Summer Solstice 2023

To celebrate the beauty and pleasure of the Summer Solstice, we retreated to the mountains near Cedar City. We stayed in a secluded family cabin surrounded by full-grown aspen trees, wildflowers, and incredible vistas to revel in the delights of the season.

Our arrival was welcomed by our first beautiful, nourishing meal lovingly made by our Kitchen Witches - Heidi, Jennifer, and Tara. We learned the first steps of a traditional British Morris dance taught by Alisa, before winding down for the night with a bedtime fairytale read by Channing.

Our second day began with an inner child meditation led by Bergen. We hand-dyed our Morris dance hankies a beautiful yellow with natural dye. Alisa taught us how to perform waulking - a traditional wool-working method reliant on song. We learned waulking songs in Gaelic and sang our hearts out for a few hours before enjoying time to walk, rest, and explore. Our night concluded with another incredible meal before another bedtime story read by Bergen.

When the morning arrived, Bergen shared a body-awareness meditation before we began a community discussion on pleasure co-led by Channing and Colette Dalton, LCSW. We then prepared for our Solstice Celebration by hanging decorations, dressing in costume, and making dinner and desserts. Our night was culminated in what can only be described as a pleasure extravaganza: we performed our perfected Morris dance, lit a giant bonfire, and danced the night away to Bergen’s fantastic 90s playlist.

When it was time to pack up and head home the next day, we found the roads impassable due to unexpected rain. We ended up staying an extra night, enjoying a movie, popcorn, and an impromptu cuddle puddle. We arrived home safely the following day, carrying the immense pleasure of the Summer Solstice with us.