5 Rituals and Manifestations to Celebrate the 2024 Summer Solstice

Several rituals and manifestations can be practiced to make the most of summer and 'reflect on the last six months,' astrologer Evan Nathaniel tells PEOPLE

The start of a new season is here, so let's celebrate!

The 2024 summer solstice arrives on June 20, marking the shortest night and longest day of the year as the Northern Hemisphere officially transitions from winter to summer.

There are a number of ways to celebrate the event, whether it be through physical traditions or astrological rituals and manifestations. In fact, the arrival of summer has been welcomed for centuries and dates back to our ancestors in ancient times.

The summer solstice is celebrated differently around the world through unique festivities and observances, like the famed gathering at Stone Henge in England to watch the sun through the thousand-year-old monuments. Feasts, bonfires, picnics and traditional songs are a few other ways the change of season is honored.

Related: All About the 2024 Summer Solstice: What Is It and When Will It Occur?

In addition to cultural practices, astrologer Evan Nathaniel tells PEOPLE of a few ways to make the most of the summer solstice energy leading up to the astronomical event and in the months that follow. "It's that time to really be joyful and celebrate your accomplishments, your authenticity and express yourself creatively," he says.

Why? "Because the sun represents that spirit, that vitality and that energy," Nathaniel explains. "It's bringing light, enlightening us, eliminating and giving us that power...  like a resurrection."

This energy is especially true in comparison to the winter solstice, the summer solstice's cold and dark counterpart. "After the winter solstice, we start to climb back towards gaining more self-awareness and achieving self-actualization," he says. "The summer solstice is that peak in light."

Read on for the various astrology rituals you can take part in to celebrate the summer solstice this year!

Reflect and refine the goals you're working towards

Astrologer Evan Nathaniel tells PEOPLE that the change of season brings "really nice moment to reflect on the last six months" as those who live in the Northern Hemisphere transition from winter to summer.

For many, New Year's resolutions were created around the winter solstice just before the start of 2024. Nathaniel says now is a great time to analyze those goals and note what you have achieved and what you can do reach them if you haven't.

What makes this summer solstice "special," according to Nathaniel, is the arrival of June's full moon the next day. The lunation will allow for manifestation energy to ring out over the next few months — while, the day of the summer solstice is a time to "have fun, celebrate and just enjoy yourself."

As we celebrate, Nathaniel says we should be "thinking about the next six months and where we want to be by the next winter solstice." He adds, "There's always more room for growth."

Related: How the Summer Solstice Will Affect Your Mood, Based on Your Zodiac Sign

Release what's not a part of your longterm goals

As we reflect and refine our goals from the past six months, Nathaniel says the summer solstice is also a time to "release the things we don't need to continue traveling forward with a really clear sense of directness and purpose" in our lives.

The sun, Nathaniel says, is "very much about our authentic self shining through." Therefore, the summer solstice can symbolize a benchmark in our lives to determine what we need to "detach from" so that our "authentic self can consistently be seen."

The day after the summer solstice, Nathaniel suggests "releasing things that are not in accordance with our longterm goals." He calls this a "release ritual," one that we can "go through based on what we're naturally drawn and attracted to" as individuals.

Journal your manifestations for the months ahead

Mentally organizing your goals from the past six months and visualizing what you'd like to accomplish in the six months ahead are two ways to capitalize on the summer solstice energy, though Nathaniel says physically jotting down your goals and manifestations is another ritual to utilize.

"My recommendation for the summer solstice would be to get a journal and reflect backwards on the past six months — and if you have those New Year's resolutions, look at them," he says. "What were they six months ago and evaluate from that standpoint. Are you on or off track? What do you need to change to continue to grow?" he suggests asking yourself.

While Nathaniel says this ritual will likely "be the same" for everyone regardless of your zodiac sign, he says it's important to note your "rising sign" and your "sun and moon sign." He explains, "Because that's where you have a powerful release."

It's also important to note that June's lunation will be a full moon in Capricorn, which Nathaniel considers "positive" timing for this practice because it's a zodiac sign that shines a light on "public identity." He says, "The things that you release are really setting you up for success in the long run."

Fortunately, we'll experience two full moons in Capricorn this year (the second rising on July 21). Nathaniel says we'll have "two attempts" to "release" and "clear out" the energy that doesn't align with our goals.

Make a burn list

Creating a "burn list" is another "very common release ritual" Nathaniel says people practice around the change of season. "The summer solstice is the end of self-consciousness," he says.

"It's just that joyful moment where you realize you don't have to calibrate your identity according to what other people think or who they think you should be," he adds. Plus, this is a great method even if you "don't know your rising sign" and still want to maximize the solstice energy.

"Just burn self-consciousness," Nathaniel says.

Related: All About June's Full Moon and What It Means for Your Zodiac Sign

Charge your crystals

Charging your crystals is another ritual to celebrate the summer solstice because the event is a period of "abundance, growth, and the peak of solar energy," astrologer Valerie Mesa tells PEOPLE.

"Charging crystals during the summer solstice can be incredibly potent, given the sun's strength as an ever-glowing luminary and the spiritual symbolism of initiation and renewal behind this widely known celebration," she adds.

The crystals Mesa suggests charging? "I recommend charging crystals associated with the sun such as Sunstone, Carnelian, Tiger's eye and Citrine, to name a few," she says.

Mesa compares the practice to charging crystals around the full moon's peak because the sun "reaches the highest point in the sky in the Northern Hemisphere which can amplify crystal energies."

For the summer solstice specifically, Mesa advises taking your crystals outside at 4:50 p.m. ET when the event peaks. "Go out there, say a little mantra or prayer and make your magic!"

Since the sun is our greatest source of energy and vitality, Mesa says "charging crystals at this time can essentially deepen your connection with the sun, a representation of our life force." However, she stresses bringing them inside before sundown.

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