The Golden Hour: High Summer and the Sun

Happiness, freedom, confidence, vitality

For many, the energetic vibe of summer is defined by the sun: life-giving light and warmth beam across the solar system from our star. The sun card in the tarot deck depicts uplifting imagery that shows how hard work (making it through winter?) pays off with a much needed joyful reprieve. The universe has your back, so let yourself soak in the energy. The long warm days do not last forever, so enjoy the present moment!

Here in the Northern Hemisphere we eagerly absorb as much solar energy as possible during our brief sojourn under the warm, summer sky. Similarly, our plant allies leaf out to their fullest extent, optimally building their energy stores in order to produce flowers and fruit as the season progresses. Flowers and fruit come in a myriad of jewel tones, attracting birds, animals, and pollinating insects. The pollen, itself, is often in hues of yellow; the pollen is truly the source of life. For the pollen holds the key to the next generation of plants, that support all life on earth, in each golden grain.

Meditating on the sun and the color yellow

The color yellow has also long been associated with the sun, and its positive, uplifting energy. In pagan tradition, calling upon the four directions often opens any ritual. We begin in the east, toward the rising sun. The east is associated with the color yellow, as well as the element of air and intellectual curiosity. Turning toward the east, we look for a fresh start, or a new beginning.

In Hindu belief, yellow is linked to the third chakra, Manipura. Manipura is located at the solar plexus (aptly named), just above your belly button. It is the seat of personal power. The sun is the center of power in our entire solar system, and here, resting right at your center, represented by a beautiful blooming golden yellow lotus, is your own internal sun: your own source of power. Yoga sutra 3.27 in Patanjali’s Sutras says “By samyama on the sun, knowledge of the entire solar system is obtained.” In the ponderance of this sutra, or general truth, we connect macrocosm to microcosm. As we study the sun, our star, and how it gives us life in the macrocosm, we can similarly focus on our internal fire, or agni, the sun within us that reveals personal truths and powers. 

Close your eyes for a moment and focus your attention on your midsection right above the belly button but below the heart. Perhaps lay your hands on this place and feel as your breath rises and falls. Tremendous power your breath has, as it fuels your vessel from the moment you are born until the time you transition back to the earth. Feel a warming sensation in your solar plexus. Imagine the feeling of facing toward the sun on a beautiful summer day, the breeze blowing gently around you, and feel the warmth begin to spread its healing and energizing power throughout your whole body. You might envision a yellow or golden lotus flower blooming and unfurling with the light of the sun radiating outward around your whole being. Sit here for a few moments in the power of your own being, trusting that indeed, the universe does have your back. Feel as your mood lifts, and your physical and emotional energy levels elevate. 

Warm seasonal plant allies

The most obvious of summer’s floral beauties is the sunflower. Growing tall and proud in sprawling fields, they encourage us with feelings of positivity and strength. The scientific genus name for the sunflower is Helianthus. It comes from the Greek words "helios", meaning sun, and "anthus", meaning flower. The ancient Greeks believed that sunflowers turned towards the sun because of Clytie's adoration of Apollo, the God of the Sun. Each morning, she awoke at dawn to greet Apollo, and bask in his warmth, as he soared from the east to the west.

Here are a few of our other local favorites for foraging, cultivating, and wildcrafting medicinal goods:

• St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum): St. John’s Wort is associated with the sun and is a traditional herb commonly harvested and used in Midsummer celebrations. The most popular medicinal use of St. John’s Wort is for depression, and when used topically, it can treat minor burns and wounds or ease sore joints. 

• Mullein (Verbascum thapsus): Fuzzy and soft, the leaves of the mullein plant not only help respiratory issues, but feel like lamb’s ears. The tall stalks appear biennially with yellow five-petaled flowers at the top in late July or August. The stalks were historically dried and dipped in wax to make special ritual candles, and the flowers can be infused in oil or made into a tincture to treat ear infections! 

• Evening primrose (Oenothera lamarckiana): Most evening primrose begins blooming in the late afternoon and continues throughout the night, closing up before noon the next day, depending on the temperature. It has lemon-yellow flowers that bloom from May to July. The oil can be taken orally or as a suppository to help relieve PMS symptoms and other issues related to hormone imbalance, and is also commonly used in skin care products.

• Goldenrod (Solidago spp): There are more than 50 species native to the Americas and several species native to Europe. Goldenrod does not cause allergies, but is commonly confused with the allergy-inducing ragweed, another native plant that flowers at the same time as goldenrod and often grows alongside it in fields. It is good for general anti-inflammatory purposes, and we LOVE using it for a pop of sunshine in our dried herb bundles!

