On the solstice,
we gathered roses,
wild clover,
tiny white asters,
four black-eyed Susans.
We carried honey cake
dotted with raspberries
to the back deck,
where we circled up
and offered our blessings
to one another with a spritz
of fragrant oils mixed with cooling water.
We spoke of our promises,
our plans and dreams,
of projects finished
and ideas laid aside.
We recommitted to our visions,
to focus,
clarity,
choice,
and trust,
eating bits of honey cake to seal our vows,
bringing our claims into us,
where they might become a living part
of our own forms.
We offered pinches of cake
to the land,
calling out our gratitude
for each learning and inspiration,
each love and appreciation
in turn,
as we tossed bits of golden cake
between the branches
and into the wildflowers.
We joined hands and sang together,
offering our voices and our prayers
to the keeping of our promises
and to the land on which we live.
We noticed fireflies asleep
on the mulberry leaves
and watched long fingers
of sunlight extend over the roof
as the sun began to descend
on the longest day.
Happy Summer,
we called to the sky
and stones,
trees and birds.
With this rite of honoring,
of blessing and gratitude,
of noticing and renewal,
we left the rose petals
and raspberries behind us,
and stepped across the threshold
back into the heart
of our lives.
Happy Solstice! Here’s one of the honey cake recipes I like to use.
And, the Replenish Retreat home page has been updated with our Summer retreat video (plus free companion cards).
