Episode 5 - Happy Solstice: Liberation Season

Happy liberation season, sister

In this week’s episode of Rooted Feminine, we’re exploring the liberation season that is Summer Solstice. Here’s what we’re exploring:

🌞 The Enchanting Portal of Light: The Summer Solstice is an astral gateway, a Portal of Light that bestows upon us the energies of liberation. As the sun dances at its highest peak, this is the moment to embrace the vibrant fire within us. Our spirits are called to step into the luminous realm where we, divine beings, revel in our true selves, allowing our inner magic to flourish. Our souls have toiled through spring’s season of emergence, and now summer, the liberation season, beckons us to bask in the fruits of our spiritual labor.

🌱 The Harmonious Alignment with the Seasons: Beloved, the rhythm of the seasons is a sacred dance, and our spiritual path must waltz in synchrony. Each season cradles its wisdom, its elixirs, and its enchantments. Aligning our spiritual practices with these cyclical changes is a celebration of the feminine path, a spiral journey that honors our growth and evolution. When our spirits are rooted in the seasons, our rituals are infused with the celestial energies, creating potent doorways for the magic to weave through.

🌹 The Triad of Feminine Archetypes: The Wild Woman, the Queen, and the Warrior – three sacred guardians guiding us through the liberation season. The Wild Woman, with her untamed spirit, invites us to embrace our raw essence. The regal Queen, ruling with heart and soul, empowers us to stand in our sovereignty. The Warrior, steadfast and unyielding, safeguards our sacred space. By invoking these archetypes, we fortify our connection to the mysteries and the divine, and embark upon a transformative journey of self-discovery and spiritual reclamation.

Show Notes:

Hello, sister! Welcome to Episode Five of Rooted Feminine. I'm thrilled to be here today as we celebrate the Solstice. Here's an exciting piece of trivia: my birthday is tomorrow, making me a Summer Solstice baby, born right on this powerful spiritual portal.

Today, we are focusing on the Summer Solstice, which acts as a doorway to our liberation season. Each Solstice and Equinox marks a change in the seasons; transitioning from spring to summer, summer to fall, fall to winter, and winter back to spring. This cyclical movement, often referred to as the turning of the wheel, signifies not only the change in nature but also the potential for personal rebirth and a new phase in our spiritual relationship with the planet and the universe.

This particular Solstice, the Summer Solstice, is known as the Portal of Light. Astronomically, the sun in the Northern Hemisphere reaches zero degrees, meaning it's at its highest point in the sky for the year. This moment is a tipping point where we experience the longest day, and from here, the days start getting shorter until the Winter Solstice.

While we can measure the astronomical aspects, the Summer Solstice also holds astrological and spiritual significance. During this portal of light, we embrace our brightness, stepping into our light and magic. In this liberation season, we claim what is truly ours.

Coming from spring, the season of emergence, we’ve seen seeds being planted and germinate. The plants then fight through the soil to emerge as seedlings reaching for the sun. This effort characterizes spring as the plants continue to grow.

In contrast, summer is a season of rest, as are winter. Summer allows us to step into our liberation, embracing our brightness and claiming the abundance we have cultivated. While winter’s rest is often more obvious since we tend to hibernate and get cozy, summer too is a time to rest. It's the season where we bask in the fruits of our labor.

Considering the word 'rest', it's essential to realize that it forms the basis of the word ‘restoration’. Rest doesn’t have to be passive; it’s about replenishing and nourishing our souls.

In this liberation season, to be liberated is to be free, and freedom is synonymous with play. Summer is the season of play, reveling in abundance, and celebrating the hard work of spring. It’s not a time of active healing or growing, those are reserved for spring and fall. Instead, summer is a season of embodiment, of truly living and experiencing.

This is the time to immerse yourself in your spiritual growth and the intentions you set in spring. It's about trying on your new self and really discerning if this is what you desire. You set the intentions, and now it’s time to live them and experience the abundance they bring.

On physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional levels, this is a time for experiencing and embodying the change. The idea is to try out what we have cultivated and see if it's genuinely what we desire. When fall arrives, entering the shadow season, we can shed what no longer serves us and keep what does. To understand whether something is working for us or not, we need to immerse ourselves in it.

Liberation season is about reveling in the abundance we have created. Abundance can be material, but it is important to recognize the spiritual work done. During spring, there is a conscious cultivation of rebirth and creation of new existence. Summer provides an opportunity to relish in the abundance and beauty of this spiritual work.

