3 ways July is medicine for your wild soul

In my world, July is like the space between. It’s not a transition month – in my opinion, like June or September are as they move us through the seasons. And, yet, it transitions us from the first half of the year to the second. It’s a month that just is – and I mean that in the best way. For me, it is the month of summer vacation, so the energy that it brings to me is pure medicine for my soul. A chance to live in the space in-between. To rest, relax, recharge. To explore, wander, and enjoy.

But, exactly is the energy flowing through this month? What is that medicine that heals our soul?

Well, as I moved through June, I began feeling pulled towards a few different energies/themes for July. I trusted my intuition to guide me to understanding that July is meant to be wild, slow, and magical.

But, I had so many thoughts about all of this in my head. So, instead of trying to express how I think these energies are all connected for me – I’ve already tried that + it seemed as if that blog post was going to be one gigantic essay – I am creating a list. And, who doesn’t love a good summer-themed blog post list?!

July is the space in-between

You know, when you focus on your breathing, you realize that there is this moment, this space, in-between the in breath + the out breath, that just is. Resting. Pausing. Empty. And at the same time, filled with potential. It’s a moment that we often forget or never even think about. But, it’s there. And it is a magical, beautiful little moment of pure presence.

That’s July to me.

It doesn’t mean that I’m not active. It just means that this is the month to pause, the moment in-between all of the busy-ness of the first 6 months + the continued busy-ness of the second 6 months. It’s that time to pause, let go, soak up, and just live.

And I am ever so lucky to live in Sweden, where I have 5 weeks of vacation every year. So, this summer, like summers past, I have 5 complete weeks off – and I do not take it for granted one tiny little bit. And, because of this amazing Swedish perk, I can truly use July as my breath of white space in my year. As the perfect medicinal elixir that my soul needs. Blessed be.

So, what to do during July? Nothing. Or everything. Just make sure it is whatever you discern your soul is calling to you. Be adventurous. Be lazy. Be both. Just be whatever you feel you + your soul need.

I am going to try to find a good balance.

Lina and I are heading to the States (woooooooooo!) for a few weeks; and since we will be gone for a while, then it’ll be easy to get into a slow groove after adjusting from the jetlag. I totally want to have adventures, do new things, explore new places, and participate in annual traditions with friends + family. In other words, I’m planning on being on the go. In both North Carolina, New York City, and wherever else I spontaneously find myself. Two cheers for spontaneity!

But, I am also planning major down time. Taking it slow. Soaking up the hot weather, the lazy moments, the slow, friendly, laid-back nature of the south. The height of relaxation will be a week at the beach with my family. That’s pure, absolute, relaxed, soul-filling bliss. Two deep cleansing breaths. Ommmmmm.

July is the call of the wild

This month is not about business as usual. Instead, it’s a chance for us to explore + expand into our wild souls. Which matches perfectly with those of us celebrating summer. July is the call of the wild, a call to get back to nature. To reconnect with mother earth. To tap into our roots, both familial + natural.

Nature is true, deep medicine for our body + soul, I believe. So, there is not time better than the summer to get out + hug a tree. Anything from ice cream in the city, to climbing a mountain, to camping, to laying in the sand, to morning coffee on the porch, to long walks during the late sunsets, to rafting down the river, to having windows open (in Sweden, not in the US. It’s took damn hot there).

I plan on doing all of these things, y’all. But, for me, it’s not just about getting outside. I mean, that’s a great start + super important. For me, though, it’s also about tapping into native, earth-based ways of living.

As the years pass + the older I get, I become more + more called to a sense of living very close to nature. This year alone, I am following the turning of the seasons in a way that I never have before. I am connecting with the seasons of the year + learning how to work with the phases of the moon in my spiritual life. And both of these things have added so much depth to my spirituality. Because it is so easy to literally see + feel the universal truth of life in nature + the cosmos. There is so much wisdom to be found in the trees, the flower, the animals, the sky, the ocean, and within myself.

So, throughout July, I am going to tap into the magic of the ancient, earth-based ways even more. I am going to practice walking meditation under the trees + by the sea, choose only organic beauty products to bring home with me from the States, and minimize my consumerism as a whole while I am on vacation.

But, most importantly for my soul, I am going to bask in the nature from which I was born, from the hills of mid-North Carolina to the ancient, magical mountains of the indigenous Cherokee tribe. And, finally, the deep, wide Atlantic Ocean, where my ancestors lived, raised families, and tended the first lighthouse lit after the civil war.

And you better believe I am gonna love coming home to that energy.

July is returning to our roots

Now, speaking of home + ancestors…

For me, July is also about family. And it just so happens that the astrological sign for this month (most of it, at least) is Cancer. An emotional, sensitive, family-based sign. So with vacations and all, July is meant for families. Big or small. Summer or Winter. It’s a month that brings with it the chance to gather together, celebrate, and remember who we are + where we’re from.

As I’ve already mentioned, I get to actually return to my roots this summer, as Lina + travel to my home state, North Carolina. A place that will always be my home. Where I am from. Where I am rooted + grounded. And where, with every turn, all across the state, I am reminded of fond memories, tough times, and bask in the nostalgia of looking back and remembering.

Traditions + rituals mark my days when I return back home to the land of mountains + sea. Traditions + rituals that bind me to those people on earth who share my blood + my heart. Who love me like no other. Simple rituals like coffee on the deck overlooking the ocean. Traditions like a ride up on the Blue Ridge Parkway with my parents. And hours-long brewery visits with magical friends or my brother.

But, the reason these rituals + traditions are so strong, is because the roots go so deep. To drive across the land, to stand on a mountain or with my feet in the waters of the Atlantic, is to drive + stand on the land of my ancestors. And I carry their magic, their messages, their energy with me wherever I go.

 

So, to return to the land of my birth, to the state + the people of my past, is to reach down into my soul + to feel the energy of the past carrying that universal spirit with it. It is to connect with my loved ones, to feel their presence in a whole different way, and to remember that it is now me who is physically embodying and carrying forward that energy during my lifetime.

July is a beautiful month, my friends. Simple. Slow. Soulful. And an important pause in the frenzy of all our busy days of the year. I hope that, wherever you are, you are able to tap into the quiet, in-between space, the call of the wild, or the roots of your life as you move through July.

Oh, and all you wild Americans out there… Happy 4th of July!

xoxo. liz

 

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*all photos were taken during my summers in north carolina