This is what my Wheel of the Year looks like (my Sacred Year actually has more holy days than 8):
Midwinter - Feb 1st - https://substack.com/home/post/p-155668258
Spring Equinox / First Day of Spring - March 20-23 - https://substack.com/home/post/p-158712101
Midspring - May 1st -
Summer Solstice / First Day of Summer - June 20-23 -
Midsummer - August 1st
Fall Equinox / First Day of Fall- September 20-23
Midfall - November 1st
Winter Solstice / First Day of Winter - Dec 20-23
Good June, yall. The Wheel is slowing turning to the First Day of Summer, aka the Summer Solstice. In other places, this High Day is known by many names such as Midsummer, Midsommar, and Litha.
If you’ve learned anything about me, in my neck of the woods, Solstices and Equinox’s are always the beginnings of a season, so I don’t like to use Mids for the quarters—because it’s not the middle of the season. I save the Mids for the cross quarters—Feb 1, May 1, Aug 1, and Nov 1.
How’s it looking outside in your area? Here in Central Ohio, it’s warm, green, and full of life, with sounds and activities and smells that come with this season. Grilling, summer flowers, singing birds and their begging fledglings, freshly mowed grasses, social fires, camping, swimming, buzzing insects, the hums of running ac units, playing kids, and around here more adults are out, too—walking around in the evenings with their families and friends.
I’ve definitely been outside more this year, be me crocheting, reading, meditating, yard work, or just sunning my pale skin so I can stay outside longer without chemicals on my skin…at least until the mosquitos come out. Then you put on the insect repellant and catch lightning bugs in the evening with the kids or chill and look at the night sky and have your eldest tell you about space.
Last summer, temps were mostly mild and nice. I hope we have another mild summer…just no major droughts this year, please. Or any other disastrous weather or natural events…although summers are for wildfires.
Natural wildfires are important for the ecosystems, even though many humans disagree as businesses and homes burn. Wildfire can also be seen as Nature cleansing and attempting to reclaim what’s Hers, as humans continue to destroy “empty” lands for their strip malls and cookie cutter houses that only wealthy people can afford. I live out in the country…people move out here for a reason…and yet in come the destructive greedy destroying more and more wilds. It’s sickening, really. I fuckin hate it. Will there still be forest for miles when my kids are older? If we have grandkids? Vast nature uncontained, instead of little parks surrounded by greed and concrete?
Sorry, this is a rant for another time. But the Sun can be just as dangerous—the two are related—sometimes the Sun is what gives life to the purifying Wildfire.
“Give me food, and I will live; give me water, and I will die. What am I?“
Many Pagans honor the Moon, but what of the Sun? The light giving, life giving, warmth giving Sun? Perhaps because most give the Sun a male gender? Maybe, I dunno. At least my in the early 2000’s it seemed like barely anyone honored or worked with the Sun or Solar Deities—it was ALWAYS ALL about the moon. Don’t get me wrong, I love Her, too; but the Sun is equally as important. Where were the Sun worshippers? Why did the Sun always seem to get shafted? Even on harvest festivals—always about the Earth, but never the key element…the Sun? Absolutely bizarre. It was like the massive dislike for the Christian God affected the Pagan Gods and even the Sun. Massive unbalance. Do what you want with the Pagans Gods, but to leave out the Sun? How ignorant.
For a long time, I didn’t give genders to the Earth, Moon, and Sun, although I did use gendered names for Them: Mother Earth, Sister Moon, and Father Sun. In most lore, the Moon is female and the Sun is male. When I was a Hellenic Pagan, I had problems seeing Father Sun as Helios or Apollo, because it just didn’t feel right. I also struggled with Selene or Artemis as the Moon (plus I always see Artemis as an Earth Goddess—just makes more sense with Her connection to wildlife and the wilderness). Even acknowledging Gaia as Mother Earth…and later as I transition to Norse Paganism, Nerthus or Jord as the Earth feels weird to me. Even though I use gendered names for these genderless/all gendered celestial bodies, it feels weird for me to call Them Deity names. I usually don’t.
However, Sunna…feels right for the Sun; sometimes I use Father Sun and Sunna interchangeably for the same star. Yes, readers, in some cultures, the Moon is male and the Sun is female. In Norse mythology, there are Sol/Sunna and Mani, Sun and Moon. I think they’re siblings.
For this Solstice, I’ve decided to write a Norse Hearth Culture ritual in the ADF-Style. I’ll be using the guidance in Cat Heath’s Elves, Witches & Gods book (pgs 289-293). There’s rituals on the ADF website, but I want to try it myself before looking at others’ work. I have written an ADF-style ritual for Sunna and Summer, but not as a Norse script. The only part I’ll have issue with, is the part that I always have problems with: Recreating the Cosmos, I think is what its called. Basically retelling the Creation Story of a Hearth Culture/pantheon. They’re just too long. I usually go with the generic words in the basic ADF-script or skip it. But I have been researching shorter tellings of the Norse Creation Story. Course, since it’s Sunna, Her story could start after Ragnarok.