Here, at the Rooted Feminine Podcast, we focus on aligning with the seasons of spiritual growth. It is crucial to be in tune with the rhythmic nature of the seasons and the cycles of rebirth. When disconnected from these cycles, spiritual work can often feel unanchored. Engaging in daily rituals like meditation without aligning them with a greater purpose can result in stagnation; it feels like treading water, repeating the same spiritual practices without progress, healing, or manifestation.

Furthermore, ignoring the cyclical nature does not honor the feminine path. The feminine is cyclical and spiral in nature. A linear approach, where the same routines are repeated without regard for the rhythm and change in pace, deviates from the feminine path. This approach is likely to be superficial and can hinder progress. The feminine path is about moving from one comfort zone to another, embracing the change that each season brings.

This season of liberation after the Summer Solstice is about playfulness and restoration. However, not all seasons will be like this; some might be more challenging or painful. Each season carries its wisdom, medicine, and magic. The essence of the liberation season is recognizing and celebrating the goodness in life.

Failing to rhythmically tune into spiritual growth or align intentions with cycles can result in incomplete healing or transformation. Staying in the comfort zone contributes to remaining small and not taking up space or trusting oneself. It's essential to embrace the multifaceted nature of oneself and one’s spiritual path.

To anchor spiritual growth effectively, it needs to be aligned with something meaningful. As listeners of this podcast, I assume that rhythmic, seasonal living and feminine cycles resonate with you. This is what we emphasize here. However, you could also choose to anchor into something else. What’s important is engaging in profound work that is deep and truly shifts your perspective.

When you align with seasonal shifts, as we discuss on this show and in Rooted, your rituals have the potential to be more potent. This is because during certain times, such as the solstice, there are energetic portals created by celestial events, like the sun forming different conjunctions with planets. Although I am not an astrologer, it is evident that there is magic and energy in these portals. By aligning your spiritual path with seasonal shifts, you can harness these energies as tools working for and with you.

In addition, honoring the cycles of the feminine is essential. For those who have a monthly menstrual cycle, the body goes through a process of shedding and rebuilding. These cycles are not just biological but can also be observed in nature through the seasons, celestial bodies, and moon cycles. When you anchor into something that shifts, goes through phases, and has a rhythm, you are on the feminine path. Aligning with these elements allows you to delve deeper into mysticism by opening yourself energetically. This creates a doorway for magic to flow and for connections to the unknown, the mysteries, and the divine.

On an individual level, this alignment leads to more spiritual growth, which you will also become more aware of. Often, while engaged in spiritual practices, it is hard to recognize the changes and growth that are occurring. The feminine is often represented as a spiral, meaning that we return to the same point but at a higher level. Aligning spirituality with the seasons provides a framework for understanding this growth. For instance, as we enter the summer of 2023 in the Northern Hemisphere, we are stepping into a season of liberation. We can set intentions, and as we move through the seasons, we can observe our growth. This spiral nature of returning to the same point at a higher level provides a container for awareness and consciousness in spiritual growth, allowing us to recognize and celebrate the changes.

Now, let’s talk more about the significance of the solstice and how to work with it as we step into the liberation season. The summer solstice is a fire festival celebrating nature in its fullness after its dormant phase in winter. It is opposite the winter solstice on the calendar, forming mirror images of each other. These solstices are integral parts of the cycle and are moments for celebration and reflection.

During the summer solstice, while we celebrate summer, we are also acutely aware of its opposite, winter. The summer solstice marks the peak of light and fire seasons, and after this day, we begin the descent towards the winter solstice. This awareness holds a special place in our spirits and souls as we embrace the duality.

The summer solstice is an ancient, cross-cultural festival. For instance, in Greco-Roman culture, the festival, known as Vestalia, celebrated the goddess Vesta, the bearer of the internal flame. The message to the goddess during the summer was that she could rest as they did not need flames; the sun provided enough light. They honored Vesta with the hope that she would return in the fall and winter.

In Celtic culture, the summer solstice marks the battle between the Oak King, who rules the spring and summer, and the Holly King, who takes over in fall and winter. This battle symbolizes the shift and the transfer of power, representing the transition from one phase to the next.

