Summer Solstice, Midsummer or Litha (21st June)

The Summer Solstice marks the longest day of summer, the point at which the life-giving Sun is at its strongest over the powers of darkness.

Summer Solstice, also known as Midsummer's Day, falls at the time of year when the Sun is at its highest point in the sky, resulting in the longest day and the shortest night. Celebrations are generally held on 21st June, although the solstice covers a period of about four days either side. Solstice is from the Latin for sun stands still in astronomy.

At the solstices the sun's apparent position on the celestial sphere reaches its greatest distance above or below the celestial equator, about 23 1/2° of arc. At the time of summer solstice, the sun is directly overhead at noon at the Tropic of Cancer.

You know it as the first day of summer, and the longest day of the year. So, what makes this day, the solstice, special? To understand, you'll need a little background about the Sun and the Earth. In the summer, days feel longer because the Sun rises earlier in the morning and sets later at night. When the North Pole of the Earth is tilted toward the Sun, we in the northern hemisphere receive more sunlight and it's summer. As the Earth moves in its orbit, the tilt of the North Pole changes. When it is tilted away from the Sun, it is winter in the northern hemisphere. In between we have spring and autumn.

The Summer Solstice begins when the sun enters the sign of Cancer and the moon is full in the sign of Capricorn. Cancer is ruled by the Moon. It rules emotional connectedness, nurturance, compassion, and personal expressions of love.

The Sun is the most prominent feature in our solar system. It is the largest object and contains approximately 98% of the total solar system mass. One hundred and nine Earths would be required to fit across the Sun's disk, and its interior could hold over 1.3 million Earths. The Sun's outer visible layer is called the photosphere and has a temperature of 6,000°C (11,000°F). This layer has a mottled appearance due to the turbulent eruptions of energy at the surface. To read more about the Sun Click Here

This date has had spiritual significance for thousands of years as humans have been amazed by the great power of the sun. The Celts celebrated with bonfires that would add to the sun’s energy, Christians placed the feast of St. John the Baptist towards the end of June and it is also the festival of Li, the Chinese Goddess of light.

Like other religious groups, Pagans are in awe of the incredible strength of the sun and the divine powers that create life. For Pagans this spoke in the Wheel of the Year is a significant point. The Goddess took over the earth from the horned God at the beginning of spring and she is now at the height of her power and fertility. For some Pagans the Summer Solstice marks the marriage of the God and Goddess and see their union as the force that creates the harvest’s fruits.

This is a time to celebrate growth and life, but for Pagans, who see balance in the world and are deeply aware of the ongoing shifting of the seasons it is also time to acknowledge that the sun will now begin to decline once more towards winter.

The festival is still important to pagans today, including the modern day druids who celebrate the solstice at Stonehenge in Wiltshire to see the sun rising on the first morning of summer. For them the light of the sun on Midsummer's Day signifies the sacred Awen. For witches the summer solstice forms one of the lesser sabbats, their main festivals being Beltane and Samhain. Some occultists still celebrate the ancient festivals around 11 days later than our calendar; this marks the 11 days, which were lost when the Gregorian calendar replaced the Julian calendar in 1751. Many Pagans hold small ceremonies in open spaces, everywhere from gardens to woodlands.

This is a good time of year to read Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" The "midsummer night" is actually the night of the summer solstice. It is said that on Midsummer Night elves and fairies come out in great numbers. In some traditions, the summer solstice is the time of the Sun God.

The festival is primarily a Celtic fire festival, representing the middle of summer, and the shortening of the days on their gradual march to winter. Midsummer is traditionally celebrated on either the 23rd or 24th of June, although the longest day actually falls on the 21st of June. The importance of the day to our ancestors can be traced back many thousands of years, and many stone circles and other ancient monuments are aligned to the sunrise on Midsummer's Day. Probably the most famous alignment is that at Stonehenge, where the sun rises over the heel stone, framed by the giant trilithons on Midsummer morning.

In Wiccan lore, Midwinter to Midsummer is ruled by the Oak King, who represents the powers of light. The dark Holly King governs Midsummer to Midwinter. A battle ensues between the Oak and the Holly King at Summer Solstice; there is no winner, but the Holly King does weaken the power of the Oak King. This is a reminder at the time of full light, the forces of darkness begin to grow. The Holly King will gain in strength until he reaches his full power at Winter Solstice.

In antiquity midsummer fires were lit in high places all over the countryside, and in some areas of Scotland Midsummer fires were still being lit well into the 18th century. This was especially true in rural areas, where the weight of reformation thinking had not been thoroughly assimilated. It was a time when the domestic beasts of the land were blessed with fire, generally by walking them around the fire in a sun-wise direction. It was also customary for people to jump high through the fires, folklore suggesting that the height reached by the most athletic jumper, would be the height of that years harvest.

Midsummer's Eve and St. John's Eve are often considered separate, but are both the night before the summer solstice. In England, it was the ancient custom on St. John's Eve to light large bonfires after sundown, which served the double purpose of providing light to the revelers and warding off evil spirits. This was known as 'setting the watch'. In Britain, it was once believed you could gather fern seed at the stroke of midnight and rub it onto your eyelids to make fairies visible! Wearing your jacket inside-out on Midsummer's Eve will keep you out of danger. An adventurous few even stay up all night - the shortest night of the year.

After Christianity became adopted in Britain, the festival became known as St. John's day and was still celebrated as an important day in the church calendar; the birthday of St. John the Baptist. Traditionally St. John's Eve (like the eve of many festivals) was seen as a time when the veil between this world and the next was thin, and when powerful forces were abroad. Vigils were often held during the night and it was said that if you spent a night at a sacred site during Midsummer Eve, you would gain the powers of a bard, on the down side you could also end up utterly mad, dead, or be spirited away by the fairies.

Other customs included decorating the house, especially the front door, with birch, fennel, St. John's wort, orpin, and white lilies. St. John's Wort was also traditionally gathered on this day, and thought to be imbued with the power of the sun. The five plants which were thought to have special magical properties and be most potent on this night are: rue, roses, St. John's wort, vervain and trefoi, and they were traditionally placed under a pillow in the hope of important dreams, especially dreams about future lovers.

June Weddings
June is thought of to be the month for both Handfastings (trothing to one another in the Olde Way) and weddings. The pull to bring forth the harvest of feelings is as bountiful as the harvest of the land.

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