All of the herbs listed above thrive wildly in the northeast and can be sustainably harvested and infused in oil to make an all-purpose healing salve! Dandelion, yarrow, and calendula are some other great healing and moisturizing (and yellow!) summer herbs we like adding to the recipe.

Simply pick and chop up your herbs (flowers and leaves) and fill a mason jar ¾ with plant material. Pour your favorite oil over the herb clippings to fill the mason jar (we like a blend of grapeseed, coconut, almond, and jojoba for skin care). Let the herbs infuse in the oil in a dark cool place for 2-4 weeks then strain.

To make 6 oz of salve, mix 5 fl oz of the infused oil with .25 cups of beeswax and 1 tablespoon of shea butter (or cocoa butter) and heat/stir slowly in a double boiler until everything is melted and combined. Optional: add 10 drops of vitamin E and an essential oil blend of your choice (~60 drops) once the mixture cools a bit then pour into three 2 oz tins and let set.

During summer, when we walk through our blooming gardens and the vibrant fields we see the happy and vibrant yellow hues, and we immediately feel safe, loved, and enlivened. Even the bees that drone slowly in the heavy warmth boldly display their golden stripes and pollen-laden hind legs. Summer, at its finest. 

Looking forward to fall

As the wheel of the year turns, the strength of the sun’s light wanes. But fear not, the cooling powers of autumn usher in relief after months of summer heat. The time to rest is not far off. Visions of strolling down a russet-colored October road, cool breezes with a tinge of wood-smoke and a hot apple cider to drink along the old fieldstone wall in the woods began to dance in your subconscious. Autumn is the time to honor all that will go back to the earth so it can be reborn once again.

THE POWER OF MOTHER OCEAN AND HER COASTAL FLORA

As the sun rises higher and higher and the days become longer and hotter, a natural drive toward the cooling waters of the North Atlantic, here in New England, begins to emerge. The human fascination with water is as old as we are. Modern science has even determined that being in, near, around, or adjacent to water does amazing things for our central nervous system and our emotional wellbeing. Simply stated: being near water calms us and makes us happy.

As Summer Solstice draws near, we personally find ourselves gathering with our friends to cool off in Mother Ocean. We know we are very lucky to live in a coastal community with easy access to the shore. A shoreline that supports so many wonderful and healing plants that come to life in June. The strawberries ripen to the most perfect juicy red in the coastal fields under the Full Strawberry Moon, and the wild rose (Rosa multiflora) unveils her fragrant beauty and permeates the night air as you cruise by with your windows down. Closer to the sand dunes, where two worlds meet, beach rose (Rosa rugosa) begins to show her flashy pink petals in the dune grass, beach pea, and other sturdy plants that keep the sand particles of the coastal dunes stable in an ever-shifting landscape of in-between. 

Beach Rose Toner
Both wild rose and beach rose are edible. You will of course want to make sure you forage in an area free of pesticides and pollutants. While a freshly picked June strawberry is a treat all on its own, you can incorporate these abundant wild roses into a treat for your skin! A favorite of ours is to further infuse a rose hydrosol (or “flower water”) with fresh rose petals! Any organic rose hydrosol will do (they are readily available from herbal supply companies). In a mason jar, add your fresh petals and steep only for a few days in the hydrosol. Make sure you add enough to cover the petals completely. Because the material is fresh, do not let it sit too long. You could also infuse apple cider vinegar with rose petals in a similar way and add that to a commercially produced hydrosol. However, many people do not like smelling like vinegar even though it's glorious for your skin. Once the hydrosol and/or vinegar mixture is ready, you can fill a small spray bottle about ⅔ full. If using vinegar and hydrosol, add about ¼ infused vinegar and fill the rest of the way to ⅔ full with hydrosol. From here, a humectant such as pure organic vegetable glycerin (again, available from many herbal and skin care supply companies) is a great addition. You can fill the sprayer almost to full, leaving room for a few more ingredients. A few drops of almond oil, and a few drops of your favorite essential oil (rose, lavender, and frankincense are all great for your skin and smell wonderful) added to the spray bottle will give you a cooling and moisturizing skin toner for the hot summer days ahead. Give it a good shake before spraying it on freshly washed skin. 

Moving from the dunes into the cooling spindrift of Aphrodite’s realm, we feel the pulse of tide and with it marvel at all that is offered along the rocky intertidal zone. With each ebb and flow of ocean water, organisms adapted to both marine and terrestrial life, feel the nourishment and cleansing of seawater: full of trace minerals and salt ions we cannot get from our terrestrial world. With this, the ocean offers us a peek into hers. 