In some stories, Sol is Sunna. In others, Sunna is Sol’s daughter. In few, when Sol dies in Ragnarok, Sunna is born into the new world with Baldr, Nanna, others, and the survivors. I’m more of the mind that Sunna is Sol’s daughter, and yes I like the idea of her being part of the new world—the new cycle of life. That’s what the Wheel is—life and death cycles. Rest and Action, Fertility and Decay, Birth and Death, Adaptation and Evolution. Generations. Family Trees. Cycles.
Yeah…maybe I’ll start with the Rebirth of the Norse World?
Here’s my Summer Solstice Correspondences:
June 20-23: Summer Solstice
Entities Honored: Solar Entities—Sol, Sunna, Helios, Father Sun, Belenos, etc. Agricultural & Wilds—Dionysus, Pan, Artemis, The Melissae, Nymphs, Satyrs, Ceres, Thor, Ullr, Freyr, The Vanir, Jotun, etc. Earth—Gaia, Demeter, Kore, Ariadne, Nerthus, Jord, etc.
I ‘ve honored many over the years, but for the last couple I’ve focused on Sunna and the Nature Spirits.
Energies: Solar, Earth, Fertility, Fruition, Joy, Family, Community, Vitality.
Symbols: Colorful Ribbons, Sun, Fire…
Fauna: Birds, Bees, Carpenter Bees, Frogs, Crickets, Wasps, Hornets, Rabbit, Groundhogs, Deer, Snakes, …
Flora: Dandelions, White Clover Flowers, Clovers, Nettles,
Colors: Bright Colors, Greens, Whites, Yellows, Pinks, Reds, Blues, Purples—all of the colors!
Activities: Grilling, Camping, Swimming, Star Gazing, Hiking, Nature Photography/art, Flower Wreath/Crown Crafting, Potlucks, Day Time Ritual, Just Being Outside in the Sunshine or under the Stars. As mentioned in the blanket picture above, I put away the Midwinter Healing blanket and pull out the Summer Healing Throw, asking for Sunna’s healing blessings for another season. I think this year I may work on crocheting a healing blanket for every High Day!
Feast Day: Honey, Dandelion roots teas and wines, Harvestables, Strawberries, Summer Squash, Lemon, Lavender-Lemonade, Melons, Oranges, Beef, Chicken, White Wines/Juices, Summer Salad, Favorite Grillin’ Foods and Side Dishes, Smores, Water, Sun Tea…
Basic Lavender Lemonade Recipe (Sol Mani Juice)
If you haven’t a juicer, like me, just buy your favorite lemonade. Mine’s Simply Lemon.
Brew up some plain lavender tea.
Combine the two.
Optional: I also like to add dried lavender buds to the beverage.
Witchy Optional: Enchant your lavender lemonade. Lavender is a good healing herb for calming, and also has connections to the moon. Lemonade is connection to the sun, and is good for energy, vitality, and healing, too—it’s good for our immune systems. Enchant it for joy!
Stone/Crystal Elixirs
Did you know you can infuse water with different stone/crystal energies?
Some people will place a stone/crystal directly into a glass/ceramic/plastic/metal cup or bottle of water, anywhere from a few minutes to a few days, with the intention of the water absorbing certain energies. Then drinking said water.
Well, some stones/crystals can turn water poisonous. You can research which ones, but I was taught to never put stones/crystals into your water. Plus some rocks are porous or have cracks in them where bacteria can breed and make you sick (tumbled, polished, or rough).
I was taught a safer way. Take your whatever of water and place it into another container. THEN put your rocks into this container with, not in your water. Speak your intention and seal it up for however long you feel is necessary.
If you don’t have a large enough container or you just don’t like the idea, and you work within a sacred space. Say you’re into crystal grids or other symbols, you can put your drinking water in the middle and build the stones/crystals around it.
Then when ready, thank the stones and drink the water. Try this with different stones/crystals. Believe it or not they each have their own energetic “taste”.
Since we’re focusing on the Sun, you could easily make Solar/Sun/Star Water, too, to go along with your Moon Waters.
If you decide to cleanse and charge your rocks in the Sun, be sure to research which ones can be damaged by the Sun—for example, Amethyst fades in the sunlight.
I hope you enjoy yourselves this summer. Remember to stay hydrated, be fire safe, and wear sun screen or tanner.
Hey Ohioians, mark your calendars for August 9th. Kristy/Hearth Fox Oracle is going to be offering $20 for 20 min Rune Readings at the Andrews House in Delaware. There will be other great and knowledgeable people there, too. Come on out and support small local business!
--------------------------------------
Thanks for all of the Hearts, Follows, Subscribing, Purchases, Bookings, and Recommendations. I really do appreciate the support.
Trust in Sunna. Trust in Joy. Follow the Bees…
~ Priestess Foxlyn