Hello Rainbow tribe, time to finish off the year, and what a year it has been. As I mentioned in January this year had the numerological value of 11, which is a master number.
Master Numbers will catapult us forward, creating a huge shift in our paradigm.
Totally true in my case and many I have worked personally with.
I for one would not have chosen the paradigm shift I was given, but through it I have learned to be more flexible, more present in each moment, more patient and so very grateful for what I have in my life.
So, to lift us from our heavy year we are going to focus on the theme of Summer Solstice.
In the Southern Hemisphere we celebrate Summer Solstice on the 21st of December.
It is the seasonal holiday that celebrates the sun at its zenith. With the longest day and shortest night.
It is exactly 6 months between the Summer and Winter Solstices, and the opposite Hemisphere is in the opposite Solstice at the same time.
Summer Solstice is the most Yang time of year. Winter Solstice the most Yin.
In times of old we honoured the seasons and the cycles of nature as a time to reflect on what each season could teach us. There are 8 seasonal vortices and I plan to bring them in as themes for the next solar return (year).
Starting with the Jubilant Summer Solstice.
Let us celebrate the sun in all of his flamboyant glory, for without Grandfather Sun…where would we be.
In my Spotlight Advice I will give some ideas of how to work with this energy.
The Sun is now in Sagittarius, Nov 22nd – Dec 21st. Notice how the sign is changing right at Summer Solstice. Leading up to Solstice we can enjoy the fun, vital, intrepid energy of Sag, but then as we turn from the sun and begin our decent into the darkness (the 6month journey to Winter Solstice) we need the stern and fatherly energy of Capricorn Dec 22nd – Jan 19th.
In Sag we should get out in nature and let the natural world work its magic to heal and restore our body/mind/emotions. Celebrate life with friends and family. Take a much-needed break if you can, and if you can’t, let the down time be celebratory and restorative. Even for those few hours or days.
Then Moving in to Cappy, feel a settling in yourself, a calming and slowing. A time where focus is steadily regained to move into the year ahead. Being an Earth sign Capricorn gives us the chance to embody the lessons of the past year and set some fertile ground for the year ahead.
New Moon this month is on the 9th in the sign of Sagittarius. As Sag can be the master of distracting one’s self from personal healing, we can use a cyclical practice such as Red Tent to explore where we are doing this in our own lives.
Next Red Tent’s;
Port Alfred evening group Wednesday 5th December.
Grahamstown afternoon group Thursday 6th December.
Full Moon is on the 22nd December in the sign of Cancer. This will be an intense one as we have the Summer Solstice energy still in play, the Sun in the sign of the Father (the sun is king of the sky) and the Moon in the sign of the Mother (the moon is queen of the sky). My advice is a gathering of close family and friends and a celebration of our blessings. Yes, you can have a few drinks but be present and symbolic in this powerful vortex too.
Crystal picks for December
Citrine is a Summer Solstice must have. I often liken this crystal to encapsulated sunlight. It is bursting with vitality and joy. If you are feeling like family gatherings are more exhausting than fun, wear or hold a Citrine to pep you up and put a sunny smile on your dial. It is also a great stone for memory and what better time to add to the memory bank than holidays spent with those we love. Citrine will help you count your many blessings.
Peitersite has a strong connection to the sacred masculine and as such the sun. It also is perfect for the sign of Sagittarius because it helps one heal dis-ease through becoming more truthful and authentic within oneself. Sag loves to shoot arrows of truth for healing. There is great vision that can be received through this stone. It is a less common crystal and not always easy to find.
Iron Pyrite also known as fool’s gold is another one, I have not touched on before. It too has a strong connection to the masculine and to structure. It is extremely protective, keeping negativity at bay. Pyrite is very helpful at overcoming inertia which may affect us at the end of a long year. Like Citrine it will be a great boost to the self-esteem. It can be found in natural cube form or rough as in these pictures. Sometimes it can be found in tumbled form.
Aromas of the month
After a wonderful and inspiring Aromatherapy Workshop in Grahamstown last month I look forward to fitting more workshops into my schedule for next year.
If you have been reading my newsletters for a while, and assuming you have been growing your collection of essential oils. I am going to share a blend with this month’s oils and a few options using oils from previous months.
Summer Solstice blend: in a bath/burner 1 drop Cedar, 2 drops Marjoram and 3 drops Lemon
Christmas blend: 1 Vertivert, 1 Rosemary, 3 Bergamot
Digestive blend: 1 Fennel, 4 Grapefruit or 1 Peppermint, 2 Clary Sage, 3 Lavender
Cedarwood is reminiscent of pine in its cones and needle like leaves…but that is where the similarity ends. Where pine has a sharp, fresh scent, Cedarwood is very woody, almost a burnt wood smell. Think logs on the fire. It has a masculine appeal. On its own it can be a bit polarising and I confess to preferring it in a blend to balance and lift the smokiness.
Marjoram is a wonderful herby muscle relaxant. Also, not a particularly feminine smell and so in keeping with our Yang, Summer Solstice energy. Herb oils are good for digestion. This is more than just physical digestion. This is a time of rich foods and over indulgence after all. But also, a time to digest what the year has fed us.
Lemon, if Citrine is the sun of the mineral world, Lemon is the nectar of the sun. This oil is sunny in its disposition, bright, fresh, sharp even. You don’t find a subtle lemon and there is NOTHING subtle about Grandfather Sun.
Exciting News
My Website www.rainbowwisdom.co.za goes live on the 20th of December.
It is a huge deal that I have after 3 years of thinking and procrastinating finally actually taken the plunge. So please read my blogs, share, comment and support me in this endeavour to help encourage traffic and keep me motivated.
Spotlight Advice
Honouring Summer Solstice
We will in months to come look at the 8 seasonal shifts that happen in a solar cycle.
Suffice to say that this one Summer Solstice is the zenith of the light (sun) and hence portends the return of the dark. Winter Solstice, which the Northern hemisphere will be celebrating, is the deepest depths of the dark and celebrates the return of the sun.
Mid way between these 2 points we have the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes a time for balance, when the yin and yang energies are most equal (equi).
To honour the Summer Solstice, it is good to celebrate what the light has brought you in the last cycle.
Some suggestions of how to do this would be;
1 Celebrate with Fire: The Sun after all is a great big ball of fire. A big or small gathering with the fire as the central point. A bonfire is great, but even a candle will do.
2 Write your biggest success or what you are most proud of and discuss with each other, celebrating our successes together.
3 Write your greatest ambition and again take the time to share and discuss. Giving power to this dream.
4 Drink Lemonade: Homemade is best, for me it is homemade Elder cordial which is made with lemons too (a drop of lemon oil will intensify this elixir). Take life’s lemons and turn them into lemonade…appreciate the symbolism as you share with friends and family transmuting those challenges into triumphs.
5 Make a Sun Piñata: fun to do with kids, creative, messy fun. Again, appreciate the symbolism as you beat the bleep out of your troubles. The sweetness is released as the sun is broken and we begin to turn inward to fully embody the lessons we have learned.
Any one or a combination of these done especially between the 20th and the 22nd of December is best.
Remember I am a guide from the side. You need to be your own Sage on your own stage and do what works for you…no guilt.
Feel free to share your thoughts by replying to this email. I would love to know if there is any info you would like more of.
Or indeed contact me for any queries about what I have to offer.
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Much Love and Light
Cindy
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