Sea Greens for Glowing Skin
One of the best and most accessible seaweeds that we love harvesting and using in our botanical products is irish moss (Chondrus crispus). You can find this species in shallow water, usually attached to rocks and sometimes free floating after the tide has freed the fronds. It’s small and fan-shaped and ranges in color from yellowish-green to red to dark purple. Irish Moss is very rich in iodine, sulfur, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. It is wonderfully softening, protecting, and hydrating for your skin. You will find this treasure along the shoreline all summer long. 

If you harvest a batch of it, give it a quick rinse with seawater (removing any rocks and debris) and dry it for a few days, then fill tea bags with the dried plant matter. You can simply use it as a quick easy mask by rehydrating a tea bag in warm water, and massaging the tea bag onto your face. It will leave a gel-like film on your skin, which you can let sit for 10 minutes before rinsing it off. This seaweed mask will leave your face feeling unbelievably smooth and soft! We have also conjured up a lovely powdered mix with some other healing ingredients for an even more moisturizing (and deliciously herb-scented) mask as detailed below! 

Mermaid Magick Seaweed Mask
After collecting and drying your irish moss, place about ½ cup in a coffee grinder or food processor with ¼ cup of dried lavender and ¼ cup dried sage, then pulse grind into a coarse powder. Add 2 Tbsp of bentonite clay and 1 Tbsp of aloe powder and mix thoroughly. If stored in an air-tight jar in a dry place, this powder will last a while. Each time you want to treat yourself, measure out a teaspoon of the powder and slowly add enough warm water to form a spreadable paste. Massage onto your face (avoiding the eyes) and leave on for 15 min, then rinse off with warm water. The rose toner would be a great follow up after this mask and before you moisturize! 

Summer Rituals for Mind & Body
With so many beachside beauties to admire, forage, and craft into healing botanical treatments throughout the summer growing season, it’s difficult not to succumb to sensory overload. We’ve only barely scratched the surface here! In the interest of seeking balance, another satisfying summer morning activity for the mind and body is an introspective oceanside meditation. Meditating at the cusp of a seasonal shift (in this case, the Summer Solstice) can be especially powerful and a wonderful way to experience the energy of the natural world. Later in the summer at Lammas (August 1, the first harvest) you may find yourself returning for an especially powerful time to meditate in nature. Additionally, meditating at sunrise is uniquely beneficial for gaining focus, relieving stress, and the effects may resonate throughout the day by keeping your mind fresh and clear. 

Settling into a comfy warm spot on an empty beach at sunrise is a soul-soothing feeling like nothing else. Of course, if you don’t have access to a location such as this, any outdoor space that calls to you will do. Once settled, close your eyes and begin to focus on your breathing, becoming more conscious of each breath. Imagine your lower body melting into the warm sand and feel grounded. With a tall spine, stack your head and shoulders over your hips and allow the crown of your head to merge blissfully with the bright sun and morning sky. Feel this nourishing energy of expansion and growth emanating from Mother earth, and imagine that you are one with her and her healing powers.

Take 3 slow deep breaths in through your nose, and out through your mouth, pausing to feel the breath turn at the top of the inhale, and at the bottom of the exhale. Imagine a warm energizing yellow light expanding around your entire body. With every inhale, comes a feeling of calm focus, and with every exhale you softly release any tension. Remain cradled in this life-giving energy for as long as you like and continue to breathe. When you are ready to return to your physical consciousness, offer the earth and the ocean a small gift of gratitude from your heart directly to them. From here, calmly allow your awareness to return to your body by opening your eyes and gently moving your arms and legs, finally, with care, rising to stand.

Self care rituals, especially involving the aforementioned handmade plant-based products, are a great follow up to a morning sun-soaked meditation. A facial cleanse, mask, tone, and moisturize can seal your morning self care practice on a summer day full of potential. This practice, whether daily, weekly, or monthly may revive the senses while hydrating and cooling the face and body during the hot summer months.

A Time of Growth
As summer’s energy grows and expands into the first harvests from the fields, gardens, and vines, we marvel at all that comes to fruition during this fleeting season. As the vegetables, fruits, herbs, and grains overflow with abundance in their respective spaces, we spend our time projecting outward into the natural world, absorbing Vitamin D from the sun, trace minerals from the sea, and we take in nature’s bounty with all of our senses. On a hot and humid day, the heat breaks after a thundershower passes over the cold ocean water, with the promise of the sun, the moon, and the stars showing themselves in the summer sky again shortly. The pulse of the tides draws us in to listen to all that nature has to share with us, if we only pay attention to the gifts she reveals.

