Solar Power + Beltane🌞🌞🌞
Healing with the sun, healing with your hands
If you’ve been reading my content for a while, you probably know that I believe sunshine is the gateway drug to happiness and I’m addicted. I am a religious sun worshipper and I believe it has the power to heal you. With strong purification and healing properties, I believe the sun has the ability to open you up to everything right in this world.
Mother's ❤️🩹 medicine is what I also like to call it. To me, what is the point of life if not to allow the sunshine to drip all down your face and body? One of my strongest beliefs is that the sun has the power to heal you from sadness, heal you from grief, heal you from a funk, and heal you from anything negative that enters your body. Also even if nothing is wrong in specific, the sun is the ULTIMATE NOURISHMENT, hugging you in a way that no one else can. Almost like a reassuring voice that is manifested into a warm embrace, telling you everything is happening and unfolding in the way it is suppose to. You are exactly where you are suppose to be.
As the days are finally getting longer, the amount of sunlight in our days increase, and we get closer to the summer equinox, I have been finding myself grabbing on and chasing as much sun as I can, wherever I go, for as long as I can.
Chani Nicholas also just reminded me that we are entering the season of Beltane,
“Beltane is a Pagan holiday that takes place around April 30th or May 1st. In the Northern Hemisphere, where this festival originated, it falls halfway between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. This is peak green season — the moment when nature is at its most fertile and the earth is lush with life.”
“Beltane is a Celtic word that translates as “the fires of Bel” — a reference to Belenus, the Celtic god of the Sun. Historically, igniting ritualistic bonfires was the primary way to communicate to Bel and petition him for protection from catastrophe, disease, and supernatural affliction in the coming year. Jumping over flames was also considered a method of spiritual purification. Over the centuries, revelers across the globe — from Europe to the Caribbean — began stripping trees of their bark, adorning them with flowers and garlands, and dancing around these “maypoles” to welcome spring.
In modern times, these celebrations tend to orbit around expressing joy for the return of warmth, comfort, and abundant natural beauty...”
I have been feeling the heaviness of the world in many forms and more often than my normal. Maybe it was all brought on by the recent solar eclipse? Maybe it was the full moon in Scorpio? Maybe it’s because it’s an election year? Maybe it’s because we are spiritual beings having a human experience? Maybe it’s everything happening all at once and nothing at all? This video from Rainn Wilson sums it up.
I, my friends, family, and community are all feeling feelings and I want to share some of my recent favorite pass times to absorb + connect back to the healing warm sunshine and nature around us (even on non sunny days, we can find the sunshine in small ways) and still feel that hug. Consider this a teeny tiny safe corner of the internet to let the fountain of joy and happiness soak into your bloodstream and dance all throughout your body. If you hold even an inkling of turmoil (which I believe we all do) then this is for you.
When I’m laying my body on this earth and with my head in my hands, I like to listen to this “Sounds Bath” or “Solar Plexus Chakra” playlist and dream a dream about my future. It’s the perfect vibration to lay in the sun and meditate/ manifest. I like doing this at the beach, but a park is also nice. Wherever your happy place is.
Ironically as the first song denotes, when the two come together it does feel like D.N.A repair for your soul. I paint a really beautiful picture in my head — I essentially play a movie in my head about all of the abundance I currently have, all of the miracles I’ve created for myself, and what I already have in a future tense, just waiting for time to unfold and to receive it. It always recharges me and feels like an IOS update for the soul.
A sweet treat. Or a spicy one. Or both. The fruit carts in Los Angeles have my whole heart. I just got coconut water and coconut meat with tajin, chamoy and lime juice for the first time. I know a lot of us withhold these small joys for a multitude of reasons, but next time you’re craving that thing (especially if its something that grows on this earth) do not withhold yourself that pleasure. I used to walk past the fruit carts, never allowing myself to get a cup of fruit. Making excuses for how I had fruit at home, but theres something so nourishing about indulging in the act of nourishing yourself AND nourishing the person working the fruit cart. Let’s face it; they’re hot, tired, and they work their asses off being there day in and day out. If we can support small businesses and help put food on their families table, then we should rejoice to get our little dose of sunshine in a cup rather than going to Whole Foods and supporting a business that is so large it wouldn’t change a thing. There’s something special about knowing when I go to my favorite beach, Eduardo will be there under his rainbow umbrella, waiting for me with a big smile and I will give him a big smile back. He’ll hand me my fruit cup and say “God bless you, miss”. The more giving we are to ourselves, the more giving we can be to others.
This Album by Lorde. Start to finish. A perfect encapsulation of what it feels like to walk out of winter into spring, an alive woman. And how good is it to be alive and well in the solar power? A lot of emotions in this album that really honor the enchantment the sun can awaken within us 🌞🌞🌞
Sun salutations, meditation, yoga,spirituality, “flow”, vocalizing your needs more, healing, dates, vacation/beach, summertime, power moves, stretching, breathing, walking, silence. Whatever you choose, it is there for you. Anytime, anywhere.
Gathering around the kitchen Island with your friends for 5 hours while you make a Sunday dinner…I cannot express enough how healing this is for my soul. My friend Chloe had us over for a classic “British Roast” and it was everything and more. Lamb, Nour salad, the best crispy potatoes ever, beans beans galore, dirty martini’s. To be in the comfort of Chloe and to eat her food is something inexplainable. A very incomparable feeling that leaves you feeling like you don’t know how you got so lucky. To me, this is sacred time that feels like sunshine bottled up. More of this.
Hiking / going on walks with your friends. Sounds simple, but we all know it takes effort and coordination to get 4 people in the same place at the same time. You may even be lucky enough to pass by magical horses. Sometimes I forget just how much of a shift you can see and feel in your own life after looking at so many different perspectives and elevations of the same land over the course of a few hours.
Doing something tangible and physical with your hands. We know working with our hands does wonders for your brain. Activities that use your hands relieve stress and help you solve problems. It’s really precious to have something in your life that is for you. I love this Audrey Hepburn quote “As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” Maybe a little trite, but I’ve always loved it. In a digital leaning world, it has become precious to have something that you create with your hands, especially if it’s just for you, not monetized. My sister makes ceramics. My friend Maddy makes orange juice. My friend Chloe cooks. I make salad dressing and I like to draw/paint. If you’re an OG, you know body butter is also the start of the Nour story all regarding the tending and nurturing of healing our bodies with our hands. Even the act of running sand crystals through your finger tips. Your hands are so important and they do so much for us. We should all love our hands.
Sometimes at the end of a yoga practice, our instructor will give us the opportunity kiss our knees as an act of love and appreciation for all they do, maybe we can start kissing our hands too 🫶🤲
I hope you allow the sun to heal you this week.
Sending you all hugs, sunshine and big love,
Annie 💛
🌞 all sunshine