Let’s Talk Witch – Midsummer

 

Midsummer is the sabbat that falls on the Summer Solstice (on or around June 21) and is also known as Litha. It is the longest day of the year, with the most light and the least dark, and the earth is at her most fertile. The land is full of energy and life; the goddess as mother is pregnant, and her consort the god is at the height of his powers. It is time to party and rejoice! (Like we really need an excuse for that.)

Midsummer is a time to celebrate family and love. It is a traditional day for handfasting rites (Pagan wedding ceremonies), and some Witches do divination now to help them find their true loves. If you’ve already found yours, be sure to celebrate that, too!

The Summer Solstice is also said to be the optimal day on which to harvest your magickal and medicinal herbs for use in the year ahead (which works really well if your growing season is such that these plants are actually ready to be harvested, of course-where I live, we just take a ritual clipping of each plant and call it good).

In the Pagan mythos, Midsummer marks the end of the waxing part of the year, ruled by the Oak King, and starts the waning half of the year, ruled by the Holly King. (At Midsummer’s counterpart, the Winter Solstice, or Yule, this is reversed, and the Oak King battles the Holly King to regain his throne.)

Witches celebrate Midsummer with strawberries and mead and feasts of summer foods. It is traditional to throw lavender into the bonfire as a sacrifice to the Old Gods (if at all possible, you have to have a bonfire). Some years my group throws in scraps of paper with the crap we want out of our lives written on them-willing sacrifices that we hope will leave more room for the positive potential of the energetic summer season.
Whether you celebrate alone or with others, be sure to take advantage of the powerful energy from earth and sun that is so abundant at this time of year, and take a moment to give thanks for all the blessings you are harvesting in your own life.

 

Everyday Witch A to Z: An Amusing, Inspiring & Informative Guide to the Wonderful World of Witchcraft
Deborah Blake

Summer Solstice

Summer brings the Earth’s orbit
much closer to the sun.
On the longest day of the year,
let us praise what is above.

 

In ancient days, the sun was a god,
known by many names.
All would honor their dependence
upon that fiery blaze.

 

So join me now, as in days of old
on this summer day,
brothers and sisters of the grove,
let us give our thanks.

 

Gather branches of the fallen oak
to build a roaring fire.
Let us dance and sing around it,
while Sun and fire fuel desire.

 

Gather lavender and make a wish
then throw it in the flames,
thinking kindly of our fellow man
without naming any names.

 

Drink the honeysuckle Sun warmed tea
mixed with chamomile from the meadows,
make our crowns and chains of daisy
adorned with lily, dandelion and rose.

 

Litha, Summer Solstice,
It’s a midsummer dream,
where we dance with the goddess
and the man of green.

 

As the days begin to shorten from here,
and the cold starts to creep like ivy
my spiritual fire’s as hot as the sun,
and I’ll keep it burning deep inside me.

 

—Tina King, Author
All Poetry

Winter Solstice:The Longest Night

The longest night of the year is honored by many traditions as a sacred time.

In the past, it’s been a night to gather ’round the fire or set out candles to call back the Sun. It’s on the 21st in 2016.

Is this where the date for Christmas came from? The indigenous Europeans had already been celebrating the birth of the Sun as part of Yule for thousands of years.

Endings and Darkness

In Latin, solstice means sun set still and Winter Solstice is the great stillness before the Sun’s strength builds, and days grow longer.

It can be a time to rest and reflect. It’s the fruitful dark out of which new life can eventually emerge. In ancient times and for some today, the darkness itself is the spiritual cradle into which the Sun is reborn.

Father Time with his sickle appears briefly and bids us farewell before the newborn babe appears at New Years. Everything lies dormant in the silent night, a sacred time of rest before the awakening, and the slow build toward longer days.

Keeping the Faith

This time of year is associated with light — string lights, sparklers and of course, candles.

There’s the advent wreath of the Christian faith and the all-night bonfire for the burning of the Yule log, a tradition with roots in Northern European pre-Christian times. The lights are reminders of the inner light and hope for the return of sunny days.
Winter Blues

The timeless traditions during the dark season of lights and celebrations are thought to be an attempt to balance out the sunless gloom of winter.

