Written By: Psychic AlyciaRose
Perhaps one of the oldest celebrated days on Mother Earth, is the Summer Solstice, when the sun is at its zenith in the sky. Celebrations can be found culturally in almost country stretching back into antiquity, its origins focus on agriculture and its cycles. Ancient astronomers used the summer and winter solstices to mark calendars, and a magical time since the sun did something it never did the rest of the year – appearing to not move. The very word solstice is from the Latin word solstitium, meaning ‘sun stands still.’ Stone circles such as Stonehenge were used to record the Sun’s travels, with one of the main events being sunrise on the day of the summer solstice. It is important to note that the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs on June 20, 21, or 22, while in the Southern Hemisphere, the solstices are exactly the opposite, where they will celebrate the Winter Solstice at this time. The Summer Solstice this year occurs Monday, June 20, 2016 at 3:34 PM PDT.
The Summer Solstice goes by many names. Most modern Pagans refer to it as Midsummer, but also know it as Litha. The summer solstice marked the midpoint of the Saxon calendar year. June was Aerra Litha, meaning “before Litha.” July was Aefter Litha, meaning “after Litha” Litha means light or moon, and Litha was taken to be the actual holiday name although there is no historical reference. Other names are Gathering Day (Welsh), Feill-Sheathain (Scottish), Alban Hefin or Heruin (Anglo-Saxon), Ligo Feast (Latvia) An t’Og mhios (Gaelic-“young month”), Feast of Epona (Gaulish), Skiraphoria – Couples Day (Greek), Johannistag, Sonnwend, Thing-Tide (Scandinavia), Vestalia (Roman). Whitsuntide and St. John’s Day (Christianized).
Agriculturally it marks the end of the planting season with crops spouting up, a time when the earth is lush with vegetation, and the animals have given birth to their young. The focus is on maintaining healthy crops, animals and people through the summer, and it’s customs help to preserve life. Bonfire’s representing the Sun, were lit to rouse love, purification, health, and fertility. Celebrants would dance around these fires, and the cattle which were driven through the fires as to purify them before releasing them to summer pastures. Flowers were gathered and wells would be decorated with them to preserve their water, and in many ways celebrated almost as is May Day. The Norse used Sun Wheels as divination for weather, as wooden wheels were set aflame and rolled down a hill, with good weather predicted if it made it all the way down the hill. This is a good time for foretelling the future, with both flames and the ashes of fires lit on this day being used to predict.
If you wish to celebrate this holiday, themes of love, fertility, abundance, making charms, harvesting herbs, charging items and crystals with the Sun’s energy are appropriate. It is a custom to get up early and observe the sunrise on this, the longest day of the year. Divination and magick relating to romance, focusing on success, goals, advancement, fortune, achievement, and healing are especially strong at this time. Of course, feasting is always a part of any celebration, and cooking your favorite summer recipes by incorporating a solar theme can lend new vitality into your life.
Since this is the beginning of summer, it is wonderful to celebrate outdoors, and even get the children involved. Barbequing, making flower wreaths, swimming, and a backyard fire at night with stories and sparklers is especially perfect, since this holiday honors family, marriage, love, and abundance. It could become your new family tradition.
May the blessings of the Sun be yours!
Editor’s Note: Be sure to catch Alycia’s LIVE Stream show on Oranum every Wednesday from 3-6pm PDT.
