Midsummer is near!

[raynelae]

Happy Summer Solstice everyone! The frutfulness of the Great Mother is now celebrated. Her liveliness can be seen all around. The Earth is full of life and energy. The earth is fully awake. The Sun provides life at its highest point of the year. Though life is celebrated, we know that the dark half of the year is approaching. This is Midsummer! Please share any plans you have or ideas you have to celebrate this wonderful Sabbat!
Blessed be

[-Dark-Moon-]

Well, for me we are approaching winter solstice... I'm journeying to middle earth... Literally ! Going to New Zealand (they filmed Lord of the Rings there). Mount Doom (aka mt ruapehu) is an excellent place to snowboard ! Hurling oneself down a volcano really puts things in perspective.....

[Firebird]

Ahhhh... alas, time to frolic with the Faye (not that you can't do that all year) !!!

(I will return with more later...lunch break now..)

[raynelae]

Wow Dark Moon, New Zealand sounds terrific. I''ve wanted to visit there for a while. Happy Yule to you! Hope your trip goes well
Firebird, looking forward to hear more from you!!

[North Star]

I am so excited! We will have 19+ hours of daylight here in Alaska, the moon will be close to full... I just cant think of a more perfect night. I am hoping for good weather, but I will enjoy it either way. Not sure what my plans are, but I know I want to do something special.

[scaravich]

I am really excited, too! I am still not 100% sure what I am going to do, but I plan to spend the entire day outside soaking up the sun and eating lots of yummy fire-roasted veggies, the gifts of the season! I want to make a big day trip to a state park, but I am wanting to ride my bike there... but I need to build up cycling stamina because it's over 3 hours away by bike.

[Kassandra]

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Anything with a swimming pool, lake, or other body of water. It is sweltering out here.



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[raynelae]

Wooo! We're all going to have a fantastic Midsummer!!! I'm very excited as this is one of my favorite Sabbats. I plan on actually doing my celebrating on the 20th and then I'm hopefully going camping with some family members June 21st through the 23rd...so I'll be back just in time to celebrate the super moon speaking of which, who else is super excited about the super moon?!

[Firebird]

I love it Dark Moon! ...go ski a volcano! do be safe! up on the mountain you'll (Yule) be closer to the sun!
Gee you guys, I better start planning,...
North Star...how long have you been in AK? I imagine the sun and moon out at the same time must be amazing, I think I'll hop in Scaravich's picnic basket....sounds so yummy

Ok ... I would like to do a fairy hunt, but you need some children...(no,.. not to eat!)silly.... they make the day extra special and fun, just the looks on their faces when they get to dress in wings, and face paint, and run around waving a wand, it is so precious
problem is most of our folks with children have moved away.
One of my favorite things to do at solstice is build fairy houses...in nature, using only materials found in nature. (No glitter!) You can hold ritual in the presence of the house and leave offerings to the Faye as part of your worship, they love milk, honey, flowers, cakes, ale, water, chocolate, any of the food you are eating, sparkling things like stones or jewelry, anything you have made, They like to see you have fun and make merry, (it makes them laugh). Bring bubbles, make wishes.
Bone-fires are typical for Litha, if you could roll a flaming hay bale down a hillside you would be representing the Sun at it's greatest power, the fire represented fecundity to the land, jump fire for fertility and protection, and some places are doing the phallic pole dance, feasting with tender fruits and berries, night long celebrations and revelry are in order, gather Hypericum on the Summer Solstice (named St. Johns wort because the plant is in it's power by this day) also gather Calendula, for it's solar energy of healing, interestingly enough...for burns!
As part of a Litha ritual you could have your friends stand with their back to the sun with a mist of water, or a sprinkler spraying in front of them, look for rainbows in the mist of water, see your shadow standing within the circle of color around you, Make you Litha wishes and step through to the mystery, this is the cusp of the up and coming dark half of the year. Charge your self with this Zenith of energy...what ever you do, or wherever you are...take a moment outside...at NOON on the Solstice and breath in this energy. Re-charge your solar battery...

Blessings for a wondrous Litha, Summer Solstice, Alban Heruin, Me'an Samharidh, St John's day...
Firebird

[Firebird]

Anything with a swimming pool, lake, or other body of water.

Oh yeah definitely water!!!

Have fun Ray...you'll be with your people at the solstice hour...

Here is a chart...note that this is Greenwich Mean Time:
Date & Time of Solstices & Equinoxes in 2013
Equinoxes: March 20 2013 11:02 GMT September 22 2013 20:44 GMT
Solstices: June 21 2013 05:04 GMT December 21 2013 17:11 GMT

Oh ya and merry Yule to all you south of the Equator!

[-Dark-Moon-]

Thanks guys I don't feel so left out now... *sniff*

---black humour alert --->

Hey Kassandra I'm sure a few hundred years ago you would have had no trouble finding water haha ... I'm sure you float

That was bad taste wasn't it ....

Yes Nz will be happening in a few weeks to be precise. I go almost every year... Love those hobbits ! No offence to any kiwis in here - Kia Ora !

[raynelae]

FAIRY HOUSES!!

[North Star]

Firebird, great ideas there! Yes fairy gardens!! My girls have been wanting to make some, perfect time soon. We have been collecting rocks and sticks/branches for container gardens to keep indoors.

We have been here a little over a year, spent a few years though as a kid in Alaska, and my husband is from here. Yes it is something else seeing the moon against blue skies... Last months moon was amazing it seemed to be so close, like a huge glowing ball sitting on top of the mountain when it (finally) rose! I hope to get some good pics this month if the weather is clear, and if I don't fall asleep before it rises, lol. Here is a photo of the May moon, around 11pm... a day or 2 before its fullest.


Trying to get more in touch with the natural beauty Alaska has to offer, might help with the homesickness I go through once in a while. Its beautiful and a great place to raise a family, but I am still a Boston girl at heart!!! ♥

I am going to make a point to get near water, that was always my go-to place for relaxation back home. Not the crowded hot summer days at the beach, the off-season peace and quiet or a cloudy cool day when you get it all to yourself. Seems to take everything away and re-energize me. I do have a gorgeous creek close by and that is in my plans somehow for the solstice.

Sounds like its going to be a great time for everyone. Blessings to you all!

[raynelae]

Wow, North Star! Last month's moon was so beautiful...Alaska looks so pretty!

[Lillady]

I'm excited, Summer Solstice is one of my favorite times of years. I plan on grilling some yummy seasonal veggies, enjoying my family. Then that night allow my girls to play outside as I watch them have fun and frolick in the light of the moon I will be chanting and thanking our wonderful God(s) and Goddess(es) especially my own deity Isis. I wish all of you a beautiful Summer or Winter Solstice if you are in our other hemisphere. Also two days after on June 23rd don't forget we can admire and soak in the beauty of our Super Moon!! Blessed Be!