The Summer Solstice

Known as Summer Solstice to most, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere has several names including Litha and Midsummer. It is a day of joy and celebration as well as major witchiness.... Midsummer refers to Summer Solstice as the halfway point of Summer as some Pagan communities believe Summer starts on Beltane (May 1) and ends on Lughnasa (Aug 1)... It was believed that on Midsummer, the fairies and witches held their own festival and therefore was a prime time for supernatural happenings such as an elf sighting.... Similar to Samhein, the realms between the worlds of fae and mortals were said to be at its thinnest..... Shakespeare’s famous “A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream” alludes to the strange magic of this day that sometimes seems outside of normal time.....

However, though considered a celebratory time with dancing and feasting, it was also filled with magic and a concern about possible evil spirits.... According to tradition, evil spirits could arrive on Summer Solstice as everyone was celebrating, so it was important to wear flower and herb garlands or amulets for protection....The main festivities included an all-night bonfire, also meant for protection, which everyone in the community would contribute to...Then the ashes were said to be used on one’s garden to help with the harvest.

Fun Facts about the Summer Solstice: *Early European traditions celebrated midsummer by setting large wheels on fire and then rolling them down a hill into a body of water. *The Romans honored this time as sacred to Juno, the wife of Jupiter and goddess of women and childbirth; her name gives us the month of June. *The word “solstice” is from the Latin word solstitium, which literally translates to “sun stands still.” With the longer days of summer and the chaos that is plaguing our daily lives. Now is the best time to recenter ourselves soak in the energy of the sun and reconnect with ourselves.... Many Blessings ❤J