Solstice Ceremonies?

I want to celebrate the solstice for the first time. What kinds of things do you do to celebrate this?

It depends on where you're at and how you want to celebrate it - they're doing a summer solstice ritual at Cahokia Mounds Friday morning at 5 a.m. I'm in St. Louis though so this is only about a 30 minute drive away for me. If this is the type of thing that would interest you, you might want to see if similar things are being done in your area.

I usually just make a note of it mentally but felt the need for a bit more ceremony this year (and I have the time off so I can actually go).

It all depends on what you're comfortable with and what your interest in the solstice is. There is no right or wrong way - just do what feels right to you.

Different cultures have different traditions. I do lots of things but where I come from it's the 23/24 of June, not so much the 21/22. This year the 23 and 24 are also huge Christian days and as we are Orthodox Christians it's a double whammy for us. Very big indeed.

I usually just set up an altar at home and do my own little thing. I am still doing this(altar already set), but on Thursday I am going to my first Solstice ceremony at a local metaphysical shop. Not sure what to expect or what will go on there, but looking forward to it.

As Ronia and GypsyFaerie said, it's really up to you how you celebrate but if you want the company of others, then have a look for any groups intending to celebrate near you.

The moment of the Astronomical Solstice is 05:03 UT (GMT) on the 21st. If you are West of London then it will occur earlier in local time and on the East coast of the US, it's going to be 01:03 EDT. Further East than London it will be at a later Local Time.

Astrologically you could cast a chart for the Solstice where you live or simply compare the planetary positions to your natal chart. That could give you an indication of the season ahead.

This Solstice is rather special, as two hours before the Solstice there's a conjunction of Mercury and Venus in Cancer. If you are in California you should be able to see the conjunction just after sunset around 9 pm, low on the western horizon. Sadly though you can't watch both the conjunction and the Sun's Cancer ingress.

Minderwiz said:

Astrologically you could cast a chart for the Solstice where you live or simply compare the planetary positions to your natal chart. That could give you an indication of the season ahead.

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Minderwiz, would this be read as a solar? I did cast a chart for the solstice here and, wow, the Ascendant of the solstice is exactly conjunct my natal Moon in the 7th (and also ruler of the 7th) in Cancer while the transiting Moon is at the same degree in Scorpio, in my 10th, thus trining my natal Moon. Exact... So, what does it mean in such a chart? Important relationships? The Ascendant is usually a beginning but how is the solstice Ascendant to be read? Is it the same?

Bonfires are a common way to celebrate the summer solstice, because the summer solstice was often a day to worship the sun. I might go down to a bonfire myself. But I think just getting out in nature and really enjoying and reveling in the summer and the life around you is a great way to celebrate too. Especially if you are looking for something solitary. I also have a seasonal calendar, so I change my calendar on the solstices and equinoxes. It is a great way to keep in touch with the changes of the seasons.

Ronia said:

Minderwiz, would this be read as a solar? I did cast a chart for the solstice here and, wow, the Ascendant of the solstice is exactly conjunct my natal Moon in the 7th (and also ruler of the 7th) in Cancer while the transiting Moon is at the same degree in Scorpio, in my 10th, thus trining my natal Moon. Exact... So, what does it mean in such a chart? Important relationships? The Ascendant is usually a beginning but how is the solstice Ascendant to be read? Is it the same?

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Actually it's of more relevance to the Mundane, that is cities and countries but in your case I can see how you could well make use of it, because you are planning that move - which brings into play both the chart for your current location and the chart for your desired new location.

You have already cast a chart for your current location, and that should give you some idea of the forthcoming period, if you stay where you are. Casting a chart for the new location should give you an idea of how things might be if you move. As you are not planning to move till the last month or so of the season, you could take the current location chart as setting the scene and covering the period as a whole. The relocation chart (if you choose to do one) would indicate and changes in that last month, after the mover. You're probably not expecting instant results, so you might cast a chart for the Autumn equinox at your new location, to see how things develop.

Like the Aries ingress in March, the chart for Much of Europe has Cancer rising. With a Cardinal sign in the Ascendant, this means things will change and so the time period is best kept as short as possible - in this case, simply to the time between equinox and solstice and the between the solstice and the Autumn equinox. It's interesting that for you both charts have a late Cancer Ascendant, conjunct your natal Moon.

For the solstice, the Moon, ruler of the Cancer Ascendant is in Scorpio, her fall, and the exaltation planet of Cancer, is Jupiter, which is in it's Detriment in Gemini. So if you're looking for the best planet to take as the Lord/Lady of this revolution, then you're down to the Triplicity Ruler, Venus, which is in Cancer and has dignity because of that.

Using whole sign houses, Venus is in the first, in an almost perfect conjunction with Mercury - so you could look and see which houses of your natal chart are going to be affected by these two - the ninth and tenth by whole signs, and in your natal chart these two are in mutual reception, Venus in the ninth and Mercury in the tenth - so this suggests issues with travel and career.

You can look at the other planets in the solstice chart and see where they fall in your natal chart. In particular, you're looking for the ones that are angular, or form a strong pattern with your natal placements. Look at the natal strength of the planets and their strength in the solstice chart and begin to build up from there. It's only likely to be a short term forecast, so try not to get over complex and look how it fits in with other forecasts that you are doing.

The ascending sign, of the solstice chart (and indeed for the other seasonal ingresses) gives you the essence of the period, just as it gives the essence for any chart, be it natal, event or horary. Hopefully this is not going to be too literal and we get a Summer of rain (again!) though there's serious flooding in France, and has been in Central Europe.

Thanks, Minderwiz, I got it. So, I should ignore the solstice Asc conjunction with my natal Moon? Ah well. Hoped for a romantic summer but looks like focusing on the move instead. But iif the equinox chart has the Asc again there... hm, I'm not one to give up easily. LOL I'm actually celebrating one full Venusian cycle of involvement with this man from the horaries. A birthday of a kind.

P.S. We're warned about extreme heat next two months here (from which I'll hopefully spend only one at this place). But till now we were literally flooded.

Minderwiz said:

You can look at the other planets in the solstice chart and see where they fall in your natal chart. In particular, you're looking for the ones that are angular, or form a strong pattern with your natal placements. Look at the natal strength of the planets and their strength in the solstice chart and begin to build up from there.

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Using Placidus Saturn is angular in the fourth and considering your observations in the Hellenistic tread, he's not in a bad condition, he's returning close to my Sun while natally is square my Sun, so there is a pattern here. In Placidus Saturn is in my 7th in Leo and "accidentally" I am in love with a man who fits Saturn very well and also Leo but in whole signs it's all different. If I take the Placidus, Satunr will get a trine from the Sun and the Sun is in the 12th of the solstice which fits the secrecy of the whole thing... And from there I can take Neptune, of course, because he's so prominent in this affair but that's another story.

Happy Solstice!

Happy Solstice to everyone! I, for one, am welcoming the water energy, I feel reborn really.

P.S. Jupiter is not in Cancer yet (thus still far from conjunct my Mars and trine my Sun) but things related to 7th house started moving already as soon as he turned direct. Not the person that I want but the movement is obvious. Hopefully as before so now, Jupiter in the 7th will grant me my wish. But astrology does work. It's also fitting the Venus/Mercury conjunction in my 7th as I received an invitation.