Summer is nature’s way of telling us it’s time to live life to the fullest.
She gives us all the sunlight we need to wake up early, stay up late, and spend as much time outdoors as our SPF will allow.
So it’s no surprise that our productivity-focused society encourages a “summer bucket list” to maximize every moment with trips, tasks, and to-do’s.
As an alternative to the hustle implied in the standard bucket list, I thought I’d take time to explore a few tenants of historic witch culture and what it might imply for making the most of the warmer months, minus the burnout.
Photo by Jamie Hagan on Unsplash
HEALING - Create a ritual for self-reflection:
Journaling: try Morning Pages by The Artists Way. What I love about this method is the low stakes. Wake up and write a stream of consciousness for three whole pages (or less, don’t be too rigid) and see what comes out. I’ve done this method in the past and I love the way things pop up that you weren’t expecting. There does seem to be a bit of magic to the process.
Tarot Cards: Labyrinthos is my go-to for this ritual. I love tarot journaling. I’ve fallen out of practice with it but when I was doing it regularly I felt so powerful and in tune with my feelings. It caused a huge transformation in my life and I believe it has the power to do the same for you. No need to get overly fancy with this; just ask a question for the day and do a single card draw to see where the universe wants to pull your focus.
Astrology: If you’re an astrology fan you probably already know about Chani Nicholas and her genius. If you’re not already using her app and especially if you’re new to astrology, I highly recommend it. I use it as a daily checkin to see what’s brewing and how to direct my energy.
Meditation: This is the hardest of all modalities for me. I’m terrible at sitting still unless I have constant changing mental stimulation. Clearing out my thoughts feels so far from the status quo that I usually get frustrated and give up. Which is probably proof that I need meditation more than anything. I find I’m most successful when I have a sound bath playing to calm my nervous system. There are so many great options on Spotify or YouTube for free so there’s no excuse not to at least give it a try.
Photo by Crosby Hinze on Unsplash
SISTERHOOD - Invest in Your Coven
My life is the best it’s ever been and I think it’s largely due to the quality and diversity of my friendships.
Even in the past three years I’ve noticed what a difference it makes to have multiple groups of friends to turn to depending on what I need from life. And the only way to build friendships like this is to show up over and over again.
For me, this looks like: the Friday coffee meetup I attend whenever I can. Friday mornings can sometimes be a moment of panic for me when I realize there are tasks I need to get done before the weekend and “oh, wouldn’t it be great to just dive right into those” but showing up to coffee and chatting with whatever combination of moms could make it that week is the fuel I need to focus.
I have a group of women business owners who meet monthly to check in and offer each other support and advice. These aren’t women I see very often outside of our meetups, but I still feel so strongly connected to them because of how much we each commit to vulnerability and honesty about what we’re experiencing as business owners. Proof that you don’t need to meet often to build a sense of community.
And for those of you who don’t live in densely populated places: I also have an online community that I check in with regularly on Slack. We have different channels for different topics and some times of the year it’s more active than others, but I know that if I was ever going through something that I was afraid to share to people I see everyday, if I wasn’t ready for that kind of in-your-face vulnerability, I could voice my struggles or celebrations to this group and they would show up.
It took me a long time to get to this place and I’ve had my fair share of disappointing friend fallouts, but the reality of strong groups of friends is that they’re never going to be perfect.
Photo by Sandra Seitamaa on Unsplash
CHALLENGE AUTHORITY - Fight for a Cause
In astrology, the cardinal water sign is Cancer, which arrives on the summer solstice. So the introduction of summer means lots of feelings and, most importantly, lots of nurturing.
Think of all life forms during summer: it is the easiest time of year for them to thrive. No hibernating, no fallen leaves, just all the correct elements you need to put energy into existing.
What better way to nurture than to join hands with your fellow humans and protect those who are under attack?
If the weight of the world feels too heavy, start local. Start small. Make a Little Free Food Panty. Donate $20 to a cause you believe in. Put a sign in your front yard that stands up to hatred and bigotry.
And then take that momentum and do the next, bigger thing. Think of each choice as casting a spell for a world you want to be a part of.
I’ll end there because ultimately I don’t want your summer bucket list to be a long string of to-do’s. I want you to use your intuition to guide you when there’s free time. I want you to create more free time.
I want you to create, period.
Happy summer
xo, Steph