As summer approaches, plants reach for the sky, bikinis are dusted off and for many of us, thoughts turn to love. The earth is juicy, rich, fertile and magic - the perfect time to empower summer wishes with goddess inspiration.

Summer goddess energy is particularly bountiful during Midsummer (or the Summer Solstice) - the time when the earth has reached the midpoint on her journey around the sun. In Australia, this is celebrated between 20 - 23 December. Sometimes described as the 'hinge on which the year swings', this is the time to focus on abundance, fertility and fruitful energy.

Decorate your home with summertime flowers, love amulets, seashells and summer fruits. Sprinkle aromatic pot pouri along windowsills, and use green, blue and yellow candles as you bless each morning with a welcome to summer goddess energy.

Goddesses of abundance and fertility, power and order, love and beauty are typically invoked to increase midsummer magic. Goddess energy celebrated at this time includes Venus, Aphrodite, Freja, Yemaya, Ishtar, and others.

Herewith is a rundown of some summer goddesses and tips for invoking their energy so you can make hay while the sun shines!

VENUS :: SENSUALITY

Perhaps the most famous and honoured goddess of the heart, Roman goddess Venus rules over a woman's sense of style and her appreciation for acts of love, pleasure and romance.

When a woman embraces Venus' energy, it feels natural to walk with a sassy step, roll the hips and emanate a magnetic aura that attracts respect and awe.

Think about how you are sitting right now as you read this. Are you hunched? Are you frowning? Are you distracted? Is this the body language you want others to be exposed to? Is this the energy you want to attract? If not, allow yourself to embody Venus' energy.

Do this: Spoil yourself with a facial, spa treatment, or special outfit to wear to an art gallery. Eat lunch at an infinitely elegant caf, smiling and laughing often. Everywhere you walk today, embody Venus' essence and consciously radiate magnetism, and ooze warm and lusty aura.

APHRODITE :: SELF-LOVE

Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty; of doves, swans, roses, apples, arts and all things graceful, inspired and creative. Very much a free goddess, she revelled in indulging her appetites, which by all accounts, were as impressive as her looks. Her free and easy lifestyle should be viewed as a model for fulfilment of artistic creativity and honouring oneself.

According to myth, she emerged as a nymph from the waves and immediately drove almost every male god wild with desire. Don't you wish you could do that too? Well, the good news is, you can.

The aura you exude is the aura you attract. This means you can be a magnet for love by exuding self-love, but first you have to stop those annoying self-criticisms. Regardless of your shape or size, allow your magnetic charisma to shine through.

Do this: Cancel feelings of inadequacy or 'imperfections' in your appearance, and instead embrace the energy and confidence to flirt with Aphrodite's inspiration and grace. Express your inner beauty fully to feel attractive and desirable. Carry pink or green stones, and for Aphrodite's sake, swing those hips and smile!

FREJA :: PASSION

Nordic goddess Freja represents passion: Passion in love, Passion in war, Passion for the things in life that bring us pure joy. She lets us be moved to tears with gratitude for what we see around us.

If you feel awed by the wonder of veins in leaves in the lush green trees and feel your knees go weak at the joy of being alive, the passionate goddess of love is working in you. Freja's gifts of tenderness, grace, compassion, delight and laughter make us overjoyed to be alive!

Summer is not a time for feeling stuck in a rut or that you are living life without intention, so if you are feeling this way, stop for a while.

Do this: As 'Friday' is derived from Freja, devote this Friday to invoking its namesake. Spend at least a minute with your eyes closed, listening to your breathing. Notice every noise around you and every smell that comes your way. Mentally list five things you are grateful for. Build on this list to think about your passions - if you have been ignoring them lately, make a promise to indulge in them again. Friday is the day to get back to your passion, and get your passion back.

YEMAYA :: SOUL-NOURISHMENT

West African, Brazilian and Afro-Caribbean goddess Yemaya is Mother Water, orisha of the oceans and protector of women. She represents mother love and the affairs of women - fertility, children, birthing, home and family. Her healing powers are carried in the great waters, her energy powerful during the ebb and flow of life challenges.

Yemaya brings forth and protects life through all the highs and lows, reminding women to take time out for themselves, to nurture their own needs and to respect their deserved position in life.

If Yemaya is speaking to you today, ask yourself, who or what is it that is taking all your time and energy? Whose problems are you trying to fix at the expense of your own vital energy? And why are you trying to fix them? (For approval?)

Yemaya does not ask that you conquer your problems nor dominate the source of your problems, but instead to learn how to dance with the ebb and flow of the inevitability of the life cycle. She gives you permission to pamper yourself and take a break from being the 'fixer', the 'nurturer', the 'servant'. The world will not end if you withdraw to take care of yourself for a while.

Do this: Surround yourself with ocean-sourced items (especially the conch shell), crystal and silver objects, and symbols to represent the moon and stars. Visit the sea, river, bay, brook or lake, and practice sand and water magic (water being the source of life). Draw a symbol in the sand describing what you hope to achieve, then let the tide carry it to the goddess for an answer.

ISHTAR :: SEXUALITY

With a mother like love goddess Venus, is it any wonder Babylonian goddess Ishtar represents the fullness of womanhood and dares us to dream?

Ishtar's energy represents love, fertility, passion and sexuality. Babylonians have honoured Ishtar as a goddess who inspires lovers everywhere to consciously connect with the fertile energy she brings.

Summer is the perfect time to re-energise all that is 'woman' within you - nurturing mother, inspired companion, playful bed partner, wise advisor, insightful leader. Your chance to reconnect with your feminine divine is at the next full moon, when it is right to engage in joyful acts of lovemaking to celebrate being 'woman'.

Do this: Honour the gift of the senses to light the flame of sexuality. Wear clothes or jewellery that contain Ishtar's symbolism - stars, the moon, the lion or the dove. Burn essential oil blends, in particular oils that inspire creativity and activity in the Sacral Chakra - the energy centre that nurtures the feminine divine. Play a drum in time to your heartbeat while holding it between your legs. Place a chocolate in your mouth and let it melt melt melt all over your tongue.