What Are Your Favorite Summer Rituals

My favorite summer ritual is celebrating the summer solstice itself: sitting out under the stars the night before within a great ring of amber glass candles, enjoying a wonderful fire, feeling the still cool night wind, knowing that soon that coolness will be replaced with heat, both day and night, listening to the frogs and the night birds, and then rising to greet the sun, offering up yellow candles and yellow flowers, and enjoying a simple spread of early summer fare.
—Melody

Every year when summer approaches, the air becomes unbelievably hot and humid in Alabama. The only escape is the water! My friends and I gather at this beautiful spot on the river. You have to walk to get to it. It has an enchanting gnarly tree and stone-covered coast. We bring a picnic and our sketchbooks and settle by the river’s edge to enjoy the refreshing breeze. The river water is cooling on our feet. As we stuff ourselves with juicy watermelon and sandwiches, we imagine a magical kingdom of animal fae that live in the forest and draw their kingdom. Gazing out at the shimmering water, we spend hours in the shade of the forest, and thank the fairies for sharing this special place with us. —Lesley

Favorite summer rituals include Midnight Margarita parties, moonlight dancing, stargazing ’til dawn, and swimming like selkies to cool off. —Steph

My favorite summer rituals are collecting lilacs for lilac sugar. Making fairy cookies to share with loved ones. Hiking to find the perfect creek spot to put my feet in. Being wherever the trees are tall enough to kiss the sky and thanking them for their company.
—Shannon Hughes

On the summer solstice, I take my grandkids out to the woods and garden to spread angel food cake for the fairies who work for Santa. Treating the messengers is the best way to get one’s deepest heart’s desires met at Christmas.
—Gwen Buckingham

I love lying in the grass inside our stone circle watching the Perseid meteor shower. It’s magical!
—@royalhouseofwhimsy

As the summer sun dances in the sky, I’m drawn to the timeless art of eco-dyeing, a ritual that celebrates the beauty of nature and its transformative power. From the gathering of blooms, buds, and bark to the rolling, bundling, and dyeing of fabrics and papers, every step of this process is a celebration of the natural world. As I wander through fields and forests, I search for treasures to bring home and lay them out in intricate patterns. The colors and textures of these gifts from nature are breathtaking, and I revel in the opportunity to create something unique and meaningful. But the magic truly happens when the dye is set and the fabric is unwrapped, revealing a stunning tapestry of imprints and patterns that reflect the beauty of the world around us. It’s a reminder that we are all connected—to each other, to the earth, and to the ancient civilizations that possessed such excellent dyeing rituals. —Shelley Novotny, Shakti Artist

I gather a book and a bottle of flavored water, taking them to my hammock. There, I can stretch out and be still until the birds land on the hammock and me. —Johanna Haas

My favorite summer ritual is to go out to the desert, create a magick circle out of found objects such as stones and sticks, and spend time with the sun god and the earth goddess. Afterward, I invite my husband into the circle for cakes and ale! —Vanessa Sumner

I love walking the trails next to my house and talking to the flowers, harvesting leaves from my native plants, and foraging for serviceberries. —Marlie S.

Hedgerow foraging is most definitely our favorite summer thing to do. The elderflowers make wonderful cordial and wine, hawthorn flowers can give a little touch of almond flavor to a salad, and of course nearby there’s usually a plentiful amount of wild chamomile for a relaxing tea. —@betty_and_heather

Watching as many sunsets as I can, as long as I can. —Schaeffer Tolliver

Filling ice cubes with edible flowers! —Sandy Hensley

I love making flower crowns in the summer. To me, it’s a really fun way to capture the wild, carefree energy of the season. —@shoplovelykallie