Among the Germanic and Nordic people, a common practice during the summer solstice was to light wooden wheels on fire, symbolizing the sun, and roll them down a hill into a lake. This act had rich symbolism; the wheel represented the sun, rolling away symbolized the descent from the peak of the light season, and the extinguishing of the fire in the lake acknowledged the eventual arrival of winter.

In Egyptian culture, the summer solstice was highly revered. For instance, at the site of the Sphinx and the pyramids of Giza, the sun rises directly between two of the three pyramids during the summer solstice. Moreover, the summer solstice marked the Egyptian New Year, which is significant considering they were a desert people with a Sun God, Ra.

In the Americas, indigenous cultures also recognized the summer solstice. For example, in Peru, the Inca's Chankillo Observatory, where stars were tracked for calendrical purposes, aligned with the sun during the summer solstice. Machu Picchu, a sacred site, features a stone that illuminates with the sunrise on the summer solstice.

These examples from various cultures underscore the global and ancient significance of the summer solstice. It grounds modern spirituality in history, helping individuals connect with their magic and power, knowing that this has been a revered time throughout history and across cultures.

However, it is essential to recognize the impact of colonization on the summer solstice. The church colonized this date by establishing St. John's Day on June 24th. It is noteworthy that the church deliberately moved the celebration from the solstice period of June 19th-21st to June 24th to dissociate it from the solstice portal. This move illustrates how aspects of ancient traditions were absorbed or altered through colonization.

The church recognized the potency and transformative power of the solstice and chose to move St. John's Day a few days after to avoid coinciding with the opening of this energetic portal. Additionally, the church adapted various fire festivals and community events from different cultures and incorporated them into St. John's Day.

As you begin to engage with the energy of the solstice, I encourage you to reflect on certain aspects of your life. Consider what you are intensely passionate about - what burns within you? Reflect on your yearnings, the passions you wish to reclaim, and the purpose you want to embrace during this period. As you liberate and shed societal pressures, consider what aspects of yourself you are reclaiming during the solstice. This leads to intentional living and spiritual reclamation.

During the liberation season, we focus on rewilding, which means consciously uncoupling from certain systems, structures, and internal patterns that hold us back. If you are looking to incorporate embodiment work, focus on your solar plexus or the third chakra, which represents power and is symbolized by the color yellow. Utilize crystals such as carnelian, tiger eye, or red jasper to harness their fiery elements during this season.

It's important to understand that true power is not about having control over others, which is an external manifestation of masculine power. Instead, focus on feminine power, which is internal and involves having control over oneself and taking responsibility. True power is the capacity to transform, particularly transforming oneself. To achieve this transformation, ask yourself what the next right action or step is to liberate yourself from oppressive systems and destructive patterns. It requires courage, responsibility, and radical acceptance of your current state.

Working with the solstice energy and engaging in the liberation season is a stretch. It entails taking risks by separating oneself from unfavorable circumstances, confronting injustices, and advocating for oneself and others. The summer solstice serves as a reminder that you possess the capability to transcend your perceived limits. Through self-liberation, you contribute to the liberation of others, moving beyond what you initially believed was possible.

In the context of the feminine path, there are three feminine archetypes that you can invoke for support during your liberation season. First is the Wild Woman, who embodies carefree, primal, and authentic energy. The second archetype is the Queen. She is confident and responsible, and exemplifies what soul-led and heart-led leadership looks like. The third archetype to consider is the Warrior. The Warrior represents boundaries and firmness. She stands for something and has a protective nature, safeguarding values and defending those who cannot defend themselves. Engaging with these energies can be beneficial, and you can research them to understand how to work with them effectively.

Inside the Rooted Collective, a sacred sisterhood, we delve into working with these archetypes. Currently, we are entering the liberation season and are working with the Wild Woman. Next month, we will engage with the Queen archetype, followed by the Warrior, before transitioning into the shadow season, where we will explore our shadow archetypes.

In the Rooted Collective, we offer a private podcast that educates about these archetypes, providing knowledge and insights. Additionally, we have rituals, meditations, a private playlist, journal prompts, and a share circle, where we discuss our experiences working with the archetypes and how they have been activated in our lives.

If you are looking for guidance in navigating the liberation portal, wish to work with solstice energy, or aim to reclaim your power and start rewilding this season, you are welcome to join us in the Rooted Collective. You can find more information and join by visiting rootedfeminine.com/collective.

Thank you for listening. I'll be back next week, and I look forward to connecting with you again in Temple Space.