June 20-22
(also known as Summer Solstice, Litha, Saint John's Eve, Alban Hefin, Jani, and Midsommarafton)

Midsummer is the longest day, and shortest night of the year, also officially known, as the first day of summer. "Solstice" is Latin for "sun stands still" (sol "sun" and sitere "to stand".) This happens twice a year, both at Winter, and Summer Solstices. They are named, Solstice, because it appears to the naked eye, that the sun stands still, and remains in the same spot in the sky. Summer Solstice, was the time, when the sun begins to wane and the journey into the harvest season has begun. In ancient times, it was seen as the height of the summer, which is a joyous time....as the snow had disappeared, the temperatures are warm, everything is in full bloom. Herbs could be found and harvested for medicinal, and other purposes. Food was easier to come by, and the crops had been planted, and would be harvested, in the months to come. The full moon, in June, is called the "Honey Moon" as tradition holds that this is the best time to collect honey from the hives. This time of year, between the planting and harvesting of the crops, was the traditional month for weddings. This is because the ancient people believed that in May, at Beltaine, during the sexual union, and marriage of the God, and the Goddess, that it was an unlucky time to wed, as it would appear they were competing with the God and Goddess, so they delayed their own weddings until June. "In some traditions, newly wed couples were fed dishes and beverages that featured honey for the first month of their married life to encourage love and fertility. The surviving vestige of this tradition lives on in the name given to the holiday immeditately after the ceremony: "The Honeymoon." Midsummer is both a fire festival and a water festival, as the fire symbolizes the God aspect, and the water symbolizes the female aspect. Also, like Beltaine, and Samhain, Midsummer is a time, when the veils between the worlds are thinner, and the fairies are at their peak. Midsummers eve when the sun is going down, is the best time to see them. This is a time, when many people leave offerings to the fairies. The things they like best include: fresh milk, honey,butter, wine, water, and bread. However! Please make sure when leaving an offering that it is not casually thrown out to them, as they find this insulting, and disrespectful. Summer Solstice is also the time for the battle of the horned God, symbolized by The Oak King and The Holly KIng, who fight for supremacy, and the hand of the Goddess, twice a year at the Winter Solstice, and at the Summer solstice. The Oak King rules the waxing part of the year, or the light half and the Holly King rules waning part, or the dark half of the year. The Summer Solstice begins, with the Oak King in power, but during the battle he is mortally wounded, and begins to die, therefore beginning to slowly bring back in dark half of the year, as the days once again begin to get shorter. Some Things to Do on Summer Solstice: -Stay up from sunset on Midsummers Eve, to sunrise on Midsummers Day. -Re-inact the Battle of the Oak King & Holly King -Woman should adorn their hair with flower wreaths. -Light off fireworks (where it is legal!) like a pinwheel, to represent the sun. -Have a big bonfire. - Have a dessert of Strawberry Shortcake or Watermelon -Do some kind of divination, and have everyone pick a rune, for the coming year, and read its meaning. -Play the game, "Threading the Needle" -Make a Midsummer Tree -Put out honey and cream for the fairie folk. -Be thankful for the things you have in the NOW....:)

Some Midsummer Traditions

Midsummer Bonfire Summer Solstice is a Fire Festival honoring the strength of the sun. Bonfires were lit for protection against evil spirits and fey folk, that were said to be out and about on Midsummer eve. Men and women were traditionally known to jump through the flames for good luck and fertility. This was also a time, for protection of animals. The people would drive the herds in between the bale fires, or wave a lit branch, from the fire over the animals to protect them and prevent disease in the coming year. Sometimes even children would be passed over the flames for the same reason! Oak and Fir wood are the chosen wood to keep the Midsummer fires burning, and it was also tradition to throw (9) herbs upon the fire which included: Mistletoe, vervain, St. Johns Wort, heartease, lavendar, and (4) other herbs that are considered for summer solstice, such as: yarrow, lily, rose, ivy, and fern. The next day, the people would take the ashes from the fires, and sprinkle them in the feilds, and to the four corners, to bring protection, health and luck in the coming year.

Torchlight Processions The people would light the torches, from the bonfire, and would walk through the milking barn, to keep the butter and milk safe from evil magick, and would also walk around the fields of crops to the fours corners to give them protection and blessing, finally ending by attaching them to the fences to burn through out the night.

Midsummer Tree Midsummer Trees come from Scandinavia, the British Isles and Eastern Europe, and were a part of Druidic Rituals. These trees, similar to the Maypole celebrated at Beltaine, represent the phallic symbol, and the fertilizing power of the Sun God, thrust into the womb of Mother Earth. These trees join the world of the gods and mortals. These poles are made out of birch, and decorated with ribbons, flowers, and pictures, and sometimes have a rooster upon the top, which symbolized the Sun. People would dance around the poles as a way of celebrating the fullness and richness of the season.

Other MidSummer Traditions Ancient people would roll blazing wheels down large hills to symbolize and celebrate the height of the sun. Midsummer is also considered a water festival, and it was also comman for women to bath in the rivers, or visit holy wells before sunrise on Midsummers day, and throw in offerings to practice sympathetic magick to bring rain to the crops. Midsummer is also a time for divination, gathering magickal herbs, and holding vigils from Midsummers eve, to dawn on Midsummers day to celebrate the shortest night of the year, and to watch the sun come up again.

Remember..... "Panta rhei, ouden menei" "Everything flows, nothing is static"

~Much love, Tala~