Summer Solstice
21st June (sometimes 20th)
As the sun spirals its longest dance,
Cleanse us
As nature shows bounty and fertility
Bless us
Let all things live with loving intent
And to fulfill their truest destiny
Taken from a Wiccan blessing for Summer
Solstice, Midsummer or Litha means a stopping or standing still of the sun. It is the longest day of the year and the time when the sun is at its maximum elevation.
This date has had spiritual significance for thousands of years as humans have been amazed by the great power of the sun. The Celts celebrated with bonfires that would add to the sun’s energy, Christians placed the feast of St John the Baptist towards the end of June and it is also the festival of Li, the Chinese Goddess of light.
Like other religious groups, Pagans are in awe of the incredible strength of the sun and the divine powers that create life. For Pagans this spoke in the Wheel of the Year is a significant point. The Goddess took over the earth from the horned God at the beginning of spring and she is now at the height of her power and fertility. For some Pagans the Summer Solstice marks the marriage of the God and Goddess and see their union as the force that creates the harvest’s fruits.
Here all over France annually it is the Fete de Musique on the evening of the Summer Solstice - everywhere in Nantes you will find bands, singers and musicians (some famous ones too) playing freely in the streets, bars and cafes. In the Place Graslin (in the centre of town) this year, outside the opera house there will be 20 choirs from all over world singing together.
When I was in England the last time on Summer Solstice, Manny and I had a meeting in Lewes where there is the annual pagan festival - each year there is a particular theme - the costumes were out of this world - but the feeling in the town was pretty spooky!
What will you be doing?
1 comment:
"Midsummer is the time when the sun reaches the peak of its power, the earth is green and holds the promise of a bountiful harvest. The Mother Goddess is viewed as heavily pregnant, and the God is at the apex of his manhood and is honored in his guise as the supreme sun." 12
It is a time for divination and healing rituals. Divining rods and wands are traditionally cut at this time.
Without the Sun, none of us would be here, there would be no life on earth. Why not take a few minutes on the 21st to acknowledge the Sun's presence and the great wealth of life-giving that it has given us. Let us look at the earth bathed in the light of the Sun and revel in its unique Summer beauty.
Happy Summer Solstice to you all.
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