21/12/2025
Thank you to everyone who attended today's Solstice Ceremony at Fitness Venue
Here is the reflections and prayer that I shared x
Summer solstice marks the longest day of the year, when the Earth’s poles are at their maximum tilt toward the Sun. In the Southern Hemisphere, this brings the greatest number of daylight hours and offers us an invitation to pause, come into stillness, and reflect on the six months that have passed since the winter solstice.
The period from the winter solstice is often one of action, movement, and achievement. Over the past six months, many of us may have felt called to initiate, build, resolve, or push forward. The summer solstice represents a turning point. From here, the daylight gradually begins to lessen, inviting us into a slower rhythm—one of inward movement, reflection, and integration.
The peak of the solstice falls on Monday, December 22, 2025, at 1:03 AM Queensland time, making this a potent moment to gather in ceremony. The word *solstice* comes from the Latin *solstitium*, meaning “sun standing still,” a reminder of the sacred pause that exists at this threshold between seasons.
Reconnecting with the seasons is a way of reconnecting with ourselves. In a world that is increasingly fast-paced and demanding, we are rarely encouraged to slow down and listen inwardly. Over time, this can disconnect us from our inner worlds and from the Earth beneath our feet. Solstice invites us to restore that connection.
This is a space to return to ourselves—to release old timelines and energies, and to realign with our soul’s purpose. It is an invitation to let go of outdated versions of who we once were. Many have spoken of this year as the year of the snake, a time of shedding. We may have been asked to confront and resolve lingering patterns or unresolved chapters so they could naturally come to completion. While this process can feel challenging, it serves a greater purpose: clearing the way for a more authentic, aligned version of ourselves to emerge as we move into the new year—one that is more deeply connected to our values, dreams, and desires.
I invite you now to enter sacred space and bring gratitude to what you have accomplished in the six months since the winter solstice. Notice what you have had to move through, release, or transform in order to walk your own unique path. We acknowledge this time as one of receiving the fruits of our personal work, while also welcoming the invitation to rest as the days gradually shorten and we begin to turn toward winter.
Let us take a moment of peace to tune into the wisdom of the soul. We turn to ancient wisdom and practices as an anchor, and we welcome the new season with presence and reverence.
As you reflect, consider the following:
* What has the last six months asked me to move through so I can step into my most authentic self?
* How can I soften the noise of the outside world so I can hear the voice of my heart?
* How do I protect and nurture the light within me?
* When the world feels unstable, how can I return to presence and grounding?
* What new beginnings am I moving into in the new year?
* What does my heart and soul’s wisdom want me to know at this time?
I invite you now to take your candle, light it, and place it on the altar. Come into your space of stillness.
Here is a solstice prayer that gently weaves these themes together and may be read aloud or held in silence as the candle burns.
Summer Solstice Prayer
At this sacred turning of the year,
when the Sun stands still in the sky
and light reaches its fullest expression,
we pause.
We honour the Earth in her great tilt toward the light,
the rhythm of seasons that lives within our bodies,
and the wisdom that arrives when we slow enough to listen.
We give gratitude for the path we have walked
since the winter solstice
for the movement, the courage, the growth,
and for all that has been asked of us
in becoming who we are now.
We thank ourselves for showing up,
even when the journey required shedding old skins
and releasing what no longer belonged to us.
At this threshold,
we release outdated timelines, patterns, and identities.
Like the snake, we let fall what has grown too small,
trusting that each ending makes space
for a truer, more aligned expression of our soul.
As the light begins its gentle descent,
we welcome the invitation to soften,
to turn inward,
to rest, reflect, and receive the fruits of our inner work.
We remember that slowing is sacred,
and stillness is a teacher.
We call our awareness home
away from the noise of the outer world
and back into the quiet wisdom of the heart.
May we learn to protect the light within us,
to ground ourselves when the world feels unsteady,
and to meet each moment with presence and grace.
As we stand at the doorway of a new season
and a new year yet to unfold,
we ask for clarity, alignment, and gentle guidance.
May our next steps be guided by truth,
by values rooted in love,
and by dreams that honour who we are becoming.
With this flame,
we anchor ourselves in the now.
We listen.
We receive.
We remember.
May this solstice bless our bodies,
steady our minds,
and illuminate the path ahead.
And so it is.
