Solstice Stories
The summer solstice is a day full of symbolism, each of us drawing our own meaning, creating individual rituals & marking it in our own ways. For me this feels like something very ancient, a moment to pause & appreciate before heading into the crazy heat of august & the coming harvest. I personally have a very simple ritual of marking the day by watching the sun rise & then hours later I will watch the sun set on a beach & depending on the tides, take a dip in the sea. To me immersing myself in the sea feels like being part of nature not just observing. Read on to find out what the solstice means to others…
Yasmin ~ Plant Dyer
For Juniper & Bliss, the Summer Solstice is all about the celebration of light, abundance of nature and the splendour of dye plants. The delicate cow parsley – tall, lacey and wild, is a special plant for us. It is a tiny white flower, but it packs a real punch when it comes to its true colour, a vivacious yellow, unlike any other. It reminds us that the earth is at the closest point to the sun and that it is a time to rejoice because every living thing, down to the tiniest flower is soaked in light.
www.juniperandbliss.com / @juniperandbliss
Hayley ~ Yoga Teacher
Reflecting on high summer & how we celebrate as a pagan family got me thinking further… after this year and what the world turning meant to my ancestors as they moved through their lives, with all they lived through. And I’ve come to realise that my practice and worship isn’t static, as I’m sure it wasn’t for them. It’s forever a living and responsive thing. On the longest day, we'll rise with the Sun and see it through to its end, and there is always food, fire and gathering in community! But, my prayers shift yearly and change, responsive to what came before, always with hope for the coming dark half of the year. Litha, the summer solstice isn’t a harvest festival as the next 3 are, but still it’s a day that celebrates growth. Which isn’t always comfortable territory. It’s a pause at a zenith, a crescendo, the Sun at it’s highest seems as if not to move, and in that pause the energy is potent, and I find myself stopping alongside it, using that potency towards what my heart calls.
www.hayleyyoga.com / @hayley_yoga
Ed Kyrke Smith ~ Rebel Farmer
It's an amazing time of year for all life and a great time to celebrate the yearly peak in light and warmth. I caught the new moon earlier this month in my telescope and felt I should share it. Venus and Mars are around also, so a magical cosmic few days... (full moon falls on the 24th June)