These past few months seem to have gone both really fast, and so slowly, too. The months of June, July and August are traditionally the months that I embrace the sun and take pleasure in the simple things- spending time with family, being out in nature, and living for the moment. It’s when a lot of memories are made, and I really slow down to appreciate the beauty that is so abundant in the height of summer.
I kicked off the start of Summer by celebrating my wedding anniversary- the Summer Solstice is always a time of celebration, we just have an extra layer to that in our family, also celebrating our wedding. This year we celebrated five years, so my husband and I took a couple of days to go and have our own adventure in Cumbria this year. It was beautiful, restful, romantic and exactly what we needed after a stressful start to the year. We came home, ready to celebrate the summer months with our son and extended family.
Yet, as the hot days and warm evenings took hold, we operated on little sleep, the house felt a touch of neglect and I was constantly planning the next adventure out with family. Plans changed at the drop of a hat, problems arose that sidetracked planning that had happened before we’d been swept up in the bliss of Summer- and the season that was so full of energy, suddenly felt like it was out of my control. I’m feeling it a little extra this year- my son starts school in September, and the ideas of new routines, of spending less time with him and the ability to watch him flourish into the sassy young boy he’s now becoming is swirling around my head. I found that time will not stand still, beneath the blazing sun (or cloudy days), and I committed to soaking up everything I could- I wanted to get as much out of Summer this year as I possibly could- even when the weather may not be on our side.
The dog days of summer- a term traditionally used to describe the hot and humid weather in late July and August (and when Sirius graces our early morning sky)- came and with it, well, was more of the same. Long, hot days, humid and warm nights, adventures on a weekend and a weekday committed to hiding out from heatwaves or having fun at the park. It’s lethargic, indulgent, fun and full of laughter and happiness. Routines- that I’d worked hard to develop during Spring- were suddenly lost and I was cast adrift to Summer. The frustration I felt at this didn’t last long- it was perhaps the first lesson of the season I learnt- summer was about going with the flow. Schedules and routines weren’t as important at this point- not to me. Instead, I learnt to take each day as it came, with a list of places I wanted to visit over the next several weeks, whenever was feasible.
As I type this now though, the weather is already beginning to change. Virgo season has arrived, and with it I’m beginning to draw back in and down to earth- even though there’s still a few more days until the start of September. I’m grounding and mentally assessing what needs refreshing in the house, being aware of routines that are now beginning to shift and prepping for that first week of school. My days are tinged with sorrow- at the subtle changes that are beginning to show in our new daily routine- or even the fact that a routine is beginning to form, at the prospect of spending less time with my son. That’s okay- that’s natural. I rode the highs of summer like a river that had its destination already set- and I rode it whilst it was fast flowing and also gently floating by. August is the beginning of the harvest season- Lughnasadh marks the first harvest festival and is a time of abundance but also sacrifice. Now, I’m heading towards the open ocean before swimming back to shore as the first stirrings of Autumn begin. I’m going to enjoy these last few days, embracing Summer and the remainder of our family plans before September arrives- bringing a shift in energy, in season, and focus.
