The Nudge - Dispatch 13 | Summer Solstice 2023

“Feel the soil’s energy at this time of the Summer Solstice. Feel the energy of growth and nourishment that vibrates in the earth. Sense the expansion, the throb of life as it flows through roots and stems.” 

Arin Murphy-Hiscock, The Green Witch

Welcome to The Nudge | Summer Solstice 2023
This seasonal care package has been prepared by The Trailblazery team.

Dear Friends, 

As we eagerly approach the Summer Solstice on June 21 in the northern hemisphere, we are thrilled to prepare our care package, The Nudge, for you. This significant day holds a special place on the Ancient Wheel of the Year, as one of the four solar festivals. It marks a time when the light triumphs, gracing us with extended hours of daylight and shorter nights. It is a joyous occasion where we celebrate the abundant growth and blossoming of the seeds that were sown during the depths of winter.

The term "solstice" itself means "standstill" or “grianstad” as Gaeilge, as during this period, the sun appears to rise and set in the same locations in the East and West for three consecutive days. This stillness makes it an excellent time to pause for self-reflection. Here in Ireland, at the Summer Solstice, we have only about 4 hours of darkness until the birds begin to sing another day into being.

While growth and expansion will continue until Lughnasa, the Summer Solstice represents the pinnacle of this cycle. Similar to the Winter Solstice, there is a shift in energies and a natural balance embedded in the solstice. From this point onward, there is a gentle decline in the light, and subtle signs of the approaching autumn and darkness begin to emerge. The days will gradually grow shorter, marking the subtle transition from equal day and night towards a gentle embrace of longer nights.

As the peak of the solar year, the Summer Solstice invites us to harness the vitality of the season—the radiant sun, the vivid hues of nature, and the abundance of experiencing each moment to the fullest. It grants us the opportunity to prioritise play, exploration, and adventure. We shed the remnants of the previous season, set fresh intentions, and embrace the invigorating force of action and progress.

Some Journal Prompts to inspire you, as we approach Summer solstice:
 

☀️ How do you light and tend your inner fire? What fuels your passion?

☀️ What has your inner fire helped you accomplish this year?

☀️ What light are you offering to the world?

☀️ What can you do to energise or soften that light?

☀️ What lies in the shadow that asks to be illuminated?

☀️ What will you do to let go, slow down and appreciate the longer days of light and sunshine?
 

 

What’s coming up over the next
6 weeks at The Trailblazery:
 

We are excited to let you know what t ehe future holds for our community here at The Trailblazery

On Sunday, June 18, we are remembering, unveiling the inherent joy found within this seasonal threshold. Prepare to be transported to a world where the sacred and the natural converge in a tapestry of myco, eco and mytho-feminist wisdom. 

Don't miss this unique opportunity to connect with the ancient rhythms of the Celtic Wheel, honour the Summer Solstice, and embrace the wisdom of Sophie Strand and our host Kathy Scott, before we round-off our evening with a special performance from Patrick Ó Laoghaire (I Have a Tribe). Join us for an unforgettable gathering that will nourish your soul and ignite your imagination.

Tickets for this online event cost €33 and we still have some places left. To book your spot, visit our website here.

From a conversation at Science & Nonduality

CATALYST - A midsummer festival curated by our friends Rising Appalachia in Asheville, North Carolina.
Kathy will be leading a series of Irish inspired rituals and hosting a live Immram at this brilliant gathering of storytellers, musicians, dj’s, herbalists, foragers, yogis, movers and shakers at The Salvage Station on July 15 and 16. Hope to see you there.
Find out more here.

 

Recommended Resources
 

Here are a few reading, watching and listening pieces to nourish your senses in the days ahead:
 

♪ Listen: For your ears

Our colleague and team member Sandra and her partner Emiji have released their first digital album with healing music and intuitive voice called Zanurzenie or Immersion, and we absolutely love it. Click here to listen.

✦ Smell: For your nose  

Chamomile:
Chamomile is a summer plant which came into widespread use during the Middle Ages. Medicinally, chamomile can be supportive to sleep, stress, and is wonderful for gently soothing sore stomachs and nausea. It is also one of the nine sacred herbs of the Celts. According to folk custom, putting chamomile under your pillow was believed to drive nightmares away.
 

St. John’s Wort:
Blooming on the Summer Solstice, St. John's wort is widely known for its medicinal properties and has been used to treat a variety of conditions, including kidney and lung ailments, insomnia, and depression, and to aid wound healing historically. It can be used topically as an oil or in homoeopathic preparations.
 

Calendula:
Calendula is used to treat an array of skin conditions as well as cuts, burns, and wounds. It also boasts soothing inflammation modulating effects, which are useful for treating digestive conditions. This Solstice flower is full of vitality, with her sunny yellow and orange flowers.

✯ Watch: For your eyes

We were delighted to screen Deargdhúil: Anatomy of Passion at our Bealtaine experience at The Irish Arts Centre in New York. This documentary film by Paula Kehoe explores the life, work and sensual poetic imagination of the poet Máire Mhac an tSaoi. 

Máire helped revolutionise Irish poetry by drawing on a native tradition to express a passionate sensibility and taboo emotions, at a time when women's voices were on the margins of literature and society. The film features performance artist Maureen Fleming, as well as Louis de Paor, Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh, Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill and Olwen Fouéré and incorporates home movies taken by Máire's father, Seán MacEntee in the 1930s and 40s, which had never been seen before by the public.

We had a huge response to this film in New York and lots of you asked for it. Here is a link to the Irish Film Institute's website, where you can rent the film for 6$.

 ❤ Read: For your heart

Kathy wrote a piece all about the Summer Solstice for Irish Central. You can read it here.

✬ Connect: For your Soul 

We love this beautiful song, The Lost Words Blessing, written in response to The Lost Words: A Spell Book, by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris.

Since the Lost Words’ publication in October 2017, this book has had a transformative effect on all who have come in contact with it. Described as a ‘cultural phenomenon’ in the Guardian, it has become a huge bestseller, has taken root in thousands of schools across Britain, been widely acclaimed as an instant classic, won numerous prizes, and inspired many creative thinkers, young and old. It was shortlisted in 2017 as one of Britain’s favourite books of all time on the natural world (alongside titles including Tarka the Otter and Gilbert White’s The Natural History of Selborne).

The Lost Words is a ‘book of spells’ that seeks to conjure back the near-lost magic and strangeness of the nature that surrounds us. It transcends age barriers inspiring children and moving adults with its wide appeal.

Credit: The Lost Words Blessing · Spell Songs · Julie Fowlis · Karine Polwart · Seckou Keita · Kris Drever · Rachel Newton · Beth Porter · Jim Molyneux · Kerry Andrew

℗ Quercus Records

EnJOY these days - may the awakening  light be yours.
 
Thank you for walking this path with us,
 
Beannachtaí,
Kathy and all at The Trailblazery