Seasonal depression is brought on by a lack of sunlight, and a drop in serotonin levels.

In Roman times, the Feast of Saturnalia was meant to counteract the heavy dark and the season’s reminder of mortality. Named for Saturn, the ultimate buzz-kill at any party, their feast turned normal Saturnian boundaries and order on its head.

Masters became servants, and gambling and excess were encouraged.

Creating Warmth

The many seasonal gatherings help to carry us through the dark time of the year. There’s a melancholy that can be overwhelming without the promise of a new beginning. It’s normal to feel that tinge of sorrow at life’s endings, here at the dying of the year.

Parties and holiday gatherings remind us that we’re all in it together. We long for a sense of belonging, being part of a tribe, feeling that deep bond of family.

The Reason for Seasons

The Earth is tilted on its axis like a top, which astronomers figured out is at 23 degrees. The seasons are flip-flopped, with Winter Solstice coming in December for the Northern hemisphere and in June for the Southern hemisphere.

That’s why Australians are wearing jumpers in summer and swimsuits in winter, and our seasons are reversed. To avoid confusion, sometimes they’re called June and December solstice.

A Sun is Born

At Newgrange cairn in Ireland, the sun’s rays shine onto the triple-spiral symbol in the burial chamber. The megalithic mound is womb shaped, and the triple-spiral is thought to come from the earlier Goddess cultures, representing the triplicity of Mother, Maiden, and Crone.

The light of the Sun begins a new solar cycle at Winter Solstice. The rays shine into the dark and nurture the newborn life there to be cultivated. And this is mirrored in nature, as the seeds are buried in the darkness of the Earth, to emerge once again with the life-giving rays of the Sun.
Birthing Dreams

The longest night is a fruitful time for setting intentions, to be birthed with the newborn Sun. What you conceive now can grow with the Sun, and gain momentum in Spring. You might start a tradition of setting Winter Solstice intentions, and in one year, see how many have come into being. Put them in a special tin or box that has meaning for you.

The dark before the dawn, just like New Moons, can be a powerful moment of magic, drawing in what you’d like to see happen in the new year.

 

by Molly Hall
Published on ThoughtCo

The Summer Solstice

The Longest Day

 

What’s Bearing Fruit?

The Sun’s beams are at their brightest, for the longest day (here in the Northern latitudes). Summer Solstice is on June 21st, and it’s one of the four grand turning points of the solar year.

What’s begun at the Spring Equinox, with Sun into Aries, is coming to life from the vitality and intention brought to it. Tomatoes are ripening on the vine.

Traditionally Summer Solstice has been a time of outdoor celebrations, especially for Northern Europeans who lived through the darkness of the Ice Age.

The Sun is life-giving, and this is its peak, before the waning begins again.

The Sun’s peak means physical vitality is high, and in natural settings, the garden is at its lushest point. You might reflect on which of your Spring projects or activities is bearing fruit.

It’s also simply a time to enjoy family and friends, and tend to the nest, with the Sun into homey Cancer. This sets off a month for family get-togethers, reminiscing and catching up with old friends.

You may light a candle, to symbolize the brightness of the season. Or create a bonfire and jump over it, like in olden times.

Long Summer Day

Summer is here, with the Sun into Cancer and the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. When the Sun is at its most northerly point, hovering over the astrological Tropic of Cancer, that’s known as the summer solstice.

The Earth is tilted on its axis, so like a sunflower, the Northern Hemisphere has its face toward the life-giving Sun.

The Sun is at its most powerful, and appears to stand still in the sky, and that’s what solstice means in Latin. After the summer solstice, the Sun’s rays will begin to light up more of the Southern Hemisphere, and days will start to shorten in the North.

The bright glowing orb we call The Sun is celebrated in many traditions at the summer solstice. There are fire dances, bonfires, and in the olden days, the ancients rolled fire wheels down the hills. The ancients of Europe were sun worshippers, as they knew they needed it to survive the harsh winters.

