On June 20, 05:42 PM —
For millennia, the ancients have carefully observed the sky, tracking not only the Moon’s phases and cycles but also the Sun’s journey through the heavens and the corresponding shifts in the balance of light and darkness.
Solstices and Equinoxes represent powerful energetic portals that were known and celebrated long before clocks or calendars. Solstices occur twice a year, toward June 20 or 21 and December 20 or 21, while Equinoxes take place around April and October 20 or 21. These events are a reminder of the importance of honoring life’s seasons and aligning with the energy available rather than fighting against it.
The beginning of Cancer season taking place on June 20, 2025, corresponds with the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. We are currently experiencing the longest day of the year in the Northern part of the globe and the longest night of the year in the Southern one. No matter where we are on Earth, we are going through a potent transition, we are walking through a threshold, we are traversing an energetic shift.
Solstice 2025: Ancient History and Solstice Celebrations
Solstice celebrations are one of the Earth’s oldest ceremonies. These events have been revered by cultures all around the world and honored in ways that stood the test of time thanks to the building of sacred sites perfectly aligned with the position of the Sun on these days. Stone circles and megaliths, such as Stonehenge and those on Easter Island, as well as ancient temples found in Malta and Indonesia, and pyramids located in both Egypt and South America, were constructed thousands of years ago.
These sites and many more are all aligned perfectly with the position of the Sun during the Solstices or Equinoxes. This position slightly changes throughout centuries because of a phenomena known as the precession of Equinoxes. It has been discovered that, in several sacred sites, new structures have been added to the original ones in later times, and positioned in a way that reflect and honor this subtle shift.
If we begin to dive into ancient history and study the nature of sacred constructions that survived to these days we are inevitably left in awe of the profound, precise, and vast knowledge of astronomy, geometry, and architecture people had back then. How did they do it? What did they know? What tools did they use? How could they transport stones of that size so skillfully? And why were these moments of the year so important for them?
There are so many things we may never know for sure, there are so many more questions than answers. What we can say for sure is that, no matter where we are from, our ancestors had a strong connection to the cycle of the Sun and lived in alignment with it. They recognized the cyclical nature of time, tracking the passing of seasons, honoring the dance of light and darkness, and celebrating the sacred changes marked by the Solstices and Equinoxes.
The Summer and Winter Solstices: Embracing the Dance of Light and Darkness
The Summer Solstice corresponds to the longest day and shortest night of the year, a time when the Earth receives the maximum amount of sunlight. This has a powerful symbolic meaning as well as clear energetic implications. Our energy levels reach their peak on this day, Nature is in full bloom, we are drawn to be more out and about, to do and achieve more, to take new risks and put ourselves out there in new ways.
Yang or masculine energy prevails and the Sun energizes us, inspires us, motivates us to shine, to create, to express. From now on, darkness will slowly increase day by day: in the upcoming weeks and months leading up to the Fall Equinox, we will be reminded of the importance of honoring our energetic capacity and balancing activity with rest.
During the Winter Solstice instead, we experience the longest night and the shortest day of the year. Darkness prevails and asks us to turn inward, slow down, and prioritize being and feeling over doing and producing. Yin or feminine energy is peaking at this time of the year. Our energy levels decrease, inviting us to explore our inner world and embark on a journey of self-discovery, surrendering, and letting go of what is not essential.
The Winter Solstice is a time to strip down what is false and release our attachment to roles and personas that are not aligned with who we truly are. From now on, the light will begin to gradually return, to arrive at the point of perfect balance on the Spring Equinox: in the upcoming weeks, we will be asked to integrate the lessons darkness taught us into our outer lives.
Solstice 2025: Reminders to Honor Life’s Seasons
Whether we enter Summer or Winter, the reminder for us at this point of the year is to honor the season of life we are in, to embrace both light and darkness, to celebrate both beginnings and endings, both masculine and feminine energy. These events are reminders of the cyclical nature of time, reminders that life is a wheel, that everything that turns around comes around, that there is a time and a timing for everything, which we don’t get to decide.
As we experience the maximum imbalance of darkness and light, we are invited to look at imbalances in our lives and within ourselves, not to punish or judge ourselves but simply to recognize where adjustments are needed. As the Yin and the Yang prepare to gradually come into balance again, we have an opportunity to begin to restore that balance where needed and come into greater acceptance of what this season of our life is asking of us.
To align with the natural cycles and energies of the Solstice and Cancer Season, we invite you to print out and use our new Cancer Season 2025 Workbook. This is a powerful workbook for those who love and appreciate self-care and growth. Happy and blessed Solstice and Cancer Season soul family!
