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Midsummer dark, Midsummer bright:

the longest day, the shortest night.

(Horn)

Let us lift up our hands.

On this Midsummer's Eve we call

to Earth, mighty mother of us all,

and we praise you for your great good gift of fruitfulness.

We ask that through the summer to come

our gardens may bear abundantly,

so that through this season

and through the winter to come

we, your people, may have plenty to eat.

So mote it be.

Whose warm love flows across the land each day

Stirring Life, the world’s magic, arms yearning up,

They call us pagans, but we know who we are.

We are the Free Peoples of the Earth.

We are the free peoples, our gods the gods of the free.

Free is our goddess. Being her people, we bear her name.

Let the shackled call us what they will. In the end, they are slaves.

Making massage candles is very similar to making any other type of potted candle  I recommend using soy wax as it is soooo gentle on the skin . Soy wax is also nice and soft; it melts easily and stays together in a puddle after melting and can be reused for us thrifty crafters. If you have an allergy to soy (and it won't irritate your skin unless you have a soy allergy,) you can use beeswax instead which is very widely used. (For example, it is in nearly every single Burt’s Bees product.)  It is the addition of the oils that prevents it from hardening again and also enables your skin to absorb it. Essential oils or cosmetic-grade fragrance oils are also added to create a soothing atmosphere. All soap-making fragrances that are also soy candle safe are perfect choices for scenting your massage candles. Try the basic directions below to make your first candle. For every three ounces of wax, you'll add one ounce of liquid oil, and one-quarter ounce of fragrance. I suggest making two candles in 4-ounce metal tins while you master this craft.

New item available at Arkansas Crystal Works!

I am proud to announce a new item that has been a couple of years in the making. Handcrafted, lighted crystal display boxes! The boxes have been ready to go and I have been diligently trying to get them photographed and described.

I am finally ready!

Light a fire at sundown (and better it be if you light it in the old way: flint and steel or, best of all, wood on wood). Keep it burning all night.

Stay up all night. (If you sleep at Midsummer, you'll be sleepy for the rest of the year.)

Go to the highest point in your area. Sing the Sun down. Sing the Sun back up again in the morning.

Build a bonfire.

Deck the house with boughs of green leaves.

Have a picnic.

Eat the sacred foods of the season: fresh greens, radishes, strawberries, rhubarb, fresh cheeses, stuffed eggs, new potatoes, asparagus, cherries.

Pachamama entreats us to
restore her clean waters,
allow the singing of the birds
to bring peace to her skies,
renew cosmic harmonies
on our sacred land.

excerpt © Marcia Starck 2012