Shine Your Light
As spring transitions to summer, the seeds you planted—literally and metaphorically—during the winter have begun to blossom. And with the arrival of summer, everything comes fully awake and alive. In many ways, the energy of summer invites you to wake up and come alive as well.
In ancient cultures, people were closely connected to the seasonal cycles and rhythms, and they had specific ways of synchronizing themselves with the various rhythms of nature. This is what we seek to reawaken in ourselves, via our seasonal rites and everyday practices.
Understanding and preparing for the different energies as you transition from one season into the next, enables you to flow with Nature and maintain harmony—spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Summertime has a special way of waking you up again and igniting a fire inside to get up, get out, and have fun! The summer season is flavored by the element of fire, which influences passion, motivation, and transformation.
While you’re out and about having lots of fun during summer months, you can also think of this season as a time to tap into your creativity and things that inspire you. At this time, you’re invited to step into your own summer light and harness the heat of the sun.
How can you shine? What makes you come alive? What sparks your creativity? How can you inspire others? What do you need to transform? What do you want to create in your life this summer?
Life is meant to be lived with purpose and passion—filling your days with things that both nurture and invigorate you while finding a harmony in how you are living. Of course, you have responsibilities that require your time and attention. Yet, you may easily lose sight of staying connected to the things that you love most (e.g., family, friends, hobbies, fun, downtime) and checking off those things on your bucket list.
Why we celebrate the summer solstice:
Why celebrate Seasonal (or Solar) Holidays
Ancient cultures did not have the marked distinction between sacred and secular that we have today.
At a more philosophical level, seasonal rites or celebrations were originally designed to help them reestablish or strengthen their connection with their divine source, to live in harmony with the cosmic ecosystem, and thus to participate consciously with the forces that create and sustain the universe.
Nature is the visible expression of divinity, and our ancient ancestors often associated the sky with universal mind or intelligence, which orders the structure and behavior of stars, planets, and all the creatures inhabiting them.
The seasons mark beginnings and endings, each representing the close of an old chapter and the opening of a new one in our personal and collective experiences.
How to prepare for a Temple of Ara ritual
We honor Nature as our greatest spiritual teacher and so we always recommend that anyone participating in our rituals be outside, where your experiences will be a bit more visceral. And your ability to form a relationship with the Earth and the elements is a little easier.
If you can't get outside, prior to starting this ritual, take a moment to gather something that can generate AIR, like a feather or a fan, something that can generate FIRE like a candle with a match or lighter, something for WATER like a bowl or glass full of water, and something for EARTH, like some dirt or stones or a potted plant.
Our rituals are more meditative and will take about 45 - 60 minutes. Try to block this time out where there will be no distractions – no cell phones, TVs, other people - interrupting your flow.
We'll pause within the ritual so you can raise energy by dancing, drumming, rattling, clapping, chanting, humming ... if you have a particular instrument that has power for you, feel free to grab it before you start.
Then, as you're engaging with this ritual, allow yourself to connect energetically to everyone in the Ara community – even if you’re engaging with a recorded version of the ritual. Even though we will not be in person, and you may not know everyone personally in the community, you will still be able to feel the energy we create, as well as contribute to it, no matter where you are or when you participate in the ritual.
Tune in and send your energy to everyone who participates. Once your energy is “tuned in” it will flow through the energy currents that exist naturally, just the same way that a phone signal or Wi-Fi signal does. Distance is no object for it, just as it is no object for the internet or phone communications. The energy that surrounds us carries all these energies to the intended receiver. Each one of us is the conduit of this sacred energy.
After Circle...
It's often helpful to sit down with your experiences fresh in your mind and write down your thoughts, impressions, feelings, any signs, or symbols you may have received. We've also found it helpful for people to share some of these experiences with us -- we've created a simple post ritual check-in survey and would love to hear from you.
If you are a member of the Temple of Ara and have completed our Membership Training program (Crossing into the Mysteries), feel free to share your experiences with everyone on our group on Slack.
Register for our next event...
Join us for upcoming Full Moon ceremonies, Seasonal celebrations, and Shamanic Drumming circles.
