Enduring a Fiery Summer

This summer, and especially the couple of weeks around the summer solstice, represents a particularly challenging time based on the energy configuration. It’s a moment of extremes - always more difficult for personal management. The solstice is the peak of Yang, this year happening in a Fire month within a double-Fire year,* a bright peak in a sixty-year cycle.

The combination of environmental Heat and energetic Fire can lead to “over-heated” emotions & volatile actions, overly shiny exteriors with possible burnt-out interiors, things changing too fast, setting off flammable sparks that could ignite individuals, groups or countries.

So remain with the essential: breathing deeply, keeping your cool, while using Fire’s brightness, joy and optimism to bring greater understanding, tolerance and compassion.

During this solstice time, it is more important than ever to avoid the mid-day sun (while taking some sun before 10am & after 3pm is good for stimulating our much-needed vitamin D). Take advantage of less strenuous movement practices such as walking, swimming, Qigong, Tai Chi, Yoga, and meditation. It’s also a good idea to drink plenty of fluids, visit lakes, rivers, mountain falls & streams as they all feed us with the counter-balancing qualities of Water - cool, flowing, gathered, internal and wise. While there, we might take a few minutes to open our subtle senses in union with the Water energy, feeling within us its ability to let negativity wash away and keep on quietly flowing.

In all, very much like when practicing deep breathing and reaching the peak of an inhale, take a pause, rest and reflect, knowing that this time of peak awareness will naturally be followed by a harmonious and flowing exhale leading to the fruition of your intents, goals and projects.

One may retire somewhat later at this time of the year, while still arising early. One should refrain from anger and stay physically active, to prevent the pores from closing and the Qi from stagnating. One should not over-indulge in sex, although one can indulge a bit more than in other seaesons. Emotionally, it is important to be happy and easygoing and not hold grudges, so that the energy can flow freely and communicate between the external and internal. In this way illness may be averted in the Fall as problems in the summer cause injury to the heart that manifest in the autumn.
- The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, Mao Shing Ni

See: Energy of the Year 2026 for more about this Fire Horse year.