s a lot more mingling, a lot more of a “let’s go out and do something today” kind of energy—a clear outward call to action.
During this time of the Summer Solstice, which represents ripening, I often like to think of healing as: what is ripe for the picking?
The fruit is now ripening, getting ready to be harvested. But perhaps, what in your life is ripening?
In my own healing journey, I reflect that sometimes we take a chisel to ourselves in an attempt to bring healing in—to shift and change something—and yet,
- A) sometimes we aim in the wrong direction, and
- B) we miss what is right in front of our faces.
What is ripe for the picking is the foundation—something else may need to happen or be anchored before you can shift that energy, habit, or pattern. It’s kind of like we go for the hacking rather than doing the foundational work.
So, what in yourself is ripe for picking—ready to be healed—that is just sitting there, waiting for you to reach out and start working with it so that it can change?
And what in your life are you taking a hammer and chisel to, without making any forward progress?
Perhaps it’s time to lay the tools down for now and return to your foundations—nourish yourself, tend to your physical body—knowing that through other foundational work, you may perceive it differently or begin to either put up the scaffolding that will eventually allow it to shift or work with the things behind and around it. Then, you will feel safe enough to allow it to shift.
Letting Your Inner Light Shine
When we chat about shining—about letting yourself shine—it sounds so easy, yet for most people there is deep resistance to it. The sun reflects the radiance of our fullness. We are here to radiate from the center of our being, from our life.
Our consciousness wants to evolve and grow. It wants change; it wants things to be different—not completely different, but to keep growing.
Yet, often as humans, we say, “Yeah, I want change, but I don’t want change.” Consider where you are expanding in life.
Consider where expansion feels easy—where you can just let it happen. Ponder where you are trying to expand in life but feel as though you’re hitting your head against the wall.
Expansion and growth do not always mean “bigger for the sake of bigger” or “growth for the sake of growth” at the detriment of ourselves and the world around us. Often, the expansion of soul consciousness is about deepening into ourselves.
But consider where in your life, in your world, within yourself, you are meeting resistance to that growth.
- What gets in the way?
- What keeps you from shining your light?
- And what is the benefit of staying the way you are?
- What do you gain from not having to grow, expand, blossom, or reach out for the life that is deeply calling you from inside your soul?
Embracing Vulnerability and Authentic Expression
It’s like the Tarot Sun card with the little child in the back of the horse—and I think it has a little flag in its hand. That card is not only about shining but also reminds us that there is a rebirth, that change, and that sometimes we need to tap into our inner child to truly feel the energy of joy, freedom, and simply being ourselves—allowing our true essence to shine through.
And though full blossoming may sound easy, to open fully we have to allow vulnerability—to be seen, to be visible, and to take up some space.
Like the flowers at this moment, expanding and taking up a little room; or like the trees and bushes outside, all fitting together even though they take up space. They are not grown on top of each other—they grow outwards and upwards in different directions, yet remain uniquely themselves.
I can look out and, if I had a pen, I could draw on my window and circle each one—the different types of trees and plants there. Like the flowers, the trees, and the sun: they just shine, they grow, they open, they blossom.
They do not worry about, “Oh, if I shine too much, will I take away from someone else? Am I allowed that much light?” Maybe I’ll just close my petals again. The sun is inviting us to own our inner gifts and our light—to not compare, to feel safe, and to open.
The sun knows who it is and what it’s here to do, which is to shine. Perhaps we can learn something from that. The shining of our light isn’t about our ego; it is about something within us that wants to come out, to be witnessed, and to be expressed.
The Call for Soul Expression
I see this often when I work with clients—especially many women—with soul expression. There is something deep within that wants to be given life, to be given a voice, to be shared, to be expressed.
It does not have to be a business; it can simply be part of life.
It can be in your projects, your writing, your drawing, your knitting—whatever it is: raising your children, raising yourself, your relationships.
But something within you wants to be expressed.
How long will you keep that song within you, afraid to let it out, afraid of what others might think, say, or do?
And then that soul song—your soul expression—may never get a chance to shine.
Each of us has our own unique gifts, our own unique light, and yet we are all connected to the web of light. All our individual lights are needed. Lighten up the web.
- What would it be like to live from that place of full radiance?
- How would you use the gifts—the things that you keep inside that are uniquely yours?
Use these gifts, this power, this energy to help things grow, to help life change, to help the world change. Sometimes we focus so much on what is in our way that we forget to come to the light—to sit with our inner light, to be in it and receive from it, to allow it to support our way forward.
An Analogy for Inner Work and Healing
I like to use an analogy: imagine you are a diamond—your pure essence—while the “horse manure” on top represents all the stuff in life: our conditioning, our programming, our wounds, and our generational baggage.
