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Subscribe to this list via RSS Blog posts tagged in Summer Solstice

Posted by on in Culture Blogs
Let the Sunshine In

So why is camping so important to do on the Summer Solstice, AKA, Litha? For one thing, it puts you directly in touch with nature and the four elements in sensory surround sound! It also forces you to slow down and get simple with it, something we could all sorely use some more of, to be sure. Plus, it allows for some necessary sun worship. One of my favorite activities to partake in when camping at this time, is to greet the day with some good old-fashioned sun salutations. Going barefoot in the grass with the birds chirp/cheering you on as you move through the positions is definitely a bonus. You can enjoy camping in a large group like the Pagan Spirit Gathering (PSG), or go solo and brew some sun tea while you’re at it, during the day. Most of us in the Midwest are in dire need for some Vitamin D about now, so by all means, soak it up from sunrise to sunset, if you can. Just remember to stay well-hydrated and lather up with the sunscreen while you’re at it.

Earthy Vibes

While you’ve got the  earthy vibe going, be sure to give a listen to Tammi Kapitanski, our June podcast guest for “Women Who Howl at the Moon.” Tammi is the proprietress of Remedy Within, a massage therapy and spiritual gift shop. She knows her gemstones, tarot, and reiki and was a delight to talk to. She considers herself a practicing witch and has a good deal of natural knowledge to share with us.

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Posted by on in SageWoman Blogs

Listen.
I am the heart of summer,
the dance of sunlight
across open water,
the height of passion,
the flourishing of the earth,
the flowering,
and ripening,
and returning to seed.
My heart overflows with gratitude.
I know the magic
of bright flower,
golden kernel,
plump berry,
rich ground.
The symphony of savoring
and what it feels like to
dance sunlight into wine.

b2ap3_thumbnail_summer-melon-muse-with-pink-lilies.jpg
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It's a Cosmic Thing: The Summer Solstice

I arrived a little late to the party—the party of the B-52's summer classic, "Cosmic Thing." In June of 1990, I had just graduated Madison Area Technical college with a commercial art degree. I was saving up dough to head out West and explore my possibilities in California. In the backroom of the small custom frame shop while measuring and precision-cutting mounting board, I rifled through the store owner's CD stash to inspire me while I worked. The bright, inviting colors of "Cosmic Thing" immediately caught my eye, and I already knew I dug the B-52's. From then on, I was hooked. It is the quintessential hot season record, where every single song on the album is a must-listen to.

My partner and I recently acquired a mint condition vinyl of it, and I have to say, these songs stand the test of time. From the title track encouraging you to "shake your honey buns," to the zen utopian ballad of "Topaz," you do indeed feel compelled to shake it and sing along. The dystopian panic of, "Channel Z," still feels incredibly pertinent today, compellingly shouted/sung by frontman Fred Schneider. The harmonies of Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson have never sounded more lovely, and drummer Keith Strickland really stepped up to help write most of this amazing tuneage.

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Blessings From the East: Prayer to Honor the Summer

For summer festivals such as the Summer Solstice on June 21, you should honor the deities who gift us with such plenty. Light yellow and green candles at your altar and on the feast table and offer this appeal:

 

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Posted by on in Culture Blogs

 Suggestion: Endless Daytime - TV Tropes Forum

 

Och, is my sleep ever screwed up.

Constitutionally an early riser, I'm habitually up with the Sun. This means that as we march toward Midsummer, the year's Longest Light, I'm up earlier and earlier every day.

This, of course, is no inherent bad. Early morning is a good time to get things done: I'm fresh from sleep, it's still relatively cool, there are fewer distractions. Still, as the Sunstead (that's "solstice" in Witch) approaches, it does mean that I get less and less sleep every night.

(It doesn't help that I've been paring away at my caffeine consumption lately, either. A tea-drinker, son of tea-drinkers, I'm now down to two cups of green tea a day. Pathetic. Still, I find that what sleep I do get is qualitatively better than it used to be back in my pot-o'-black-a-day days.)

Then there's the matter of twilight, the “two lights.” At Midwinter, we lose our twilights: the Sun goes down, and it gets dark.  But come Midsummer, there's light in the sky long after the Sun goes down, and long before he comes up again. In Shetland, they call this the Simmerdim: the “Summerdim,” we non-Shetlanders might say, the extended twilight of the Lithedays, the Midsummer season.

Children of the Light, Children of the Seasons are we. As the Light waxes, together we enter a collective state of chronic sleep-deprivation.

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Posted by on in Culture Blogs
Sacred Grove Solstice Spell - June 21

Celebrating the season of the sun is best done outdoors in the glory of nature’s full bloom. If you have a forest nearby or a favorite grove of trees, plan to picnic and share this rite of passage with your spiritual circle. Covens often have a favorite spot. All the better if a great oak is growing there, the tree most sacred to Druids. Gather the tribe and bring brightly colored ribbons and indelible markers. Form the circle by holding hands, then point to east, south, north and west chanting:

We hold the wisdom of the sun,
We see the beauty of our earth.
To the universe that gives us life, we return the gift.
Deepest peace to all,
And we are all one. Blessed be
.
 
Each member of the circle should speak their wish for the world, themselves or loved ones and write it on a ribbon. One by one, tie your ribbon to a tree. Each flutter of the wind will spread your well-wishes.
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Blessings From the East: Prayer to Honor the Summer

For summer festivals such as the Summer Solstice on June 21, you should honor the deities who gift us with such plenty. Light yellow and green candles at your altar and on the feast table and offer this appeal:

Oh, Lady of Summer
Who brings and sun and life-giving rains,
May each harvest bring the crops that fill our cups.
The rivers and oceans, fields and farms are yours.
We honor you today and give thanks to you for all we have.
A toast to thee, blessed be!
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