by Jessie Klassen
Depending on where you are in the world, the Solstice on June 20 will either herald summer or winter. Either way, there is always a shift that occurs within Mother Earth during the Solstices, and we are sure to feel this within ourselves as well.
Here in Canada, our days are getting longer and we are enjoying warm weather. Upon my farm, I can always feel the solstice approaching as the energetic intensity of the land amplifies dramatically around this time.
I live upon a ridge, which was at one time an ancient Native summer camp. It is situated between the Riding Mountains and Lake Manitoba, and was a great place for a settlement of people to spend their summer fishing, hunting, and gathering wild berries that would sustain them throughout the winter months.
My father grew up on this yard site, and he spent his childhood collecting arrowheads and old leather bags of pemmican from the nearby field after it had been ploughed. My grandfather had even found a buffalo skull once and donated it to a local museum. As a child, I remember the excitement I felt when I found a smooth rock that had been shaped into a hammerhead. I could feel the energetic imprint within the rock and when I closed my eyes, I could see the last person who touched it. I find this intriguing, because this was never something that had been taught to me. Children just “know.”
My dad also remembers looking out his window at night and seeing shadowy images of Native peoples standing in their yard. My family and I have also noticed that if there is going to be paranormal activity take place, it will be during the time of the solstice. Ridges have a natural “charge” to them anyhow, but especially so during this time of year. Dreams will intensify and it will be hard to get a restful night sleep. My children and I have also witnessed “visitors” during this time of year, both within our house and on the yard. Like I said, everything is amplified. This means emotions as well, so it is so important to remember to ground yourself or else one can end up saying something that really was not meant to be said.
I get the strong sense that my ridge had been a ceremonial site, and without a doubt there would have been Solstice celebrations held here. People have been honouring the Earth and her cycles and seasons for as long as we have been here, and it has really only been in the last while that we have stopped.
As we are also moving through such an intense shift upon our planet at this time, it is incredibly important to reawaken our connection with Mother Earth. She is clearing much at this time, and it is moving through us. We are like walking, moving portals for her to clear out all old wounds and stuck energy that needs to be released. You may notice yourself feeling fearful or irrational for no known reason, and this is likely because you are simply clearing for Mother Earth. Those of us deeply connected to her will be more affected, as this is what we came here for. You may notice changes that need to be made within your diet and environment as well, because as we shift, the needs of our bodies shift as well. I just recently developed a very noticeable sensitivity to gluten. I had been limiting how much of it I was eating, but now I feel that I am “done” with it.
I have found that by doing regular land clearings and blessings, I am able to release and lessen the intensity of this shift. The land needs to feel loved, and old energy needs to be given permission to leave.
Performing a Solstice celebration of your own is a beautiful way to honour Mother Earth and to help her and yourself shift into a higher frequency.
A solstice celebration can be as elaborate or as simple as you choose. A simple offering of love and gratitude towards Mother Earth as you sit in stillness, or a bonfire with music, dancing, and setting intentions. You can dress up, (as my one friend said, like “the ya-ya’s from the “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood”)
You can have little pieces of paper to write down hopes, intentions, or anything that you would like to release or heal, which can then be tossed into the flames. Include your children and have fun with it.
I like to take a moment everyday and place my hand on my heart, breathing in and out slowly, and thank Mother Earth for all of her blessings and for always taking care of me. We have been supported here for many, many lifetimes. I feel her love, and I feel the love and light of the Universe, and I simply allow this to flow through me. I allow any energy to release and I focus on a peaceful, happy planet.
The more of us that practice this mindfulness as a collective, the more strength we offer to Mother Earth and the easier we make this shift for all of us.
My dad had a dream a few years ago where there were tipis scattered all across this ridge. My house was also here in the dream, and there were prayer flags tied in the trees all around it. At the highest point of my ridge stood the tallest tipi of them all. It was guarded by impressive, shirtless, brown skinned Indian men with shiny, black flowing hair with long feathers tied in and hanging down. Beautiful horses stood nearby and the sky was a brilliant blue of a summers day. My dad knew somehow that I was in this large tipi, but as he stepped closer, the Indian men stopped him and told him that he was not allowed to step foot on the ridge, and he would have to walk around it. He stepped back and observed from a distance. Anytime he tried to step closer, he felt a painful “charge” shoot up through the soles of his feet and he immediately jumped back. Eventually, I emerged from the large tipi with the Medicine Man and the Chief. I was wearing a white leather dress with intricate beadwork and long fringes. My hair was its usual crazy, curly self, but as my dad said, it was “glowing.” I was glowing. I had been anointed.
My dad then watched as the Indian Chief picked up a buffalo skull and held it up to the sky. He was looking through the eyes of the skull and in the distance, a train was approaching. (railroad tracks do happen to run through our farm, not far from my yard)
I wonder what this must have felt like, to know that their way of life was changing forever? They were deeply connected to the Earth and would have been in tune with their intuition. I have no doubt that they would have “seen” the evolution that was coming. Is this what we are experiencing now? We know that change is coming, but yet, we know it is necessary and we welcome it, because we know that we can’t keep living this way upon the Earth. To these peoples, the arrival of the white man changed them forever.
I feel that I was being honoured within the dream because I understand the shift that is taking place. I also feel that I have lived here before. It is all very familiar to me, and if I close my eyes, I can “see” the life that was here before. I also feel that I chose to live here again because I would be needed to release much old, stuck energy and this ridge is a powerful portal. I have noticed with past activity upon this yard that everything here is amplified, good or bad. It is crucial to be aware of your own energy and of what you are feeding, as it is easy to become “overcome” by the intensity.
I feel that my dad, although very “tuned in”, was not allowed upon the ridge because his awareness simply could not handle the task at hand. I valued his dream and the message within it and was grateful to him for sharing it.
The land is calling out to us, Mother Earth is calling us. I feel this place awakening from a deep slumber. The ridges are vibrating and their energy is palpable. We are all in this together.
May you enjoy the Solstice and take this opportunity to honour Mother Earth and the shift that is happening within your life and within yourself. Take a moment to think about where you are headed. Take a moment to feel how this feels. Are you happy with this, or is there something that you would like to change? Are there ways to integrate more love and gratitiude into your life? Every morning, I thank my bed for a good nights sleep (even when I didn’t sleep well), because my bed did their part. If I can’t sleep, I ask, “What is the lesson?” Everyday I try to say, “I am a learner, and today I will learn something new.”
Seek out Nature as often as you can, and let her flow through you. Ask her what she has to tell you. Feel your life become richer, more meaningful, and more how it was always meant to feel!
What do you have planned for the Solstice? I would love to hear!
I can be contacted via my website at www.jessieklassen.com
While there, feel free to sign up for my free weekly newsletter where I share lessons and advice on connecting with Mother Earth
love and blessings,
Jessie
Enjoy fun activities and energy exercises to encourage growth, self-confidence, and awareness in you and your child while developing a close relationship with Nature in Jessie’s children’s book, “The Sapling.”
An inspiring story from the Trees for the children of Earth, “The Sapling” has vivid, full colour Nature illustrations that will appeal to younger children and powerful Life lessons that will grow with your child, just like a Tree!
“The Sapling” is the first book in Jessie’s Nature Child Children’s Book Series, committed to helping chidren grow into who they truly are meant to be. It will be available on Amazon in the summer of 2017.
A portion of proceeds will be donated to the Nature Conservancy of Canada and to the Treesisters for reforestation and the conservation of our Earth.
Jessie is also a farmer, Reiki Master, and mother of 3 sensitive children. Deeply connected to Nature, she has been inspired to “share the words that Nature wants to have heard.”