There’s also a long tradition of ritual bathing, dipping in the cleansing waters. Fire and water are celebrated at the summer solstice, along with the Earth as Mother Goddess, at her most abundant.

It’s a celebration of the Earth, the feminine and the living natural world. It’s one of the four cardinal turning points of the solar calendar, along with the Winter Solstice and the Spring and Fall Equinoxes.

For those living in harmony with nature’s cycles, it’s the season to harvest herbs and honey. Many couples still marry in June, at the peak of nature’s abundance. Some traditions would feed the newlyweds honey-laced foods for the entire first month, which is where “honeymoon” comes from.

The Full Moon in June is the Honey Moon.
Cancer Zodiac Begins the Season

The summer solstice coincides with the Sun’s ingress into Cancer, and the official start of the season. Cancer is the water cardinal sign of the mother, nurturing, and family.

It’s a high spirited time, when solar light is radiant and the feminine energies are in abundance, too.

There are parades, picnics, festivals and celebrations of all kinds in the Northern Hemisphere at this time, often outdoors. It’s an exuberant time, in contrast to the deep introversion of Winter.

Becoming aware of these solar turning points tunes you into the natural rhythm of the seasons. The summer solstice is the peak of sunlight, and the Sun as radiant manna of all that grows, has been celebrated with feasts, dancing and just being together. After the solstice, the days begin to shorten slowly toward the Fall Equinox, when days and nights are equal again

 

by Molly Hall
Published on ThoughtCo

Beltane Lore

Weaving and plaiting are traditional arts at this time of year, for the joining together of two substances to form a third is in the spirit of Beltane.
Foods traditionally come from the dairy, and dishes such as marigold custard and vamilla ice cream are fine. Oatmeal cakes are also appropriate.

 

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner
Scott Cunningham

 

 

Beltane Lore

Beltaine (May 1) – Also called May Day, Beltaine merges both Gaelic and Germanic traditions and marks the high point of fertility in the natural cycle. This is a day of love, and has historically been a time for the arrangement of engagements and marriages.

 

Wicca. The Practitioner’s Introductory Guide: Symbols, herbs, history, spells, shops, supplies, clothing, courses, altar, ritual, and much more all covered!
Riley Star

 

 

Beltane Lore

 

May 1 was celebrated as Beltane in earlier times and still is today by Pagans and Witches. It is gased in part on the old Roman festival of Floralia, dedicated to Flora, Goddess of Flowers. Many more know it as May Day. A wealth of customs and rites has survived from early times.

 
May Day was also the date the Romans honored the Lares, or household and family guardians. Wreaths were hung before their altars, incense burned and the family attuned to its spiritual essence.

 
Lilacs and hawthorn are traditionally brought into the home on May Day, which is unusual because both plants are generally viewed as ill-luck bringers in the house. On this day, though, the spell is broken.

 
The flowers of May-bluebells, yellow cowslips, daisies, roses, marigolds, primroses and hundreds of others are still brought inside to release their powers and connect the home with the living world outdoors.

 
To guard your home against the intense magical powers at work on Beltane, mark a cross in the hearth ashes with a hazel twig, or carry elder twigs three times around the house, then hang them up inside or place outside over the door.

 
At dawn on May Day, go to a garden or out in the woods and gather dew from plants, flowers and grass. Bathe your face in this dew, and it will highlight your beauty.

 
It is considered unfortunate to give away fire or salt on May Day, since these were at one time the two most sacred substances. Thus, give them away on May Day, and you give your luck away.

 
Beltane marks the beginning of summer, when all nature reaches a crescendo of power and energy. The day and night were thought to be dangerous for the unprepared pared because of these excessive vibrations. Due to this phenomenon, it was deemed a good practice to sleep at home this night.

 
The Magical Household: Spells & Rituals for the Home
Scott Cunningham; David Harrington.

 

 

Celebrate Beltane Lore

Arise at dawn and wash in the morning dew: the woman who washes her face in it will be beautiful; the man who washes his hands will be skilled with knots and nets.

 
If you live near water, make a garland or posy of spring flowers and cast it into stream, lake or river to bless the water spirits.

