Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice

by | Jun 22, 2025 | Seasons, Blog

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 vibrant and the veil between the worlds is thin: sprites and spirits easily cross between them, and we may even catch a glimpse of the little folk.
The young Sun-God Belenos and the Earth Goddess, known by many names, are at the peak of their ecstatic embrace, and all nature takes part in their rapturous exuberance.
At the Summer Solstice, we honour the Gods and celebrate the life force in its generous 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 protect our crops from summer storms and fires. We bless the grain and the crops, the barn and the animals.

At the Summer Solstice, the herbs are at their most potent. It is time to gather our annual supplies of St. John’s Wort, Mugwort, Verbena, Chamomile, Mullein, Grund-Ivy (Glechoma hederacea), and more.

Spiritually, the summer solstice marks a threshold. It is a time to seek guidance and answers by divination or to retreat on a vision quest to hold counsel with the gods. At this halfway point in the annual cycle of the year, we reflect on the first 6 months. Have the seeds we planted in the spring sprouted? Are they blossoming and promising to bear fruit? Did we follow our visions and achieve the goals we set at the beginning of the year? Are we on track, or did we wander off into the tall grass along the way?

Are those goals still relevant? Take a moment to reflect, re-align and connect with your inner vision and guiding voice of the higher self. If you have veered off the path, this is an opportunity to 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 to gather and celebrate, to revel around bonfires, dancing, feasting, and merry-making. The twelve days of the Summer Solstice offer a break from usual activities and encourage us to soak up that pure life force in all its glory.

 

And yet, this year my heart is heavy, even as I celebrate the eternal powers of the life-force and its abundance. As I write these words, nature is in great peril and distress. Temperatures have risen to levels we normally see in August, and drought wilts the verdant mantle of the earth. War is raging, and worse is looming. Sorrow clouds my joy. I retreat into silence to seek solace and guidance, and to pray for peace.

Happy Summer Solstice, everyone – may peace return to all!

Imbolc Awakenings

Imbolc Awakenings

by | Feb 1, 2025 | Seasons

 

Imbolc, the return of the light

Winter is still with us, although now, in a moody phase. One day, it is frosty, stormy, and inhospitable, and a couple of days later, the sun pops out to tease us. But there is one sure signal that things are shifting ever so slightly: the days are noticeably longer now.

Imbolc is the season of Brighid, a Maiden Goddess, who signifies the growing light. Every passing day, the sun adds a few minutes of light as it climbs ever higher in the sky.

To be sure, at the beginning of February, it is still winter. But, if you look closely, you will notice the swelling buds. Some precocious little flowers bravely defy all the odds, pushing their way through the snow, or leaf litter: snowdrops, winter aconite or dwarf crested irises are among the earliest and toughest. Without a doubt, the life force stirs deep within the earth. Last season’s seeds are swollen with water, ready to germinate. The wheel of the seasons is turning, and the sap rises again.

Purification and Fasting

Imbolc, or ‘Candlemas’ in Christian terminology, is the festival of the growing light, a time of cleansing and purification. It prepares us for the season of Lent. 

In the past, Lent was a period of abstinence and fasting to cleanse the body from the residues of heavy winter foods to prepare for spring and the new cycle of growth.

 

Envisioning the future

At Imbolc, we visualise the possibilities that lie ahead. During this liminal time of transition, we consult the Gods make plans, take vows and pledge affirmations. Take time out to prepare yourself for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Reflect on your strengths and weaknesses, virtues and vices. Commit to your soul’s journey. 

What nourishment does your soul need? What are your intentions? And how do you want to give back to life? Are you walking your talk?

Imbolc is a good time to select your seeds and charge them with intention. It is a time to kindle your inner flame. Take care of the growing but delicate light. Soon the Sun will rise, and its power will grow strong again.

 

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice

by | Dec 21, 2023 | Seasons

Happy Winter Solstice, may your light shine bright!

The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. The trees have lost their leaves, and all signs of life have retreated below ground. Frozen in time, the land lies barren. Barely rising above the horizon, the Sun only sends a few feeble rays of light. The birds have left on their long journey to milder climes. The Earth has entered hibernation mode.

And yet, we find cause to rejoice at these darkest times! Deep within the Earth, a tiny light is born! Fragile as a baby in its crib, the sun-saviour god returns.

We are on the threshold of a new cycle, not yet sure if the baby will grow. But where there is life; there is hope.

In the old days, the 12 days of Christmas marked a time, when the veil between the worlds is thin, and spirits pass through. The same is true of the 12 days around the summer solstice. Otherworldly beings are visiting us from beyond.

The Solstice is a time of reflection, of cherishing memories, and of gratitude.

It may not have been an easy year, but there are always things to be grateful for, and hope is on the horizon.

During this quiet space, we reflect on gratitude; on love and care, and on being there for one another. We dream about our ambitions for the year ahead and how to make things better.

The Winter Solstice marks a turning point with the promise of a new dawn.

Count your blessings and celebrate hope. The wheel of time is turning, and the light is returning. Let us cherish and protect this tiny flame of hope. When its fire grows stronger, life once more returns to Earth.