Renowned neuroscientist Dr. Judson Brewer will guide us through the neuroscience of change and share practical methods for forming healthy habits—illuminating how our brains adapt when we set new intentions. Soon after, we’ll harness that spirit of “new growth” by embarking on an herbal foraging hike, exploring the land’s wild abundance and learning how these plants can empower the mind in the season of transformation.

• The Celts and other European peoples saw the solstice as a powerful moment to invoke abundance—both in crops and in personal life changes. Many performed fertility rites or made offerings to the sun and earth for fruitful harvests.
  

• Flowers and herbs gathered at the solstice were believed to carry heightened healing properties. Collecting or wearing these plants could symbolize physical or spiritual renewal.

Solstice has always been about collective joy—dancing into the night under an expansive sky. We’ll honor that legacy with our very own Midsummer Party, where guests gather around a glowing bonfire beneath the stars. Expect live drumming and curated music from special musical guests, all designed to move your body and uplift your spirit. Whether you choose to dance until your feet ache, sway gently by the fire, or simply enjoy the electric atmosphere, this shared celebration carries on the centuries-old tradition of marking the solstice with exuberance and community.

• Across Europe, large dances around bonfires at solstice served as a communal way to “dance away” the old and welcome the next phase of life. Movement and music were believed to shift negative energies, allowing a fresh start.
  

• These communal festivities often emphasized the unity of the group, reinforcing a sense that everyone was undergoing a season of growth and renewal together.

At the Thyme, we embrace the spirit of purification through our fire-and-water ritual: a traditional Sweat Lodge ceremony, followed by a bracing dip in the mountain-spring waters of Sage’s Ravine. This powerful cycle of heat and cold echoes age-old midsummer rites, allowing you to shed the old and step into the new, cleansed and renewed in body and mind.

• In parts of Northern Europe, people lit towering Midsummer bonfires believing that fire held a cleansing power. Jumping over or walking around these flames symbolically “burned away” old fears or misfortunes, paving the way for renewal.
  

In Celtic lands, community members would gather around “need-fires” on solstice eve. Livestock might also be driven between the fires as a form of ritual purification and protection for the coming season.

In keeping with ancient midsummer lore—which holds that the solstice is the most potent night for prophetic dreams—we’ll dive into the mysteries of the dream world with our Dream Exploration Workshop. Here, you’ll learn about age-old practices for guiding dreams, including the use of dream-enhancing herbs like blue lotus, syrian rue, mugwort and valerian. From concocting nighttime infusions to setting clear dream intentions, we’ll explore how to harness the solstice’s heightened energy to gain insight, spark creativity, and invite personal transformation through the subconscious realms.

• In Scandinavian and Slavic folklore, placing certain wildflowers or herbs under one’s pillow on solstice night was said to invite prophetic dreams—insight into one’s future or new beginnings.
  

Young people might practice love divination (like wreath-floating in rivers) to predict changes in relationships or the emergence of a new partner—further connecting solstice to transformations in personal destiny.

To honor the sun, we’ll embark on a solstice hike up to the top of the ridge on the 85-acre property. While there we will greet the sun with a tea ceremony and prayer. 

• Since the summer solstice marks the longest day of the year, many ancient societies recognized it as the sun’s “peak” before days gradually shorten. This shift from waxing to waning light was interpreted as a cosmic sign of change—an opportunity to reflect, to let go of what’s outgrown, and to set intentions for the rest of the year.
  

Celebrations often involved prayers or rituals seeking balance between light and darkness, reflecting the need for both external (seasonal) and internal (spiritual) transformation.