 
Prepare a May basket by filling it with flowers and goodwill, then give it to one in need of caring, such as a shut-in or elderly friend.

 
Beltane is one of the three “spirit-nights” of the year when the faeries can be seen. At dusk, twist a rowan sprig into a ring and look through it, and you may see them.

 
Make a wish as you jump a bonfire or candle flame for good luck—but make sure you tie up long skirts first!

 
Celebrants sometimes jump over broomsticks, especially at Handfastings which are very common during this season, or dance around May Poles, as both of these are symbols of fertility.

 

Traditional activities include blowing horns, and gathering flowers. Solitary Practitioners might consider the weaving together of ribbons as an alternative to creating and dancing around the May Pole.

 

 

Many like to celebrate Beltaine by decorating their homes and themselves with fresh flower garlands, or by stringing up greenery around their homes and places of work.

 

 

Sending flowers to loved ones, planting new gardens, cleaning out the cupboards and general spring cleaning are all traditional Beltaine gestures.

 

 

Plaiting and weaving straw, creating things with wicker, making baskets and fabrics are traditional arts for this turn in the Wheel of the Year.

Making a Wish Box Charm

 

Beltane is a good time for bringing hopes, dreams and aspirations to life, and here is a truly beautiful charm to help you bring these into manifestation.

 

You will need:

 

A small shallow cardboard box. Shoe boxes are good.
Rose petals
Sunflower seeds and/or poppy seeds
Paper
A piece of willow bark or piece of willow, an acorn or oak leaf
Something that represents your wish (see below)

 
Take a piece of paper and write your wish on it while visualizing your wish coming to life and growing. You can do this alone, with friends, or as a family. If you want to, decorate the lid of the box, with a triple moon, pentacle, heart, or any symbol of your choice. Poke a few holes in the lid – this will help your wish/plants, to grow. Take your box and sprinkle some earth into it. Put in your paper wishes, wish symbol (see below), and seeds/bark/acorn. Cover with another layer of earth. Mix the rose petals with the seeds and scatter them on top. Cover with a final layer of earth and place the lid on top, leaving enough of the rose petal/seed mixture to scatter on top of the box when you are planting it.

 

Planting Your Wish Box

The best time for planting your Wish Box is just after a fresh cleansing rainfall as this gives you a bright new start, but if the season is dry just give the earth a good watering the night before. Dig a hole two inches deeper than your wish box and lower it into the earth carefully while concentrating on your chosen wish, visualizing it coming to fruition. Imagine your wish growing with the flowers reaching skyward. As you cover the box with earth say:

 

“Dream that lies within the earth awaken now. Hope that sleeps awaken now. The stars await as so do I. Grow true, grow strong, toward the sky.”

 

If you don’t have a garden you can make a mini wish pot that can live on a window ledge and it works just as well. Just replace the box with a terracotta pot – one wish and one symbol per pot following exactly the same instructions as above. Remember that wishes are only to be used for positive motives.

 

Suggested Symbols For Your Wish Box:

 

Love & Marriage – gingerbread
New Job – copper coin
Abundance – silver coin
Difficult Task – glove
Hearth & Home – thimble
Seeking the Truth – sprig of rosemary
Health, Healing, Renewed Strength – blue & green ribbon entwined
Happiness, Good Luck – cinnamon stick
Seeking Knowledge – apple
To Find A Lost Item – feather
Protection – key (an old iron key is best if you have one)

 

 

Charm donated by our Counter Enchantress from her own family traditions

Egg Charm For Beltane.

 

Think carefully what you wish for! The general rule of thumb is a brown egg for wishes involving animals and white for wishes involving people and plants, for example healing a sick animal, person or plant. Eggs with white shells are difficult to come by now as chickens are generally given feed which produces the desired brown shell, but in recent years some of the supermarkets are making white eggs available at this time of year so they are worth looking out for.

 

1. Blow the egg. Using a fat needle, pierce a hole in both ends of the egg, making one hole larger than the other. Using the needle pierce the egg yolk gently and swirl it around to break up the yolk. Place a small drinking straw in one end and gently blow through the other hole to help gravity do its work.

