In the Northern Hemisphere, the Summer Solstice of 2024 will take place on Thursday, June 20th, officially heralding the start of summer. On this day, the sun will rise to its highest point in the sky, making it the longest day and the shortest night. Simultaneously, it marks the gradual descent back into darkness as we move toward the winter solstice—an eternal dance of complementary opposites.
The following day, Friday the 21st, the full moon in June will shine at its brightest. Known as the Strawberry Moon, Berries Ripen Moon, and Rose Moon, it derives its name from the time when Native Americans could gather the ripening fruit.
Did you realize (I did not) that the Summer Solstice and Strawberry Moon align approximately every 20 years? In a lifetime, we may witness this celestial convergence only 4, 5, or 6 times. It serves as a gentle reminder of the countless wondrous phenomena that unfold quietly and sublimely around us.