Solstice Tradition: Drumming Up The Sun
I’ve been taking note, literally recording in the Notes app, of the family traditions we’ve started with our core four — my husband, self and two children. One very special, growing tradition is Drumming Up the Sun on the Winter Solstice at Red Rocks Amphitheater.
What started off as a whimsy plan between friends has grown into a full-on family tradition!
Something about crisp, cool cheeks, 5 AM wake up delirium, the frenetic rumble of percussion, a squad of (chosen) family and the Denver skyline sunrise combo that stirs the heart.
It seemed like a far-out proposal in my first year postpartum yet has surprisingly held the test of time. Ready for some throwbacks? I documented our sequence of solstice visits to celebrate today's turn of the seasonal wheel.
I don’t exactly know of this precious community custom’s origins but I do appreciate the organic nature and invitation to come as you are! It is actually exhilarating to experience the rumble of return…
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2021
The First Year
So, this year, my first year, I was quite ill prepared. My friends and I had a loose plan to meet up for this ritual but it was very daunting so I also wasn’t fully committed. Nate had work and Daphne was only 11 months old so it was quite the feat to pack up my toddler and baby for a solo adventure but I did it!!! Only to show up and realize my friend who invited me wasn’t going to make the call time :(
Serendipitously, in a sea of unfamiliar faces, I spotted my girl, Katie! It was such a joyous feeling of recognition and togetherness. Of course, we pulled Follow Your Heart Oracle cards…
2022
Home sick :(
No community celebrations…
2023
Crew Love
The time had come for more of us to sync up and see each other for this festivity! The more the merrier is really the motto as you’ll feel with the following year’s growth.
2024
Tradition Established + Masculine Joined
Because the solstice eventually landed on a weekend, Nate could finally join us for a full family affair! I saw more friends than ever there and it felt like such a radiant reunion.
The drum we’re featured carrying in the 2024 pictures is very special to me! It’s my first drum I made of goatskin and maple wood. Stretched and tied in sisterhood at Circle of the Rising Moon on Three Leaf Farms in August of 2024. As a Capricorn, I adore it, am so proud of it and am fascinated by its transparency. You can watch the vlog commemorating that memory here (timestamp 15:18).
If you’d like to watch the vlog featuring the 2024 Drumming Up the Sun tradition, you can gain access in the thumbnail below or here.
BEYOND
My dream is that this multigenerational tradition continues for decades to come. If you’re reading this, we will hopefully be living out the 2025 version of Winter Solstice bliss at Red Rocks… Beyond this one day of the wider season, I’ll be stoking my inner fire as a way to keep warm. I invite you to tend to your inner flame, build self-confidence and tend to feelings of burnout with deep rest. I have a guide on navigating this type of energy held within the Solar Plexus center linked below. Click to explore more. Thanks for reading + bliss be with you!
Yes, the light is returning, but winter has just begun. Harness the heat for the cold days ahead.
Before you burnout, just know, it's possible to make micro-adjustments that yield meaningful effects. You can definitely face fears with the ferocity of your inner flame.
Staying connected with your fire will open the way of knowing.
Wield your wit and master the mind.
Maintain nurturance of the masculine with tools of focus and discernment.
👇🏽 Will you join me in a season of consistent believing + achieving?👇🏽
Get my guide for solar plexus chakra development practices and prompts here.