Summer Solstice
ALTERNATE NAMES & SIMILAR OBSERVANCES:
Midsummer, Gwyl Ganol yr Haf (Welsh), Alban Hefin (Druidic),
also known as Litha
also known as Litha
circa June 20-23
The Summer Solstice occurs when the Sun reaches it's highest point above the Tropic of Cancer. This is the longest day and the shortest night of the year. Solstice literally means 'the Sun stands still'. The days grow shorter from this point until Yule. Astrologers know this as the date, when the sun enters the water sign of Cancer (lasting from approx. June 21-July 22) symbolic of home, family, mothers, emotions and intuition. This is the time when the God of the Sun is at his peak of power and the Goddess is full with child, observable in the full bloom of nature on Earth.
There are Ancient monuments that were built to be aligned with the Sun at this time of year; two of which are Stonehenge in England, and The Teotihuacan Temple of the Sun in Mexico. Many individuals build their own standing stones circle to perform rituals in.
Midsummer Eve is thought to be another time of year (2nd after Samhain) when the veil between the world of the living and the world of the spirits is very thin. This is a wonderful time to communicate with such otherworldly spirits as fairies, sprites, and the like. Any spells worked at this time are especially powerful.
Correspondences
HERBS/INCENSE/FLOWERS:
St John's Wort (chase-devil) , rose, honeysuckle, vervain, trefoil, mugwort, chamomile, lily, oak, lavender, ivy, yarrow, fern, elder, wild thyme, daisy, carnation, sunflower, birch
COLORS:
Green, Yellow, Gold, Red
SYMBOLS/DECORATIONS:
Summer flowers; athame/sword; seashells; coral; cauldron, bowl, or chalice of water
FOODS:
Summer fruits and flowers, fresh vegetables, Honey, Mead
GODS & GODDESSES:
Pan, Jack of the Green, Llew, Apollo, Ra, Osiris, Dumuzi (Consort and Sun Gods); Danu, Inanna, Ishtar, Hera, Juno, Isis (Mother Goddesses)
GEMSTONES:
Bloodstone, Jaspers, Sunstone, Ruby, Peridot, Emerald, Jade, Moss Agate, Green Tourmaline, Smokey Quartz, Rutilated Quartz, Carnelian, Citrine, Topaz
ANIMALS/CREATURES:
Fairies, Sprites, honeybees
RITUALS/ACTIVITIES:
Young women collect flowers to place under their pillow to dream of their future love, and young men use copper coins; Hang flowers and birch (protection, purification) branches over doors for protection; Collect flowers and herbs needed for the coming year; Collect ritual water for the coming year from natural water sources, including thunderstorm rains which are naturally very energized (store in glass and off the ground so as to not "ground" the energy); Burn bonfires; Perform blessings for animals health, protection, and fertility; Perform spells especially for healings, love magic and protections; Celebrate bountiful life, strength, success, and passion.
TAROT CARDS:
Sun, Strength, Empress
© 2003 GypsyJaguar
St John's Wort (chase-devil) , rose, honeysuckle, vervain, trefoil, mugwort, chamomile, lily, oak, lavender, ivy, yarrow, fern, elder, wild thyme, daisy, carnation, sunflower, birch
COLORS:
Green, Yellow, Gold, Red
SYMBOLS/DECORATIONS:
Summer flowers; athame/sword; seashells; coral; cauldron, bowl, or chalice of water
FOODS:
Summer fruits and flowers, fresh vegetables, Honey, Mead
GODS & GODDESSES:
Pan, Jack of the Green, Llew, Apollo, Ra, Osiris, Dumuzi (Consort and Sun Gods); Danu, Inanna, Ishtar, Hera, Juno, Isis (Mother Goddesses)
GEMSTONES:
Bloodstone, Jaspers, Sunstone, Ruby, Peridot, Emerald, Jade, Moss Agate, Green Tourmaline, Smokey Quartz, Rutilated Quartz, Carnelian, Citrine, Topaz
ANIMALS/CREATURES:
Fairies, Sprites, honeybees
RITUALS/ACTIVITIES:
Young women collect flowers to place under their pillow to dream of their future love, and young men use copper coins; Hang flowers and birch (protection, purification) branches over doors for protection; Collect flowers and herbs needed for the coming year; Collect ritual water for the coming year from natural water sources, including thunderstorm rains which are naturally very energized (store in glass and off the ground so as to not "ground" the energy); Burn bonfires; Perform blessings for animals health, protection, and fertility; Perform spells especially for healings, love magic and protections; Celebrate bountiful life, strength, success, and passion.
TAROT CARDS:
Sun, Strength, Empress
© 2003 GypsyJaguar
Soft Mead
by Scott Cunningham
1 quart water, preferably spring water
1 cup honey
1 sliced lemon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Boil together all ingredients in a non-metallic pot. While boiling, scrape off the rising "scum" with a wooden
spoon. When no more rises add the following:
pinch salt
juice of 1/2 lemon
Strain and cool. Drink in place of alcoholic mead or wine during the Simple Feast.
1 quart water, preferably spring water
1 cup honey
1 sliced lemon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Boil together all ingredients in a non-metallic pot. While boiling, scrape off the rising "scum" with a wooden
spoon. When no more rises add the following:
pinch salt
juice of 1/2 lemon
Strain and cool. Drink in place of alcoholic mead or wine during the Simple Feast.
References:
Starhawk, The Spiral Dance
Mike Nichols, The Witches' Sabbats
Raven Grimassi, The Wiccan Mysteries
Janet & Stewart Farrar, A Witches' Bible
D.J. Conway, Celtic Magic
Silver RavenWolf, To Ride a Silver Broomstick
Scott Cunningham, Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner
Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs
Henry I. Christ, Myths and Folklore
Cliffs Notes on Mythology
Also see:
Magic - Wheel of the Year - Imbolg - Vernal Equinox - Beltane - Summer Solstice - Lughnassadh - Autumnal Equinox - Samhain - Winter Solstice - Days of the Week - Elemental Correspondences - The Moon - The Sun - Altars and Ritual Tools - A Basic Spell - True Love Spell - Ideal Career Spell - Protection - Herbs and Oils for Protection - Symbolism - Colors
Navigation Menu
Website created by GypsyWolf - all content © 2003-2020.
We make it a point to keep our pages free of distracting and irrelevant advertisements. Any outside links or ads we use are carefully chosen to represent the content of the page and do not make money for us or the pages they lead to. Since our website does not generate income, we rely on generous people, like you, to keep us going. If you have gotten a lot out of our pages and feel you would like to give back in some way, please feel free to donate to our cause by sending a Paypal donation to us at paypal.me/gypsywolfexperience. Thank you so much for your support and interest in what we do!