Summer Solstice,
sometimes known as Midsummer, Litha, or St. John's Day, occurs in the middle of
June. It is a celebration of the
longest day of the year and the beginning of Summer. It has been a grand tribal
gathering time since ancient times and the solstice itself has remained a
special moment of the annual cycle of the year since Neolithic times.
Midsummer is the time
when everything is abundant and flourishing. Flowers smell their sweetest,
colors are their most vibrant, trees are their greenest, and berries are their
sweetest. Midsummer is the time of
strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and blackberries. New potatoes, lettuce,
peas, carrots, radishes and onions are ready for picking.
Foods and decorations
center around what nature has bestowed, rich, colorful and flavorful - mint
iced teas, dandelion salads, strawberry shortcakes, geranium leaf sorbet, berry
pies, daisy chains, lavender wreaths, rosemary garlands. The pure enjoyment
that only summer fresh foods, sweet summer flowers and joyful company that only
midsummer can bestow.
Midsummer Eve is the
evening of herbs. The herbs and flowers gathered this night are considered exceptionally potent. St John's wort,
burdock, thorn, and nettle harvested on Midsummer Eve are hung on doors and
windows and placed around the home for protection. Bonfires were lit to protect
against evil spirits, which were believed to roam freely when the sun was
turning southwards again. It is a festival of community sharing and planetary
service.
Make a pledge to Mother
Earth of something that you will do to improve the environment, have a magical
gift exchange with friends, form your own drum circle and dance around a
blazing bonfire. Connect with
people by exchanging songs, photos, and stories either in person or through the
mail. This season shows us the
beauty of life, the intensity of being, the possibilities of creation and the surprising
tenderness of love. Celebrate
Summer!