THE POWER OF THE SUN: PLANT LORE AND HERBAL MAGICK ON THE LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”

— F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Although the turning of the wheel of the year is reliable and predictable, the cycles of nature never ceases to amaze. Each season possesses its own magick and brings forth something special to our senses. However, there is something exceptionally bright and inspiring about mother nature’s glory at the time of the summer solstice. In the northern hemisphere, summer solstice (Midsummer or Litha in some cultures) occurs between June 20-22 and is the time when the sun reaches its highest position in the sky. It is the day with the longest period of sunlight. The weather is warm, the creatures are buzzing about, and many plants are in full bloom. Just as the winter solstice (opposite on the wheel of the year) begs us to turn in to rest and reflect, the summer solstice lures us outside to reawaken our senses and find fulfillment. 

Source: https://www.farmersalmanac.com/midsummer-lore-12243

Historically, the summer solstice was celebrated by many cultures with sun-worshipping festivals and fiery rituals revolving around fertility and bounty. Nature-based celebrations incorporate varied elements but often involve the use of plants. In ancient pagan cultures, healers believed that the magickal and medicinal power of many herbs peaks around the summer solstice and harvested them for year-round use at this time. Depending on availability, classic summer plants like St. John’s Wort, chamomile, calendula, lavender, fennel, mugwort, rosemary, thyme, meadowsweet, verbena, sage, mint, elder and roses were and still are abundant in many traditional Midsummer celebrations .

Summer solstice plants tend to have qualities associated with the warmth of summer, the sun, and the element of fire. They may be boldly flavored or colored (and sometimes resemble the sun!), often thrive in full sunlight, and typically possess a wide variety of healing powers with fascinating, symbolic folk history. It is difficult to choose only a few of these herbs to rely on because they are all so amazing. Appropriately so and according to lore, the ancient Anglo-Saxons selected nine key summer solstice herbs and deemed them the most sacred. And what would an ancient sacred herbal collection be without a delightful narration to go along with it? Well, the Anglo-Saxons came up with the Nine Herbs Charm, which is a poem included as part of the Lacnunga or “Remedies,” (i.e. a medical compilation). The poem details the nine medicinal herbs deemed the most powerful at that time, and even mentions the connection with the Germanic god of knowledge and wisdom, Woden (Odin). As we mentioned previously, fascinating stuff! 

Not only are the plants themselves medicinally and magickally important, but the number nine is extremely significant in many mythologies. As three is a number of perfection, nine is three times three, and represents completion. It is the last number of a cycle, with the number ten beginning a new cycle. Additionally, any number multiplied by nine will equate to a number whose digits add up to nine. When we weave all the pieces together, we can see why it was and is a powerful gesture to specifically gather nine herbs to burn on the Midsummer fire! 

“These nine have power against nine poisons. A worm came crawling, it killed nothing. For Woden took nine glory-twigs, he smote the adder that it flew apart into nine parts.”

— Excerpt from The Nine Herbs Charm

Source: https://spitalfieldslife.com/2018/05/15/the-nine-herbs-charm/

A vast rabbit hole about medicinal healing, magickal properties, and numerology related to this charm and all its translations and interpretations exists, but we’ll get right to the point. Here are the nine herbs, their Old English names, their latin binomial names, a few interesting points involving their history in herbalism, and lastly, the symbolism behind their corresponding number in the charm.

1. Mugwort (mucgwyrt, Artemisia vulgaris): Mugwort is one of the oldest and most powerful herbs (one of our faves!). A potent herb for intuition, visions, and dreams, it is also antibacterial, a digestive bitter, and a relaxant. You will see it all over the side of the road in summertime. One is the number of unity and a symbol of the sun: a perfect starting point for this midsummer custom. 

2. Plantain (wegbrade, Plantago major): Plantain was called “waybread” in ancient herbal texts for its propensity to grow where the earth was most densely packed: trails and roadways. It’s excellent for bites and stings and known for its superb drawing power. Two is the number of balance and duality and represents the waxing and waning of the moon.

3. Lamb’s Cress (lombes cærse, Cardamine hirsuta): Also known as Shepherd's Purse, or stune in Old English, and related to the verb stunan ('to combat'), it is another strong antibacterial herb and also a diuretic. Three, as noted above, is poignant in pagan beliefs. It is sacred to the goddess and represents her three phases: maiden, mother, and crone. And you’ve likely heard the phrase “third time’s a charm”... Well, now you know where it came from!

