“Summer is the time to give yourself completely, to allow the abundance of the soul to become part of our every life. We have to taste life full.”
Seasons of the Sacred, Llewelyn Vaughan- Lee
South
The energy of this season is wrapped intimately in abundance and is associated with the direction of the south in many indigenous teachings using the medicine wheel. Abundance of warmth, of light, of growth, of fruiting, of ripening and of sensuality. In feeling and experiencing things fully; without abandon or apologies. While fall, winter and even spring growth is subtle, in my garden, in the height of summer I feel as if I could sit and watch the tomatoes ripen and the pea tendrils curl around one another in a seductive dance right in front of me. Growth happens fast and with great energy, which I’ll admit, for this introvert, sometimes summer feels like too much. Especially here in the Pacific Northwest when the clouds finally part and the rains cease, there is a sense that each day must be lived fully and quite frankly it’s exhausting. But I know, for the earth, each season represents a part of a whole, and we are no different. Part of my wholeness is centered in summer so I watch, take notice and see what this season has to teach me.
These next few invitations to welcome summer are just that; invitations. The intention here is simply to mark the shifting earth and use it as a time to check in with yourself and notice what is also shifting for you right now.
Intention
As we enter into summer I invite you to set an intention for the season. Some start the summer with a “bucket list” of activities and adventures but I’d encourage you to view this intention as less of a to-do and more of a feeling you’d like to evoke within or a general state of being. For example, if you, like me, can feel overwhelmed by the energy of this season, bring that into awareness in creating your intention. Maybe your intention is to feel at ease throughout the next few months, or more realistically, to find moments of ease by carving out time to slow down and mindfully watch the garden ripen, the river roll over rounded rocks, or let the chilling shock of the water reset your mind, body and spirit.
Set an intention for the season and how you will give back to the earth as she so abundantly gives in this season.
Gratitude & Reciprocity
Summer is the season of heat. It has long been associated with fire and you know me, I will never surrender an invitation to have a fire. Let’s sit around a fire as the late summer light starts to finally succumb to the night. Gather a few close friends or family or simply sit by yourself.
We watch a fire with awe and gratitude. You have probably noticed when you're sitting around the fire at the campsite and talking with those who are also gathered, rarely are we looking at each other when we talk as we are all pulled in and entranced by the flames. It’s an ancestral gratitude for fire. We have fire to thank for the evolutionary leaps and bounds we humans took once we learned how fire can transform our food.
Unfortunately fire has also become commonplace in many forests around the world as our earth warms due to climate change. Fire is both beauty and destruction; necessary, cleansing and a cruel reminder of the declining health of our planet. As I write this I see the light filter in through the leaves out my window. The shadows stand in contrast with the red and orange tinted light on my skin from a sun shining through smoke filled skies.
It’s uncomfortable for me to hold such contrasting truths together; both life and death are represented in fire. I can easily get lost in despair and fail to give space to the beauty.
In this reflection I’m reminded of the resilience of the earth as seen so markedly in burn morels. Forest fires can be a necessary part of the health of the woods. Cleansing out debris and rooting in vital chemicals for the nutrient dense soil. A few summers ago we went with our mushroom friend and guide, Langdon Cook, to a recently burned forest. In that vista of charred tree trunks and dry duff we found pounds and pounds of fragrant morel mushrooms. The science is still a bit unclear as to what it is about forest fires that can produce a flush of mushrooms but I don’t need the science to revel in the beauty of life from the ashes. A stunning reminder of how the earth knows how to care for herself and even in death, new life begins.
With this in mind how can we join in this reciprocal relationship with the earth? Summer makes it abundantly clear how generous the earth is in how she provides sustenance for us. How can we best honor this gift? Sometimes gratitude is the best way to show appreciation and that is a wonderful response. To have enough awareness to acknowledge where our food comes from is a powerful way to deepen our connection to the whole. But is there something else that is calling you to respond? Sit with this question and see what comes up.
Give thanks for what you have been given. Give a gift, in reciprocity for what you have taken. Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will last forever.”
Robin Wall Kimmerer
“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of each.”
Henry David Thoreau
In the spirit of Thoreau let us drink in Summer, taste it fully. Breathe her in. For me that is often through great food. This past week I had that moment I look for at the start of each season, the one where I can actually feel a shift in my body from one season to the next. It happened while tasting a strawberry while crouched in between rows and rows of plants heavy with fruit. While filling my box with the berries I found one that practically shouted at me to take a bite right now. She was sweet, ruby red throughout, her juices dripped down my fingers and I couldn’t help but smile. In that bite, in that moment, I responded to that taste and said, “hello, summer”.
Strawberries with Brown Sugar Buttermilk Creme Anglaise
Serves 4
1 cup/ 240ml heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup / 50g dark brown sugar
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup / 180ml buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound strawberries, washed and sliced
In a small saucepan add the heavy cream and vanilla bean, if using, and set over low heat.
In a medium bowl whisk together the salt, brown sugar and egg yolks. Whisk until the egg yolks and sugar get fluffy, about 1 minute.
Increase the heat to medium and bring the cream to a simmer. Once simmering add a small amount of the cream to the egg yolk and sugar mixture and whisk well to combine. Continue in this way until half of the hot cream has been added. Reduce the heat to medium low then add the egg yolk mixture to the remaining cream. Whisk well and bring to a gentle simmer taking care as to not boil rapidly so as not to cook the eggs too quickly. Simmer until thickened slightly. Remove from the heat then pour in the buttermilk and vanilla extract, if using.
Strain this mixture into a lidded container then refrigerate until well chilled.
To serve, divide the Buttermilk Creme Anglaise between four bowls then add the strawberries on top.
Embrace the Spirit of the Season
As the warm embrace of summer draws near, I am thrilled to announce the upcoming eco-spiritual guiding program rooted in the enchanting rhythms of the seasons. My aim is to help you connect with nature, seek wholeness, and embark on a transformative journey aligned with the energy of summer.
I understand that each individual's needs and preferences are unique, which is why I have crafted a tiered structure for our summer session, offering different levels of engagement to suit your personal journey.
If you would like to walk through this season with me with more invitations, resources, intentions, and tools to tap into the unique energy this season offers, check out my site. https://www.ashrod.earth/sacred-summer
If you are a paid subscriber to this newsletter and you would like to receive the weekly emails throughout this season, this is free to you. Just shoot me an email (artisansweets@gmail.com) and I’ll add you to the list.
Happy summer solstice!