This Seasonal Forecast was written by Rachel Capurso of Aeolian Heart. Lyrical inspiration for the Seasonal Forecast // Summertime and the Living's Easy for Summer 2019 was drawn from Doin' Time - Lana Del Rey.
Summertime and the living's easy...
The wheel of the year has turned, heralding the arrival of summer: the season of fire and roses, blazing Sun and burning desire. Under the spell of long days and warm nights, an inexhaustible variety of life weaves its magic through the world. In the suffusion of heat everything becomes animated: trees bursting with leaves, crickets chirping, and flowers swelling into fruit.
To embrace the seasons is to attune yourself to the rhythms of the earth. Like everything in nature, the quality of the Sun’s light follows a cycle of rise and fall; ebb and flow; death and rebirth.
On June 21st, the season changes with the arrival of the solstice. This is the moment in the northern hemisphere when the Sun reaches its highest point in the heavens. As the longest day of the year, the solstice is the Sun’s moment of glory before it begins its slow descent into the ripening bliss of summertime.
After the solstice, there is a fragrant pause for all the seeds have been planted, but it is not yet harvest-time. Seasonal living takes a tip from the Sun’s descent. Just as the Sun begins to yield to the night, you too may stop struggling and yield. Summer is about developing the patience to let things to flush and ripen, so enjoy as much leisure as life will allow.
Warm breezes caress you with scent and color. With bare limbs and wandering thoughts, the sunsets remind you that “you were born to be free.” And so you dream of traveling to moonlit gardens and shimmering beaches, where the days stretch on in golden repose and the nights are filled with music.
...dance to the rhythm it gets harder
Your dreams come in flashes of sun-kissed shoulders and hissing seafoam, in dripping peaches and flaming stars. All these belong to the mythos of summer: an eternal symbol of boundless freedom and beauty. The myth of summer inspires visions of an ideal world, graced with romance and adventure. In the haze of this warm green light, everything seems so lush and lovely.
Oh take this veil from off my eyes
My burning sun will someday rise
The dream of summer is precious, but the reality can be very challenging. The heat changes things quickly, summoning a storm of hot, happy, wild, and hopeless moods. Tensions rise as indoor spaces become increasingly claustrophobic. And after too many sweltering nights of insomnia, a feverish delirium seems to emerge.
As the tension gets hotter, you are compelled to find relief, escaping your confinement in any way that you can. So whether it is through extreme pleasure or discomfort, summer inspires a newfound taste for freedom.
Show them how we come off the shelf. So what?
Driving a car, coast of France
we gonna run to the party
dance to the rhythm it gets harder
Hot air rises and hot pink soars. In search of escape, you’ll watch the sky lose its blue to the heat. You’ll see the road shimmer before you, waves rising above the asphalt for endless miles. And in the velvet night, you’ll catch a cool breeze, following the thundering bass all the way to the party.
It’s the place to be…
Following the cycles of nature, the story of your summer will unfold in three distinct acts.
(Looking to truly embrace those Summer vibes? Check out our Summertime Blessings Ritual.)
June 21st - July 23rd
Summertime
And the living's easy
The Summer Solstice arrives under a waning Moon, making the last days of June feel like a long sigh of relief. This is your time to unwind from the frenzy of spring, taking comfort in the knowledge that many good things are coming into fruition. Drifting into summer is warm, drowsy, and soft.
Peche Baron Dufour, Revue Horticole, 1872
On July 2nd, the dreamy lull of late-June is broken by the first New Moon of the season. This is a very special New Moon because it also happens to be a Total Solar Eclipse, a celestial event that magnifies the lunar energy of regeneration.
This Solar Eclipse at the beginning of summer will stimulate a great wave of internal growth. Your heart will open wide, bringing a newfound vulnerability. Caught by a momentum, you may feel pushed beyond your limitations, giving you an opportunity for profound internal development. Set the intention to follow the wisdom of your heart through this challenging time, creating a deeper capacity for love, courage, and gratitude.
