Dear, Beloved and Cherished Children of the Earth,
Litha is here! Midsummer is here! It's the time when the Earth pours forth her bounty and the Sun pours out its life-giving light. Gardens ripen and mammals with old bones find it a little easier to move around.
Summer Solstice is here!
The abundance of light at this time, the fecundity of our home planet, the joy of relationship with all living beings has been celebrated as long as there have been people to celebrate.
Feasts and bonfires, games, music and traveling to visit those dear to us happen more easily this time of year.
On this Summer Solstice, I am celebrating an announcement: I will be retiring at the end of this year, on Winter Solstice.
As I approach my 75th year, I have reached a natural culmination in my one-on-one work with all of you. I'm retiring from this particular form of "the work" to create time to write and teach about what I've learned.
The past 30 years, our work together has been my spiritual practice. Every time we've stepped into the "healing cauldron," I have been profoundly affected.
Your courage, strength and beauty have taught me to open and connect, to weep and laugh with gratitude and awe at what we've been able to achieve together. You are all a part of me as I am a part of you.
I will greatly miss our sessions. Some of you have grown old with me. Some I'm meeting in your early years. Each of you has given me something unique: your trust. And I value that perhaps above all.
You can continue to walk with me as I move into teaching. It's my intention to create a body of work that will exist for anyone who wants to learn the tools and viewpoints I'm hoping to pass on.
My new website: Incarnate Astrology will be my new home. There you will find my latest musings and class offerings. I will continue to offer these little Solstice and Equinox reminders as well as Full Moon postings.
Please visit IncarnateAstrology.com to discover more.
Some of you are already asking: What... No Ritual??
I am planning a Retirement/Transformation Ritual for the Spring Equinox '24 at Ocean Beach, San Francisco. I'll let you know the details as they take shape.
With so much love and deep, enduring gratitude,
Mary
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We're All Afraid
We're all afraid
of our secret knowing--
all afraid
that what we feel
deep inside
isn't real.
What if it is real?
What if you're the very person
you secretly sense yourself to be?
Fear, hatred, envy, confusion
even joy and the loss of joy
can build up dark walls.
Light can stop.
We can stop,
full of reasons
why we cannot be.
... Mary Swanson
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Please check out the links below for more information about Solstice:
https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-june-solstice/
https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2021/summer-solstice-in-the-northern-hemisphere
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsummer