Celebrate the June Solstice

The Solstice is a time when the sun appears to pause in its northward journey, before turning again to move southward. Novasutras will celebrate by holding an online guided meditation focusing on global well-being and loving-kindness. In the depths of difficult times, celebration and spiritual connection are more important than ever. We hope you’ll join our Octal Celebration, and include our online gatherings as part of your own celebration of this seasonal transition.

About the Solstice

The exact time the sun will end its northbound journey and begin its journey southward is Monday, June 21st at 03:32 UTC (that’s June 20th 8:32pm Pacific Daylight Time – check your local time and date). Our main online celebration coincides with the moment of the Solstice.

Celebrating Seasonal Transition

The June Solstice is when nights are longest and the sun is lowest in the Southern Hemisphere, and when days are longest and the sun is highest in the Northern Hemisphere. This shifting, and our experiences of seasonal change on Earth, are related to the tilt of Earth’s rotational axis. The June Solstice marks the beginning of summer north of the tropics, and the beginning of winter south of the tropics.

The Solstices are the extremes of the year, and are key times for celebrations in almost all cultures and traditions. Around the times of the Solstices, the sun appears to stop changing the path of the arc it follows across the sky. People see the sun rising and setting at nearly the same place on their horizon in the days just before and after the actual moment of the Solstice. So your Novasutras Solstice celebrations can appropriately extend through these days before and after the precise moment of the Solstice.

For celebrations of the Solstices, important themes are:

• Celebrating the Sun
• Pausing for Reflection
• Contrasts (day/night, light/dark)
• Global Unity

In the Northern Hemisphere, Abundance and Vigor are also key themes to incorporate in your celebrations this June. For your winter Solstice, Endings and New Beginnings, and Endurance are appropriate themes in the Southern Hemisphere.