 

2. Paint Your Egg Talisman. When your egg has thoroughly dried out place it on top of a little mound of blue tack to hold it in place and you are ready to go! Choose a symbol to represent your wish – a heart for love, coin for prosperity, a candle for wisdom, whatever is meaningful for you. Or you can paint the whole egg in a corresponding colour – red for love, green for prosperity, purple for wisdom and so on. Another way to do it is to stick rose petals on for love, or feathers for fertility – again it is what is meaningful to you that is important.

 

3. When it is ready find a suitable place for it and prepare for it for hanging by threading a thin thread (embroidery thread, thin wool) through the two holes and secure it with a large knot, a bead, or even a matchstick at the bottom to hold it steady.

 

4. Clear your mind and focus on your desire for abundance/fruitfulness and its place in your life:

 

‘Little charm made of shell as I hang you here may all be well. May all things grow. May all things flow. Blessings for the turning of the Wheel.”

 

 

Use these words or any others that you are comfortable with – remember this is all about your intention.

 

 
Egg charm donated by our Counter Enchantress from her own family traditions.

 

The Fae at Beltane

 

For many Pagans, Beltane is traditionally a time when the veil between our world and that of the Fae is thin. In most European folktales, the Fae kept to themselves unless they wanted something from their human neighbors. It wasn’t uncommon for a tale to relate the story of a human being who got too daring with the Fae — and ultimately paid their price for his or her curiosity! In many stories, there are different types of faeries.

 

This seems to have been mostly a class distinction, as most faerie stories divide them into peasants and aristocracy.

 
Early Myths and Legends

In Ireland, one of the early races of conquerors was known as the Tuatha de Danaan, and they were considered mighty and powerful. It was believed that once the next wave of invaders arrived, the Tuatha went underground. In hiding from the Milesians, the Tuatha evolved into Ireland’s faerie race. Typically, in Celtic legend and lore, the Fae are associated with magical underground caverns and springs — it was believed that a traveler who went too far into one of these places would find himself in the Faerie realm.

 

Another way to access the world of the Fae was to find a secret entrance. These were typically guarded, but every once in a while an enterprising adventurer would find his way in. Often, he found upon leaving that more time had passed than he expected.

 

In several tales, mortals who spend a day in the fairy realm find that seven years have passed in their own world.

 

Mischievous Faeries

In parts of England and Britain, it was believed that if a baby was ill, chances were good that it was not a human infant at all, but a changeling left by the Fae. If left exposed on a hillside, the Fae could come reclaim it.

 

William Butler Yeats relates a Welsh version of this story in his tale The Stolen Child. Parents of a new baby could keep their child safe from abduction by the Fae by using one of several simple charms: a wreath of oak and ivy kept faeries out of the house, as did iron or salt placed across the door step. Also, the father’s shirt draped over the cradle keeps the Fae from stealing a child.

 

In some stories, examples are given of how one can see a faerie. It is believed that a wash of marigold water rubbed around the eyes can give mortals the ability to spot the Fae. It is also believed that if you sit under a full moon in a grove that has trees of Ash, Oak and Thorn, the Fae will appear.
Are the Fae Just a Fairy Tale?

 

There are a few books that cite early cave paintings and even Etruscan carvings as evidence that people have believed in the Fae for thousands of years. However, faeries as we know them today didn’t really appear in literature until about the late 1300s. In the Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer relates that people used to believe in faeries a long time ago, but don’t by the time the Wife of Bath tells her tale. Interestingly, Chaucer and many of his peers discuss this phenomena, but there is no clear evidence that describes faeries in any writings prior to this time.

 

It appears instead that earlier cultures had encounters with a variety of spiritual beings, who fit into what 14th century writers considered the archetype of the Fae.

 

So, do the Fae really exist? It’s hard to tell, and it’s an issue that comes up for frequent and enthusiastic debate at any Pagan gathering. Regardless, if you believe in faeries, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Leave them a few offerings in your garden as part of your Beltane celebration — and maybe they’ll leave you something in return!

 
by Patti Wigington
Published on ThoughtCo