Often we put layers of nail polish on just to try to make it look pretty, so we can dig through the nail polish and the “horse manure”—which is something we must do at different stages.
But sometimes we get so used to digging that we forget to go directly to the light. As that light grows, it helps shine through the “horse manure” and dissolve some of it. There are two ways of working with ourselves and with life in terms of healing.
Embrace the Power of the Summer Solstice
So, this Summer Solstice, sit with your own inner light.
Imagine what it would feel like to burn bright.
- When was the last time you tasted it? Experienced it?
- Consider where you are shining in life right now.
- Could you apply that to other areas of your life—how you made that happen?
- Or could you allow yourself to step more into that energy, get used to it, and allow yourself to know that energy even more—stepping into life from that place?
Consider the stories you tell yourself about what would happen if you did shine your light. Often we have many stories—conscious or unconscious—that get in the way of our full expression. And if you think of the sun shining, it does cast a shadow. It is a beautiful time of year to consider our shadow—what is unknown to us because it is not known. If we knew it, it wouldn’t be our shadow. But sometimes, the things that get in our way are our shadow.
Releasing What No Longer Serves You
So, what is burning inside of you that maybe wants to be brought to life, shared, or experienced?
Whether it is habits, projects, communications, ways of thinking, or ways of being in relationships—what is in the way?
Allow it to come to the surface, anything that is ready to be looked at so that you can see it more clearly. Because if you think of the Summer Solstice associated with the sun—the element of fire—what is ready to be burned away?
When we burn things away, it gives space; it actually gives life. When things are burned away, new life is created. Just as you see fire contained in certain places where things need to burn away, and then new life grows, or, like volcanoes, where afterward there is growth in the land.
Maybe you are in a place of figuring out what needs to be released to the fire, and trusting that, like nature, there will be new growth—growth that comes from the soul and not purely from the mind.
Discover Your Inner Power and Purpose
The Summer Solstice is a powerful time.
What will you do with this power, with all its possibility?
The power to be yourself—not perfect, not complete—but to be yourself.
What does power mean to you? Often, we associate power with having power over people or things.
But what about having power for something? Power to create, and power with others?
Power can be likened to your life force, your vitality, your chi. It is the ability to transform energy—to transform, to change. When you are empowered, you are more capable of creating the changes you want to see.
One of the core aspects of shamanism is to grow in your power, so that you are empowered to ask for help, to create change, to know what you need, to face your shadows, to grow, to evolve, and to live a full life—to be fully alive.
A lack of power is often seen as soul loss—a lack of vitality, a lack of zest for life—where you may be unable to make positive changes or take action on your dreams.
Direct Your Energy and Resources
What are you doing with the power you do have?
The life force, the energy that you have—are you placing it into things that are truly valuable to you?
Or, who or what would you like to put your power into?
What would you like to use your power for?
And maybe, what would you like to give power to?
Think about where, over the last six months, you have felt empowered. What did that feel like? Where did you hold that energy in your body? In which part of your life was that happening?
We are always being called to grow in our power. Where we place our energy, our attention, our money, and even our time can add power to something, but they can also drain power from it.
So think about your energy, attention, money, and time—are these being directed toward things you want to give life force to, that you want to empower, even people? Or do they need redirection or re-management?
Often, we leak power to places and spaces that are not aligned with our values, not aligned with the life we want to live—but we continue doing it because it’s not just about what you do.
Sometimes it is necessary to pause and ask: if I’m lacking vitality, energy, and power, then before I start seeking more, how much of what do I actually have am I leaking? How much power am I actually letting go of or handing over to others?
This can be as simple as letting other people make choices for you or pretending you don’t have certain choices.
I know that power is one of those words that often feels icky for people because their main association with it is “power over.” But you can shift that definition, bring it into your life, and allow it to create a new way of being.
Embracing a Slower Pace This Summer
And let’s not forget the Summer Solstice, as well as summer in general, reminds us that it’s okay to let go of the to-do list—to let it off the hook and go sit under a tree. It’s summer.
One of the shadows of summer is the potential for exhaustion and burnout.
If you think of the archetype of the mother, who is able to shift energy into focused action, to bring ideas and projects to fruition—where there is abundance and peak expression—there is also a tendency toward selflessness that can make one prone to burnout. That devotion can also lead to obsession.
These are all the shadow aspects of summer energy: overwhelm, confusion, pushing things, not listening to timing, rushing to complete tasks rather than relaxing into the natural cycle, and directing life force toward things that aren’t aligned with you, allowing expectations to weigh you down.
