Happy Summer Solstice!
At Summer Solstice, the Sun reaches the zenith of its annual journey. We celebrate the longest day and shortest night. It is a magical time: nature is blossoming. The veil between the worlds is thin: sprites and spirits easily cross between them, and we may even glimpse the little folk.
The young Sun-God Bel and the earth goddess are reaching their peak in ecstatic embrace, and all nature takes part in their rapturous exuberance.
At Summer Solstice, we honour the Gods and celebrate the life force in all its abundance. Corresponding to the Winter Solstice and the 12 days of Christmas, the Summer Solstice is also celebrated for 12 days. This is a twilight zone where magic happens. At this time of the year, the gods walk among us and hear our prayers. We ask for protection, health, and sustenance and pray that they may protect our crops from summer storms and fires. We bless the corn and the crops, the barn and the animals.
The herbs are now at their most potent, and we gather our annual supplies of St. John’s Wort, Mugwort, Verbena, Chamomile, Mullein, Grund-Ivy (Glechoma hederacea) and more.
Spiritually, it is a time to seek guidance by divination or retreat on a vision quest to hold counsel with the gods. At this halfway point of the year, we reflect on how things have been going for the first 6 months. Did we follow our visions and achieve the goals we set at the beginning of the year? Are we on track, or did we get lost in the tall grass along the way?
Are those goals still relevant? If you have veered off the path, now is a time to realign with your highest goals and adjust course so you can sail successfully through the second half of the year .
If you are unsure of your direction, this is a perfect time to seek divine guidance by vision quest, pilgrimage or retreat – whichever way allows you to commune with the gods and silence the noise enough so you can hear the whispers of intuition.
Above all, Midsummer is a time of gatherings and celebrations – revelling around bonfires, dancing, feasting, and merry-making. These 12 days offer a break from usual activities and encourage us to soak up that pure life force in all its glory.
Happy Summer Solstice, everyone!
