Life has been a whirlwind lately. So, it’s time for a sacred journey. And if I think back, it’s been a little wild + wonky + intense for about a month and a half. It’s pretty much all been exciting, meaningful, and good stuff. And, of course, it’s a given that this time of year will always be super crazy. But, let’s be real. This slow living chick needs a break in the energy. Luckily, that’s exactly what is coming up. Or has already started creeping in. With the summer solstice about a week + a half away, there is a shift in the energy. A slowing down, perhaps. But, most definitely a change. What it might end up looking like + feeling like, though, is unknown. Nevertheless, it’s time to tune in + set sail.
I had my last day of school with students today. So, summer break is officially here – ish. I work one more week, and then Lina + I jet off to the States for some seriously quality family time with my parents + brother. So, that in itself is a huge shift in the energy. Work slowing down. A 6 week break. And a long vacation in the States with my family. Veeeeery different from my everyday life. Or is it?
One thing that I really seek to embody in my life is a sense of living from my soul daily. I don’t want to be that person that waits for the weekend, or even worse, waits for vacation, to have fun or relax or slow down or enjoy life. I want all of my life, from day to day, to be an acceptance + appreciation of the present moment. And I really seek to feel in my body + my soul what I need on any given day. I want to soak in the present moment – good or bad – and not feel the desire to flee or wish away my days. I want to honor my desires to celebrate on a week night, skip a happy hour, sleep later than usual, go to bed super early, take a 30 minute nap, go for a walk to hug my tree, meditate (or not), or whatever else I may feel I need. I want to trust my intuition daily to guide me in staying present in each + every incredibly inspiring or totally frightening moment.
In that sense, I don’t like to think of my vacation as a different section of my year. Instead, I like to think of it as a shift in the energy.
It is teeny bit different, though, in the sense that I feel like this summer isn’t a step away from everyday life, but a threshold into something new.
The cards for today indicate that to me. Not as a sense of foretelling. But, as an opening to my intuitive soul. The Imrama card + the Trust the Niggle card actually have nothing to do with each other. I just randomly pulled them. But, seeing them together, I immediately felt a connection.
Imrama is a celtic word that indicates a sacred journey or pilgrimage. It refers to a sea voyage that is well-known in Celtic literature. A sort of hero’s journey. A going out + coming back. A perfect description of my feeling for this upcoming summer, actually. And while I am not journeying to any place new, as I am returning home to North Carolina for my summer vacation, any journey in my opinion can (and is) a pilgrimage. A sacred outer journey that transforms the inner soul. What does that mean to me as I prepare to leave for vacation in a few days? I have no idea. But, that thought takes us to the next card.
First of all, I do not need to know anything that is going to happen. That is to be revealed one day, one moment at a time. That is the journey. Secondly, the trust the niggle card is the perfect reminder of my most important carry-along tool: my intuition.
To not know the way, to not know what’s ahead, to flow with the energy, to trust the journey to unfold exactly as it will, all that I need is to trust the niggle. To listen to the quiet whispers of my soul, the trust the feelings in my body, to pay attention to that niggling, nagging thought that won’t leave us alone.
And my niggle is telling me that this summer vacation, this journey homeward, these 6 weeks with my family, this time off is meant to be very, very sacred. And so, in preparation for the trip, I am considering many different ways to slow down + tune in.
Will I delete all social media from my phone? Even Instagram, which I love so much? Perhaps I will take early daily walks before the sweltering, humid heat takes over in the middle of the morning. Fresh, local vegetables + fruits in smoothies every day is also something my body just might be craving. Caring for my mom + giving her a chance to relax + enjoy herself is a priority, I think. Making my dad laugh as much as possible is high on my list. Taking my brother out for long talks + lots of beer is a must. Maybe I’ll squeeze in a weekend camping up in the mountains. How off the grid do I want to be? Am I meant to use some of this time to write + create? Or to just sleep + drop deeply into doing nothing?
You see, I have many questions. And I don’t know how things will unfold. But all of these questions are intentions connected to slowing way down + tuning out. Connecting to my soul + doing things differently is definitely an intention. How I will do that + what it will look like is all part of my sacred journey. And it is precisely meant to be discovered by trusting my niggle on a daily basis.
As the summer ( or winter) solstice approaches, we enter a magical time of deep soul reflection. It is the height + the depth all at once. The height of light + fire + warmth for us all. The difference is are we dropping into the dark or are we turning toward the light. But, on that solstice day, it doesn’t matter. For just a moment we stand still. Silent. Steady. In the quiet dark of winter. Or the burning bright summer. It is a powerful pause in the cycle of life. The great annual shift.
Meant to give us pause just before we turn + begin our sacred journey toward the dark or toward the light. The solstice is the beginning of a sacred journey. And our faithful guide is that little niggle that we have within us at all times.
For the next few days, in preparation for the solstice, ready your soul for the journey that will begin. Start to pay attention to your niggles. Quiet your mind. Meditate. Go for long walks. Watch the sunrise + sunset. Dance. Move. Spend time with yourself. Journal.
Soon, the bags will be packed + we will be ready to set off on our next sacred pilgrimage. A journey inward that begins right after the summer solstice. Or a journey outward that begins right after the winter solstice.
Breathe deep, fellow pilgrims. Trust your soul to guide you, even as you don’t know the way. This is a powerful, transitional, transformative time that is leading us higher + deeper into becoming who we already are. It is a sacred journey of discovery + adventure. Meant to help become who we are called to be.
xoxo. liz.
