With the Summer Solstice upon us, I wanted to talk about what it is and why it has been historically recognized and celebrated.
What is a solstice? A solstice occurs when the Sun appears to reach its most northerly or southerly point relative to the celestial equator, because the earth’s axis of rotation is tilted relative to the earth’s rotation around the Sun. The Earth doesn’t orbit upright, instead, it is tilted on its axis by 23. 4 degrees. This is what causes our seasons.
On this solstice, the sun will be directly overhead at noon as it moves into the sign of Cancer. In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice marks the shortest night and longest day of the year. For the Southern Hemisphere, it marks the longest night and shortest day.
All throughout history our ancestors have found amazing and innovative ways to mark and record the travels of the sun. Stone circles such as Stonehenge were created in different parts of the world to highlight the rising of the sun on the day of the solstice. Most every culture had their own rituals to celebrate the solstice such as the Celtic tradition of Midsummer that was celebrated with hilltop bonfires that were lit in honor of the Sun God and Goddess. They celebrated the sun and it's ability to bring life and harvests.
The Romans celebrated this time as sacred to Juno, the wife of Jupiter and Goddess of women and childbirth. The month of June was named for her, and because Juno was the patroness of marriage, her month is a very popular time for weddings. This time of year was also sacred to Vesta, goddess of the hearth. The matrons of Rome entered her temple on Midsummer and made offerings of salted meal for eight days, in hopes that she would confer her blessings upon their homes.
This is a time of year of brightness and warmth, when crops are growing in their fields with the heat of the sun. The power of the sun at Midsummer is at its most potent, and the earth is fertile with the bounty of growing life. For the majority of Pagans, this is a day of inner power and brightness. A time to find a quiet spot and meditate on the importance of balance between darkness and light both in the world and in your personal life. Celebrate the turning of the Wheel of the Year with fire and water, night and day and other symbols of the opposition of light and dark. A time to celebrate the daylight just as we celebrate the darkness at the Winter Solstice, to harness the energy of this celestial event and use it to manifest the things that have been cultivating during the dark winter months.
Midsummer Solstice is a great time to celebrate outdoors and if you have children, to teach them the delicate balance of light and dark and how each of these play into our lives on earth. Help them develop an understanding of how the sun is a vital part of our life force and without it, we could not survive. The sun helps us grow and flourish and is necessary for us to live on Earth. Have a bonfire or barbecue at the end of the day and let them stay up late to say goodnight to the sun. However you celebrate Midsummer Solstice, make a point to recognize and respect to the Universe and give thanks to the Sun God and Goddess for the warmth and light given to us by the Sun.
How do you celebrate Midsummer?
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