Many of us look forward to celebrating Summer Solstice — by whatever name or tradition calls to us, such as MidSummer, Samhradh (Irish), Litha, Alban Hefin — which this year (2020) arrives on June 20th at 21:44 UTC in the Northern Hemisphere. And, of course, those in the Southern Hemisphere will be celebrating Winter Solstice.
Summer Solstice marks the longest day of the year, the bursting forth of growth and abundance and creativity, and the peak of summer Fire energies. In our modern world, this day also marks the astronomical and “official” first day of Summer.
The word solstice comes to us from the Latin for “sun standing still”: sol meaning sun and sistere meaning to stand still. At Solstice, the Sun appears to rise in the same place on the horizon for several days, hence the name.
From this point, the Sun’s energies begin to wane, the days get slightly shorter and we know that the first harvests of Autumn are coming (at Lúnasa around August 1st) as we move along the spiral in our own evolution (and revolution!) in the cycle of our life’s journey with the Sun.
But that solar energy is still manifesting quite strongly on Mama Earth. The land is lush, food is abundant, and Father Sun blesses us with his light and warmth.
There are many ways to celebrate the Summer Solstice, as shared in this post from the Inner Journey Events blog, noting 25 ways to celebrate Summer Solstice Celtic-style.
To deepen your connection to the Celtic lore and traditions for Solstice (and Solstice Season!), there is still time to register for our course Summer Solstice: MidSummer Fire & Magick.
In this blog, over time, I have shared many posts on Summer Solstice. And even though my own traditions have changed and deepened over time (including how I name Solstice!), I still rather like many of those posts! So I’m sharing a few links with you should you wish to explore a litte more.
MidSummer & St John’s Day / Fête de La Saint Jean-Baptiste
Solstice Blessings: Celebrating the Light and the Dark
Pause & Reflect with the New Moon
(originally written for a Gemini New Moon but still about the New Moon — which in a few days will be in Cancer — and the Solstice energies).
