Honouring the seasons - Midsummer / Summer Solstice
The summer solstice marks the longest day and shortest night of the year. The word solstice translates from the Latin as ‘sun stands still’, a time when the sun appears to hang steady at its highest point in the sky.
The exact date of the solstice shifts by a day or two each year, as planetary orbits don’t match perfectly with our calendar. This year it falls on Sunday June 21st (in the northern hemisphere).
Image - Lim Heng Swee
The solstice is a beautiful time of energy, a celebration of light and abundance in nature. As with all of the seasonal festivals and markers, it invites us to pause and be present in the moment.
History of celebrations
The sun has been worshipped since the dawn of recorded history. All cultures have their own solar deities, such as Ra and Apollo, and sacred sites and ancient monuments worldwide are orientated around the great ball of fire.
In Machu Picchu in Peru, windows in the Temple of the Sun are positioned so solstice sunlight falls directly onto a ceremonial altar. In Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the equinox sun rises straight over the central tower.
Photo - Khmer Times
The megalithic monument of Stonehenge, where the stones are perfectly positioned to frame the rising sun, is the big hitter in the UK. But there are many other sacred stones dated back to the Neolithic and Bronze ages up and down the country.
Avebury in Wiltshire, Castlerigg in Cumbria, Ring of Brodgar in Orkney and the smaller close-to-Bristol-gem Stanton Drew are all thought to be built between 3300 and 2500 BC. Which is pretty mind blowing.
Fires and feasting
The tradition of fires and feasting at midsummer can be traced back to pagan times. The sun was the bestower of life, dictating agricultural cycles and crops, so the peak of the season was cause for a big, beautiful celebration.
Midsummer or Litha, was a time when the Oak King (ruler of the light) defeats the Holly King (the ruler of the dark half of the year). The two battle again at the Winter Solstice, where the Holly King is reborn.
Midsummer was also a liminal time where the veil between worlds was thin. Offerings were left to the mischievous fae. This energy can be seen today, with a feeling of dreaminess from the extra light blurring our waking and sleeping states.
Raucous community traditions like cheese rolling are dated back to the 1800s (so if we’re on a Neolithic timeframe, fairly modern pursuits).
Photo - Peter MacDiamid
Solstice energy
Solstice energy is all about expansion, of light and of nature.
In her book ‘The Wheel of Year’ Rebecca Beattie suggests that the solstice is the perfect time to look at our sovereignty, which could mean checking in with how we feel on our chosen path. We may see this as a natural time to tap into our power and reflect on what brings us light.
Midsummer madness
There can be a bittersweet element to the peak of midsummer (if it’s a season you enjoy, that is) as after this point the wheel of the year turns towards the second half of the year. There’s an element of ‘make hay while the sun shines’ to the solstice which can bring an intense, frenzied energy.
The summer is often a time of doing and action (which may or may not match our inner lives) so we might want to look at ways we can nurture ourselves amongst the busyness. (Hello Cancer season, which also starts on this date).
Solstice rituals
☀️ Stay up and welcome in the sunrise (one for the ravers and the merry makers!)
☀️ If you value your precious sleep, you could get to bed earlier and rise with the sun to enjoy some quiet meditative time.
☀️ You can watch a livestream of the gathering at Stonehenge through the English heritage website
☀️ Harvest herbs and gather fruits and flowers, to celebrate the variety of food and foliage at this time of year. This could tie in with the next ritual…
☀️ Create a midsummer alter. Add aspects of yellow, gold and orange, through objects or art. Citrine is the ideal crystal to use for positivity and manifestation.
☀️ Connect with community. Share food, drinks and music outdoors. General merriment!
☀️ Reflect on your year so far, and celebrate anything that has been growing or flourishing. We often need reminding to celebrate our successes, and this mid-point of the year is the perfect time.
☀️It’s also a good time to reflect on gratitude, and what you’d like to take into the second half of the year.
☀️ Wear some solar powered jewellery. The light reflecting pieces of the solar collection channel the energy of the sun.
☀️ Read some solar themed poetry. I like this one from Tess Taylor. There are more suggestions here
🌞 🌞 🌞
Sources
Williams, Liz (2021) Miracles of Our Own Making - A History of Paganism. Reaktion Books.
Gallagher, Kirsty (2023) Sacred Seasons. Yellow Kite.
Beattie, Rebecca (2022) The Wheel of the Year - Your nurturing guide to rediscovering natures seasons and cycles.