Want to know a secret? I used to hate summer.
I know, I know, but listen, as a redhead and a chronically ill girly whose conditions were exasserbated by the heat – there was a lot not to love about this time of year. Hard to hear from a girl who simultaneously loves playing mermaids, is a Cancer sun, and is lowkenuinely fascinated by the ocean.
It wasn’t until I started to flow with the astrological tides and natural seasons that I started to look forward to the changes and find things to love about each time of year. Now, each turn of the wheel brings with it an almost ritualistic changing. I feel it in my soul before I ever feel it in the air.
Here’s a few ways that I get ready for summer, as a girl who weaves magick into many moments throughout every day:
HEAT THINGS UP IN THE KITCHEN
As a cottage witch, I would be remiss if we didn’t start in the kitchen. One of the easiest (and tastiest) ways to start celebrating summer is in the things that we consume. Suddenly, an ice cream cone or fresh fruit can effortlessly become a spell.
When I was younger, my family would get together for a 4th of July picnic (which was also close to my parent’s wedding anniversary because my mom wanted fireworks every year, love that for her). My mom would make this secret family recipe potato salad – few things taste that close to divine.
I love celebrating this time of year with fresh fruits and veggies, and sweet treats like ice cream.
DRESS LIKE A SIREN
You don’t need to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe every year. It can be fun to revisit some warmer weather pieces you’ve tucked way. Dressing for the season is something that we do automatically, so it’s a perfect place to add some extra seasonal magick. Incorporating shells and ocean-inspired crystals in your jewelry, and playing with colour and glamour magicks for a seasonal intention (like blue for intuition) can be very easy, and very witchy.
SWITCH UP YOUR SKINCARE & BATH ROUTINE
You will not catch me outside unless I’m lathered to the nines in SPF 100, ya girl fries in the sun (and on overcast days) and I need extra protection in the summertime (which itself can be a spell). You can also craft spells around different scented bath products – like coconut, lime, and sea salt, each with their own unique magickal properties.
SET UP A SUMMER ALTAR
Admittedly, I’m not one for permanent altars, I tend to treat my entire living space as sacred space. But I know plenty of witches who create elaborate and beautiful altar spaces for everything imaginable – and seasonal changes are no different. Creating a space devoted to your intentions for the season or to honor the natural beauty in the changes around you can serve as a great visual reminder. Shells, river rocks, sunflower petals, palm fronds, sand, pictures (or bottles) or ocean water – whatever feels like summer to you.
CREATE NEW GRIMOIRE PAGES
I refresh my chronicle grimoire at the beginning of every season. I change out the cover, wipe down the previous one, print new pages, and refresh my decorations. If you have a more permanent grimoire or book or shadows, you may enjoy creating pages devoted to this time of year – filled with seasonal recipes or spells, any notes on sabbats or astrology that occurs, or even self-care.
WASH YOUR DOOR & CLEAN YOUR HOME’S EXTERIOR
This one is so, so important. I know blowing cinnamon on the first of the month is viral on social media, but do not sleep on cleaning up your outdoor spaces at the start of a season, the first of the month, or on a new moon. Washing your door with a natural all-purpose cleaner and some intentional essential oils can refresh that flow of energy in and out of not just your home, but your life. Gather any debris from past seasons, and remove it from around your outdoor space, tend to any plants, and energetically (and physically) sweep the space to release anything stagnant and keep the energy fresh and flowing abundantly toward you and yours.
Decorate your home like a beach house
For a long time, I didn’t decorate at all. I’ve moved more times than I can count and it felt pointless to decorate a space knowing that in only a few months it would be packed back up and be yet another thing to add to a U-Haul. Now that I’m a bit more settled, I am realizing the power of transforming a space through design and frivolous decoration. You do not need a ton of decorations (and goodness, this townhome has zero storage space). Small swaps like a scented candle, a blanket with a summery motif, a throw pillow, a seashell catchall dish can make a huge difference in your mood and mindset.
REFRESH YOUR SPELLS & PRACTICE bath magick
As an AuDHD witch, my hyperfixations are always changing. But they also tend to be cyclical, let me know in the comments if it resonates. The changing of the seasons can be an invitation to revisit magick that you may not practice at other points of the year, or to change the way you interact with your practice. This might look like changing out your divination method (a seasonal deck, perhaps), or it could mean switching from plant studies in the spring to fire and candle magick in summer. I love bath magick all year long – but I do notice an uptick in the amount of baths I take around this time of year.
Now is a great time to tend to any living spells (like money bowls) and refresh them as well.
PICK UP A NEW HOBBY
New rituals aren’t the only thing you can pick up during a specific season. Make summer special by trying out a new hobby – maybe it’s getting really good at sidewalk chalk art, or learning how to ride a bike. Or maybe it’s taking a hobby you’re really good at – like painting, and letting the change of the season influence your work either through medium (like watercolour) or subject (like more paintings of the ocean).
RELEASE ANYTHING THAT NO LONGER SERVES YOU
Declutter, donate, remove anything that has served you in the past that you do not want to carry forward. The changing of the season is an energetic portal to who you are becoming in a constant state of evolution. Just like the moon phases, it’s important to let go so you can move forward into the next fabulous version of you.
I hope these tips inspire you to live your best let’s-play-mermaids-in-the-ocean-tides-pulled-by-the-full-moon summer. Let me know if there’s anything you do to feel into the seasonal changes in the comments below.
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