In summer, it’s as if we can accept all the invitations to parties—but do we have the energy for all the parties? We can be so out and about that we forget until we burn out, realizing, “Oh God, I actually need to retreat a little bit.”
It is a different form of rest compared to the winter solstice, when the invitation is to draw deep within and sigh. This is more like a hammock vibe: soaking up the bright days, the sunshine, the sounds of the birds, and even enjoying the company of other people.
It’s like just lying there, chilling, reading a book, listening to nature—so that you’re soaking up life and not just running through it. You’re allowing yourself to receive from life. In that space, rocking in your little hammock, is the vibe I’m holding here.
Sometimes we only allow ourselves that when we’re on holiday abroad—but can you get it just from sitting on your back step? Or perhaps, like me, sometimes you find it while sitting in the car.
Reflect on Joy and Fulfillment
It is time to ponder what brings joy and fulfillment to you.
What are your values, your passions, your deepest aspirations that you may have been holding inside?
Maybe it is time to give life to them. If you follow the Gregorian calendar, we’re halfway through the year, or even if your New Year starts at a different time, it doesn’t matter.
The Summer Solstice is a lovely time to pause and reflect on the things you once said were important to you—that you wanted to focus your energy on, to bring life to—and to assess where you are with them now.
Do this not in a self-judgmental way, but with honest reflection: “Oh God, I got way off track. How did I end up doing all this other stuff?” Or maybe it’s, “Actually, I’m right on track, even though I’m way off from what I planned.”
Perhaps your goals and aspirations have changed, or something in life has shifted them. It is more about creating a conscious awareness around them.
Create Momentum for Your Dreams
If there is something on that list—from the beginning of this year or even from last year—that you have been afraid to give energy to, or that you feel stuck with but still resonates in your heart, perhaps you would like to create momentum around it.
Maybe bring it into the center of the flower—right into its center—and start nourishing it, feeding it, thinking about how things could be done differently.
It is even a time to consider everything that has brought you to where you are now—the choices you have made or not made—and how they may have changed the trajectory of your goals or your life.
I firmly believe that all paths are great paths; we will wander off track, come back on track, take beautiful scenic detours to learn something new, and return to the main task at hand. But don’t let it go on for years.
This is why we take opportunities, as taught by the Celtic Way, to pause and reassess: Am I on the path I want to be on, or the path my soul is called to be on?
Sometimes, it is not the path you want, but it is the path your soul needs.
The song that floats through my head is, “You can’t always get what you want, but you’ll get what you need.” And that is true for our soul—it will give us what we need.
Celebrate Your Growth and Transformation
So, as you stand at the Summer Solstice, ponder: how have you grown?
Give yourself a good pat on the back for that. Whether the shifts are internal, with nothing external yet, or there is external growth—celebrate it.
Acknowledge all the work and tending you have done to allow that to happen. How have the last six months changed and shaped you?
And what are the risks or steps forward that you now need to take courageously to create momentum, to make movement, so you can be even more of who you are or reveal even more of yourself?
We cannot force ourselves to be in a certain season, but we can always receive wisdom from a turning point that supports us in being where we are.
Embrace the Cycle of Life
If you are in a winter phase of life, can you let the warmth of the sun nourish your bones as you surrender to the endings and decay of completion?
If you are in a spring phase of life, can you let the bright light remind you of what could bloom from your new beginnings—and really be in the beauty of the beginning?
If you are in that summer phase, drink in the light; dance in the fullness of it.
And if you are in the autumn phase, let the light of the sun burn away the dross that weighs you down and illuminate your path forward.
Above all, the turning of the wheel reminds us of the impermanence of life. Change is always happening, and cycles keep moving—can you move and change with them?
A Final Invitation to Connect with the Sun
On a final note, I invite you to journal or record a message on your phone: if the Summer Solstice could speak to you, what would it say? On the days between the 20th and the 22nd, I invite you to go outside. Turn your face toward the sun, receive its light in every cell of your body, and then, with new eyes, look all around you to see what beauty and magic await. See, notice, feel—a sign from nature, a guiding sign for the cycle ahead.
Many summer blessings to you. May you allow the great, bright light within you to burn bright—to illuminate your path forward, shine down upon the generations that have come before you, and light the path for those who come after you.
Thank you for tuning in to today’s episode of the Thirsty Soul Podcast. If you’ve enjoyed today’s musings, please consider liking and sharing this episode. Your support helps me reach more listeners and continue to bring more content to you. You can find me on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t forget to subscribe and leave a little review. I appreciate every one of you for taking the time to listen. Take care of yourselves, and I will see you next time.
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