Celebrating the mid-year solstice
On the first full day of summer the sun is up
the sky as far as it will get and now it will
head south to warm the Antipodes, where today
it rains and gales blow up from the Antarctic. (1)
In the southern hemisphere, it will be what the poet John Donne called ‘the year’s midnight.’ In the northern half of the world, it's the glory of midsummer and the longest day of the year. Whichever solstice is happening for you, this is a 24-hour period to celebrate nature’s relationship with the changing seasons and particularly the life-giving benefit of light.
While the word solstice means ‘sun stands still,’ we absolutely encourage you not to stand still, but to get out into nature.
The occasion (overnight on June 20-21) falls on a weekend this year. For the winterers—who hopefully won’t encounter too many of the gales mentioned in Ellen Dudley’s poem above— why not go for a brisk dawn walk in a local park? Or brave the ocean (if it’s not too rough) for a refreshing dip? Even a few minutes’ immersion will give your skin an enviable glow-up, and lessen any seasonal blues. The shortest day also invites you to pause with a warm drink and gaze up at the stars, as long as no clouds are in the way!
And for the lucky folk anticipating the longest day of the year, the same things can apply: a long hike, taking in the scents and sounds of summer; a dip in the ocean; and finally, a leisurely evening outdoors, savouring the slow decline of the light.
Wherever you are, make your solstice a moment to connect with nature.
[1] From ‘Solstice’ by Ellen Dudley. The Geographic Cure (2007) published by Four Way Books