4. Nettle (stiðe, Urtica dioica): As referenced in our spring column, Nettle is one of our favorite herbs. It is abundant in our region and great for relieving pain and inflammation. Its energetics are cool and dry, which makes it a great restorative spring tonic, but its fiery sting is surely reminiscent of the summertime. Four is a very meaningful number in many mythologies and represents the seasons, the elements, the cardinal directions, the moon phases, and the tarot suits.

5. Betony (attorlothe, Stachys officinalis): The Romans listed 47 different medicinal uses for Betony and believed that even wild beasts used it as medicine and would seek it out when wounded. In pagan beliefs, five is most prominently represented by the pentacle, a talisman that is directly used in magickal evocations and symbolizes interconnected life and eternity. It is also the number of humankind (five senses, five digits, five appendages, etc.).

6. Chamomile (mægðe, Anthemis nobilis): Externally, Chamomile can help heal wounds, and internally, when made into a tea, is wonderfully calming. It’s often taken to soothe upset stomachs and menstrual cramps, and helps with insomnia. Its flowers also resemble the sun! Six is three times two, thus having similar attributes to the number three, but intensified.

7. Crab Apple (wergulu, Pyrus malus): It is believed all apples evolved from the Crab Apple, the original wild apple. With ties to Christian beliefs involving the serpent in the garden of Eden, the Charm also mentions it just before the slaying of the adder. Seven is considered a spiritual number and corresponds to the psychic centers, called chakras. Also, more commonly, the seven days of the week (as well as the length of one moon phase). 

The eighth and ninth herbs of the charm, Thyme (fille, Thymus vulgaris) and Fennel (finule, Foeniculum vulgare) are mentioned together. Both are considered digestive herbs, and magickally, both are associated with protection, strength, courage, and the will to live. In some translations, Thyme is replaced with Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) but in either case, they both have a direct correlation to the god Woden and his power. Appropriately, eight is a number of power. It represents the sun and the eight sabbats (seasonal pagan holidays), and of course, the number nine completes the cycle.

And thus, we have come back to where we started: cycles of the natural world. They are ever present. Every moment is a beginning and an ending, a transition, a journey, and an arrival. Take the time to revel on the path of summer with the sun at its zenith. The harvests will come in time, but for now, allow yourself to be amazed with the present splendor.

A Coastal Midsummer Experience

“The heart of human excellence often begins to beat when you discover a pursuit that absorbs you, frees you, challenges you, or gives you a sense of meaning, joy, or passion.”

— Terry Orlick

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Absorbing, freeing, challenging with a sense of meaning, joy, and passion. Yes, all of the above, please. What an event last night. We were lucky enough to secure the waterfront lawn at The House of the Seven Gables in Salem, MA last night for an evening full of yoga, tarot, and herbal magic. So. Much. Magic.

Summer Solstice, or Midsummer, is the longest day, and most fertile time of year, representing fruition, fulfillment, and consciousness. With the sun at its zenith, we aligned our personal zeniths of power, manifestation, and self-awareness with the elements, while dancing between the earth and sky.

Chrissy, of Rebel Yell Yoga, led us through 60 minutes of vinyasa flow to harness the intense fiery energy of the solstice, and further connected and expanded through Tarot, and the 22 life lessons represented in the Major Arcana. Every guest pulled a Tarot card at the beginning of class that served as a focal point for meditation and as a sort of "personal spirit guide" throughout the practice.

After yoga class concluded, we spent 30 minutes in the solstice circle, opened graciously by Kris of Dark Moon Tarot. We were then led by Chrissy through a midsummer meditation honoring nature, the elements, and the bounty the earth provides in high summer! The circle focused on earth medicine through plants, devotion to and reverence for the natural world.

The historic Salem backdrop as well as the beautiful ocean landscape and impeccable timing of the stunning sunset was enchanting to say the least. We could not have asked for a better vibe for this event. But please check out the photos below... we think they speak for themselves.

The summer solstice altar.

Beautiful Salem harbor.

Tarot cards in the trees.

The House of the Seven Gables garden.

Lavender surrounding the yoga lawn.

A beautiful backdrop from all angles.

The best yoga studio in town.

Herbal beauty goodies for the guests.

Kris opens the solstice circle for meditation.

Chrissy is our magical guide.

Oh, hello sunset. Welcome to the party!

Is this real life?

Sun explosion.

Thankful for our otherworldly city.

Post-magic LoWreck and Chrissy glow.