The Rite of Summer Solstice
How to find peace, happiness, and wisdom during this special time of year
The solstice is almost here! This special time is one of the most important seasonal markers of the year. In this short article, I'll discuss the timing of this event, as well as its astronomical and spiritual significance.
This year, the solstice will occur on Friday night, June 20 at 10:42 PM EDT, which will be on Saturday, June 21 at 2:42 AM UTC. Use the World Time Buddy to find the exact time if your location is different.
In the northern hemisphere, this will be the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and the first day of summer. It will be the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, and the first day of winter in the southern hemisphere. (For more detailed information about the solstice and its significance in Vedic astrology, please refer to my June 2025 Vedic Astrology Forecast).
The summer solstice, also known as Midsummer, has long been observed throughout the world as an important time to celebrate and give thanks for the magic of life. It is a time for purifying ourselves, letting go of the past, renewing our life force, and affirming our highest purpose.
Author Ted Andrews has a beautiful passage that explains the deeper meaning of the solstice:
The summer solstice is that point in the year in which the energies of Nature reach their culmination…it is the time in which the Christ energies touch the body, mind, and soul of all living things…this is the time of the year to establish a relationship between our Will and the Christ force within us and upon the Earth, and all those who have aligned with it. It is the time to awaken to spiritual ecstasy. It is the time in which contact with the angelic hierarchy can occur most easily and most intimately. Greater concentration is required, as there is often more outer world activity which can distract, but it is the time when the alignment of the more subtle planes of life with the physical provides greater access…
Magnetically, the physical, etheric, astral, mental, and spiritual planes are drawn into alignment…There is awakening of greater strength to transmute the lower…There increases greater opportunity to work and commune with the Nature Kingdom and those beings that work with humanity through it…There occurs a general expansion of the faculties and intuitive energies. There can arise opportunity to invoke greater energy into our chakra centers and employ them in a more directed manner.
It is the ideal time to renew the mind and attune to the highest realms through a merging of the brow and crown chakras – the male and female forces. This will ultimately awaken the opportunity to become a channel of Light…This season is governed by Archangel Auriel…Sometimes called the ‘Son of the Star’…Auriel brings with the summer season beauty and an awakening of vision. One who opens to the ministrations of Auriel during this season can behold the streams of life that are infusing the entire planet. (The Occult Christ: Angelic Mysteries, Seasonal Rituals, and the Divine Feminine by Ted Andrews; Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, MN, 1993; pp 175-179.)
As you can see, in some traditions, the Archangel Auriel is seen to rule over this time of year. Archangel Auriel is also known as Uriel or Ouriel, the Angel of Light. The name means “The Light of God,” or “God is my Light.” Auriel is the Archangel of Wisdom and Transmutation, the radiant “Flame of God” which illuminates the truth, channels prophecies, and offers healing and transformation.
In the modern Essenian esoteric movement, Archangel Auriel is regarded as the archangel of summer who represents the fire element. According to the teachings of the modern Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Auriel is the archangel of the Earth, and is thus associated with the vegetation of the Earth and all the abundance of Earth’s resources.
Archangel Uriel is the great alchemist who transforms misfortune and tribulation on Earth into great advantages…Perhaps it is from the angelic realm of Uriel that we learn that when God closes the door in one area of our lives, a window is opened somewhere else. When we awaken a sense of faith – especially when it seems all is lost – we are enabled to do so by the forces of Uriel. (Edgar Cayce on Angels: Archangels and the Unseen Forces by Robert J. Grant; A.R.E Press, Virginia Beach, 1994; p.103).
During the summer solstice, I like to invoke positive energy by sending a prayer to Archangel Uriel. This is my prayer:
Archangel Uriel, I invoke you to stand before me and fill me with your rays of peace, harmony, and wisdom. Please help soothe all conflicts within me and my life, and replace them with understanding and wisdom. Show me what I need to know moment by moment as you illuminate my path with your holy flame. Thank you. Aum. Amen.
I hope that you in the northern hemisphere will find peace, wisdom, and happiness as the summer season officially begins. I further extend these good wishes to those in the southern hemisphere who are celebrating the winter solstice and a new winter season ahead.
Many of my followers have asked me to include a Buy Me a Coffee button in my articles so that they can offer support and appreciation without having to commit to a paid subscription. So to all of you, thanks so much, and here’s the button!