(Looking to embrace a New Moon ritual? Check out our Ritual candles or Ritual Bundle.)
Fraisier remontant à gros fruits Jeanne d'Arc, Revue Horticole, 1898
the tension is getting hotter
The culmination of this vulnerable eclipse cycle arrives on July 16th with the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse. This will magnify the Full Moon energy, offering a peak moment of culmination and release. This is a perfect moment to unburden yourself.
Set the intention to protect your time and energy. Release anything that has been weighing heavily upon your heart. If you are haunted by the past, free yourself by forgiving, creating boundaries, and breaking bad habits.
Establish a sanctuary where you can find relief from the heat and the pressures of other people. Give yourself uninterrupted time to meditate, heal, and create.
white flowers of the saguaro cactus
July 24th - August 23rd
My Burning Sun
Summertime and the living's easy
By the end of July everything starts to shimmer and glow. The tension dissolves and you feel ready to share your light with the world.
Diospyros costata, Revue Horticole, 1870
On July 31st, the second New Moon of the summer arrives. This is a moment for renewal, where your sense of beauty and freedom is restored. Feel gratitude for the Sun’s ceaseless generosity towards all life on the planet. Set the intention to reflect these gifts back, embodying the highest and most confident version of yourself.
The weeks following the New Moon are the time for serious Sun worship. Spend more time outdoors, basking in the light and lingering on the sunsets. Rest is not idleness when you’re honoring the miracle of the Sun.
...how we come off the shelf
Prune Eugène Simon, Revue Horticole, 1872
When the Full Moon arrives on August 15th, you’ll have a radiant glow. This is a time for dreaming your future into being, gently releasing anything that might stand in your way. Set the intention to banish alienation and self-doubt.
The week that follows the Full Moon quiets down. In the intense heat, the green world blushes while you dream of the ocean, yearning for the cool hush of a distant shore.
August 24th - September 23rd
Well Qualified
Oh take this veil from off my eyes
In the last week of August, there is a noticeable shift in tone. The lazy days of summer dissipate. As the Sun loses its light to the lengthening shadows there is a tinge of sadness, the sigh of returning from vacation.
Prune violette américaine, Revue Horticole, 1869
But with so many changes and developments over the last couple months, you now have your work cut out for you. Feel gratitude for this as you get back into rhythm.
On August 30th, the last New Moon of the season arrives. Set the intention to refine your clarity of purpose so that you can best support the development of your health, wealth and wisdom.
Come September, the light is like amber and the fruit trees drip with red and purple. The sweetness of summer has finally come into full fruition.
Cerise grosse de Verrières, Revue Horticole, 1870
On September 14th, the last Full Moon of summer arrives, bringing a sense of completion and culmination. In traditional almanacs, this is called the Harvest Moon, the time of necessary work and celebration.
The trees and vines are heavy with fruit and you are now heavy with the desire to be of service to the world. Set the intention to begin reaping what you have sown, feeling deep gratitude for the many fruits of your labors.
All the people in the dance will agree
That we’re well qualified to represent…
Nothing gold can stay. The summer ends under the influence of a waning Moon, releasing and relinquishing the season to the coming chill of autumn. This shift into the season of darkness may feel melancholy, but the autumn promises the discovery of many hidden treasures. Embrace the change of seasons, letting summer’s sense of adventure transform into autumn’s taste for mystery.
It’s the place to be…
ALSO READ:
Summertime Blessings Ritual
IN THE SHOP:
Summer Candle
Ritual Candle
Ritual Bundle
Rachel is the creator of Aeolian Heart Astrology, a voice that blends ancient Hermeticism with pop culture and fine art. She believes that astrology is magic because following the rhythm of the planets makes life feel like a graceful dance. Her favorite season is late-summer, when the pomegranates are ripe and the sunsets are like amber.
