Summer Solstice
Merry Midsummer my Friends,
June 21st is the Summer Solstice in the Northern Latitudes. Also known as Midsummer, this Solstice (meaning ‘Sun stands still’) is when the Sun is at its peak; the longest day of the year. It is also one of the eight great spokes on the Celtic wheel of seasons, and celebrated in some way in all cultures. Midsummer’s Eve is one of the three important spirit nights of the year; the other two are Beltane (May Day) and Samhain (Halloween). It is considered a spirit night because the veils are thinnest between the worlds for communication with the spirits.
Shakespeare’s comedy, The Tempest, was tapping into common beliefs in Elizabethan times that Midsummer is the time for contact with the world of Faerie. Even today, in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and rural England, the local people love their Faerie folk. Although the British Iles’ version of Faerie is the land of Puck and Pan and Faerie Queens, every indigenous culture has stories of “little ones” who all are seen as the guardians of the natural world. From the Machu Machu of the Andes to the Menehune of Hawaii, stories abound of sightings and encounters. Children are the most likely to see them because they have not filtered their perception to conform to ‘adult’ conventional beliefs.
It is a crucial time for Mother Earth; with the health crises and destruction of habitats world wide, we need to connect with Pachamama and her guardians. Plants have evolved with us and kept us healthy for millennia: and we are remembering the importance of medicinal plants for health and wellbeing. I’ve been watching a nine-part documentary entitled “Remedy” that has expanded my understanding to the power of ten. You can find it at thesacredscience.com and it is a must watch for you and your loved ones.
Pay attention, during this Solstice time, to the natural world and some of the messages you may receive from winged ones, flour-leggeds, reptiles, plants and maybe even Faerie.
Many Blessings, Linda