SUMMER SOLSTICE, LITHA & MIDSUMMER DAY

Summer Solstice, Litha, on 21.st June is the longest day & the shortest night of the year & Midsummer's Day is 24.st June in Northern Hemisphere. Time to honor the power of the Sun, the abundance of Mother Nature & the cycles of life & death. Holiday of Sun, life, love & relationships, success, culmination & fulfillment, a festival of Fire & Water. This energy peak resulting from the Sun's intensity motivates changes & accomplishing each person's intentions. Use the energy of this magical time to connect back to your ancient roots & strengthen your relationship with nature. Summer Solstice marks the start of astronomical summer. It may come as a surprise to you that our beautiful Earth is closest to the Sun, at its perihelion, about two weeks after the December solstice & farthest from the Sun, or at its aphelion, about two weeks after the June solstice, during our warm summer months. For example aphelion in Dublin, Ireland is on Thursday, 6 July 2023, 21:06 IST. In reality, our Earth’s tilt has more influence on the seasons than our planet’s distance to the Sun has. In ancient times, the Summer Solstice was a fire-festival of great importance when the burning of bale-fires ritually strengthened the Sun. It was often marked with torchlight processions, by flaming tar barrels or by wheels bound with straw, which were set alight & rolled down steep hillsides. The Norse especially loved lengthy processions & would gather together their animals, families & lighted torches & parade through the countryside to the celebration site. To ward off evil spirits, people would wear protective garlands of herbs & flowers. On the Summer Solstice, many ancient Celts would pick summer grasses & toss them into the sea thanking Manannian Mac Lir for allowing the land to remain above the water for another year. Many Druids consider this time a time of great Healing - as we gather our strongest herbs at this time. It’s a wonderful time to bring back ancient rituals practiced during the Summer solstice, such as bonfires, Sun salutations & making flower crowns, nature mandalas. Invite the Sun’s energy & transformatiointo your life, embracing abundance. Take the opportunity to use the solstice as a catalyst for growth as part of the natural world & how we can align ourselves with this energy to nurture our own personal growth & manifestation. Spend time in nature, whether it’s a park, garden, or forest. Connect with the natural world around you by walking barefoot, touching the Earth, or simply sit in stillness. Feel the energy of the Earth beneath your feet & allow it to ground & support you. Go deep into introspection & spiritual exploration. Litha animals are little pollinators such as Bees, Moths, Butterflies Bumblebees & Horses, Bulls, Cows, etc., honoring animals as a source of food & wealth. Different plants are associated with Solstice in different countries, everything from Carnations & Chamomile in Italy, to Violets & Vervain in Germany, to Cornflowers & Water Lilies in Latvia. In Provence, five aromatic herbs- Rosemary, Thyme, Marjoram, Hyssop & Sage are gathered on the eve of Saint Jean to make an "infusion aux herbes de Saint Jean." Scandinavians add magical herbs to vodka to make schnapps which is drunk at the Midsummer festival. St John's Wort, imbued with the power of the Sun is traditionally gathered on Midsummer's day. Other special flowers like Vervain, Trefoil, Rue & Roses are also most potent at this time & when placed under a pillow bring important dreams, especially dreams about future lovers. Roses are particularly associated with the Summer Solstice & Midsummer’s Eve is especially potent for love magics. You may want to make a Rose petal infusion to add to wine or strew your bed with Rose petals before retiring to help you dream of your soul-mate. Oak, Mistletoe, Lemon, Frankincense, Copal, Saffron, Sandalwood, Heliotrope, Laurel, Galangal & Ylang-Ylang are also used this magical time. Mugwort, Roses, Thyme, Verbena, Chamomile, Elder, Hemp, Lavender, male Fern, Pine, St. John's Wort, Wisteria, Cinquefoil, Fennel & Larkspur are also Summer Solstice herbs. Garlands of St John's Wort, Lavender, Heart's Ease, Chamomile, Geranium, Thyme, Vervain & Pennyroyal were hung around the house for their aroma & the belief that they banished sickness & bad luck. In addition to Midsummer plants & herbs, similar incense varieties are used in Midsummer rituals. These incense varieties are Frankincense, Sandalwood, Lemon, Jasmine, Lotus, Myrrh, Pine, Rose or Wisteria. They are either used alone or in combination to create a general ambiance & scent. If you eat a piece of Angelica root on Midsummer night it'll cure any ailment. As at the Winter Solstice, Mistletoe is sacred at Summer Solstice, when it is in bloom. Druids gathered it on Midsummer Eve, cutting it with a golden scythe & catching it in a cloth, never allowing it to touch the ground. They believed that Mistletoe could open all locks, cure all ills & was a lightning conductor. In Sweden, Mistletoe is believed to be possessed of mystical qualities & in Wales, a sprig of Mistletoe gathered on Midsummer Eve & placed under the pillow is said to bring prophetic dreams. Crystals to keep in your pockets are Amber, Sunstone, Citrine, Peridot, Tiger's Eye, Garnet, Pyrite, Carnelian, Orange Calcite. St John's Eve was seen as a time when the veil between this world & the next was thin & when powerful forces are abroad. It is said that if you spend a night at a sacred site during Midsummer Eve, you would gain the powers of a bard, on the down side you could also end up utterly mad, dead, or be spirited away by the fairies. The use of fires, as well as providing magical aid to the Sun, are also used to drive out evil & to bring fertility & prosperity to men, crops & herds. When traveling through the woods on this night, you should seek out one of the ley lines, the old tracks used to link ancient landmarks & places of worship & stay upon it until you reach your destination. Ley lines were popularly associated with mystical powers of protection & should keep you safe from any malevolent power, as will crossing a stream of running water. One of the customs at the Summer Solstice is the practice of tossing wishes & offerings into wells & springs. For a wish or offering of thanks, hold a special stone, feather or sprig of herb in your hands as you focus & meditate on your desire. Pour the desire or gratitude into the stone, feather or sprig & when you have filled it, toss it with power & intention into the well or spring. Carry a stone in your hand as you circle the bonfire & whisper your request to the stone. After your third turn around the fire, toss the stone into the flames. After fire has burned out & the ashes gone cold, use them to make a protective amulet. You can do this by carrying them in a small pouch, or kneading them into some soft clay & forming a talisman. It is believed that the Midsummer ashes will protect you from misfortune. You can also sow the ashes from your bonfire into your garden & your crops will be bountiful for the rest of the summer growing season. Midsummer is not only a time for working herbal magic, but herbal divinations as well.