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Ritual for Sunrise and Sunset Magic, Plus Layered Parfait 

I watch the sunrise in winter, when the nights are long and the darkness starts dissipating just when I naturally wake up. I don’t see many summer sunrises, though. Getting up early to witness them is hard to adjust to when you’re on a different sleep schedule. When I do see them, it’s because I’ve made the conscious decision to wake up early. 

When I am doing well, I love to take spontaneous road trips to the places I love in this beautiful region. There’s something that feels extra special about loading up my car in the darkness of early morning and driving empty streets, then slowly watching the light return to the landscapes I’m traveling through. Add some nostalgic music and it is a deeply magical journey. Often my aim in waking so early is to be able to drive all the way to the Pacific coast by late afternoon so I can find some dinner and then go watch the sunset on the beach. Those days of a rising sun at my back illuminating mountains to the sun appearing again as an infinite passage of golden light dancing on the surface of the waves are days of utter magic and liminality. Between spaces, between sunsets, almost even between time, it seems. 

Whether soft pink cotton candy clouds are blanketing the softer colors of sunrise or glowing vibrantly against an orange sunset, I am always utterly enchanted. Nature puts on a miraculous show for us two times every single day! What if instead of staying in and watching a movie, you made a plan to go watch the sunrise and/or sunset as an event in itself. If you do, the following recipe will be a great accompaniment to those experiences. With the longest day of the year on the near horizon, this particular ritual would be a special way of celebrating the Summer Solstice or any other momentous day this time of year. I’ve created a delicious summery granola recipe that is equally at home topping a layered morning parfait or an evening fruity dessert, in colors that match the sunrise and sunset. Consider pairing the recipe with the below ritual for an even deeper experience. 

Capturing Sunrise and Sunset

Do you want to capture the magic of the sunrise and sunset? Pour clean water into a clean glass jar and place it in the first rays of sun in the morning. Once the sky is all blue, put it back into a dark space. Bring it out when the sun starts setting to infuse some of that golden hour into your jar. Use this magical solar-powered water in special ways - perhaps to wash your face on a day you are craving adventure, or to water a plant that has a deep meaning for you. 

Another way to capture the magic is through your own hands and some chalk. For this ritual, you will make a series of quick sketches throughout the occasion of sunrise or sunset. You may be surprised at what you discover about yourself through this ritual. I’ve also found that drawing is a really wonderful way to learn to pay more attention to the colors and details in nature. This would be a wonderful ritual to work into your Summer Solstice celebrations, but it’s also great any day this time of year. 

You’ll need: 

An easel to work on. It makes it much more easy to paint the land and sky scapes

A pad of paper to draw on. It doesn’t have to be super high quality. Choose which size feels most comfortable to you. 

A box of chalk pastels, oil pastels, or watercolor paints

Some bits of tissue to help with blending

A timer of some sort 

Instrumental background music, if you want (the sounds of nature can be lovely on their own!) 

Wear clothes that can get a little dirty. 

Directions: 

1. Give yourself enough time to get set up before the sunrise or sunset. You’ll want to clip your pad of paper to your easel at a comfortable height and in a way that you can easily flip or tear out pages.

2. Get settled in. Set out your art supplies, grab a cup of tea, and take a few moments to just enjoy the darkness of early morning or the warmth of late afternoon. Then, decide what increments you would like to spend on your pictures. They should be evenly-spaced and anywhere from 2 minutes to 15 minutes. Remember, though, that this ritual is not about creating masterpieces. Instead, it is about giving an incredible celestial show your full attention and learning to see it in a new way! 

3. When you sense the beginning glimmers of a sunrise or sunset, begin. Set your timer, then quickly draw or paint whatever you see in front of you, doing your best to match the vibrant colors and depths of shadows that these liminal times provide. When your timer goes off, flip that page or tear it out and immediately start on the next one. Repeat the process until the sun has either risen completely or the world is in darkness. 

4. A little while after you finish, line up your drawings in front of you in the order they were completed in. Can you see a progression? What else do you see in them? How did you choose what colors to use? Journal for a few moments after completing and save those notes to read in the dead of winter

Wild Summer Granola: 

In the spring and summer, I keep my car stocked for adventure. Extra blankets for spontaneous camping trips. Extra water just in case. Emergency supplies like a first aid kit and car battery charger. And always: a jar of granola. There’s nothing like being able to drive off into the sunset on a spontaneous weekend day and then wake up to a bowl of granola full of summer flavors. This is my favorite blend so far, full of wild rose petals, cattail pollen, energy-giving help seeds, and some bright pops of freeze-dried raspberries. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! It’s also a great recipe to pair with the Sunrise and Sunset ritual above, since it’s delicious on its own or sprinkled over other breakfast options, and it adds a great crunch to dessert too. Plus your house will smell blissfully delicious while you roast it. 

Whipped Berry Porridge Parfaits: 

These beautiful pink clouds of light porridge are “Vispipuuro,” a traditional Finnish breakfast or snack made from wheat semolina, lingonberries, and sugar. My adaptation includes the flavors and ingredients of the Pacific Northwest, and some textural contrast to make the experience of eating it even more delightful! It’s fluffier than hot cereal and pleasantly fruity, a wonderful balance with the stronger fruit flavors in the parfait. 

Find the rest of this post and the Secret Recipes over on Patreon.com/thewondersmith!

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