Summer Solstice, anyone?

[Mairwen]

The next major Great Sun is Litha ~ or the Summer Solstice. It's the longest day of the year and begins the negative half of the year.

What does the Solstice mean to you?

Are you planning anything special?

Any recipes to share?

How does it relate to your modern life?

[Emy]

In Sweden there is an old tradition among people to celebrate the summer solstice. It has been going on for as long as anyone can remember.
Not to long ago the celebration, called midsommar, always occured at the summer solstice, however for some reason it got decided that it shall always occur on a friday. Which should make it the 22 june this year...
Anyways the old tradition include raising a Maypole or a "midsommarstång" and dancing around it. =) There are many myths and traditions about this night and day, one tradition is picking seven flowers (all wild) and putting them under your pillow and that night you shall dream of the man you are to marry... That night is considered to be magical and many say they see the elves dance that night....
And also there are a lot of festivities around the celebrations, it involves eating and drinking of course... for most people this is just a nice weekend for festivities, and hasn't much to do with the summer solstice, but the tradition still lives on, and probably will for a long long time...

I haven't made any plans for the summer solstice yet, I always celebrate both the summer solstice, and "midsommar".

Blessed be

[Mariposa De La Luna]

They are having this very neat celebration in DFW that sounds like fun so that's where I'll be. Is anyone doing the rolling blackout protest? Do you think it will do anygood? I also plan on doing the postcard campaign.

As for what does the Solstice mean to me?

PARTY! of course! JJ ;)
I haven't figures that one out. I haven't studied the mythology much or looked into it for deeper meaning.

[Silver Venus]

I cant wait to Summer Solstice! We are planning a beach ritual celebration (yep in England too!)~ where we will work from Sunset to dark and then eat and sing praise round a BBQ!! and as the moon ushers the night in we will drink and camp the honour the moon, the summer and the sun! The goddess and the God!
There will be around 20 of us all workign and then chanting round the fire ~ I am so excited!! :sunny:

Ive got a great link for this
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/2007/litha_lore.html
Lots of recipes, incenses and mead here!!

This is quoted from this site ~ I couldnt of said it better myself! ~ 'Midsummer is a time to absorb the Sun's warming rays and it is another fertility Sabbat, not only for humans, but also for crops and animals. Wiccans consider the Goddess to be heavy with pregnancy from the mating at Beltane - honor is given to Her. The Sun God is celebrated as the Sun is at its peak in the sky and we celebrate His approaching fatherhood - honor is also given to Him. The faeries abound at this time and it is customary to leave offerings - such as food or herbs - for them in the evening.'

Good recipe for Sabbat Cakes here which I am planning to make! http://www.paganpath.com/sabbatcakes.html

Mead Magic
http://www.paganpath.com/mead.html

[Kiya]

I think everyone feels special at midsummer, not just those of us here. I remember my grandmother telling me to look into the mirror over my left shoulder at midnight on the longest day to see the man I was going to marry! (Actually, I really should have done that and maybe I could have avoided the divorce!! Tee hee!)

I'm not planning a wonderful party like SAHM or a circle like Silver, but I will celebrate by eating outside (hey, my partner does a cool barbeque) and hopefully sitting in the warm air until the sky grows dark, just watching the world unfold around me.

I don't tend to do elaborate rituals - they don't work for me on my own! - but I do like to cook special meals, light candles, and leave an offering such as bird seed, or milk, in the garden, and I sometimes find myself having internal conversations with the Goddess or God.

This year will be really special though - I live in the countryside with lots of open space around me. This time last year I was in a one bedroom flat in the middle of a city!

I'm getting in the mood already!

BB

Kiya :sunny:

[Emy]

Sounds really nice Kiya :)

May we all have a wonderful summer solstice! With a little party, sunshine, magic and all :)

Blessed be!

[Faery-Wings]

This will be the first Pagan holiday I will be celebrating. I plan on keeping it simple. In fact, what I was thinking is right along the same lines as Kiya! I hope to eat outside weather permitting. I just bought Patricia Telesco's Kitchen Witch Cookbook and will try a recipe from there. I will probably light a candle and do an offering too.

Silver Venus- the geocities site has so much info- thanks for posting :)

BB!

Chris

[Silver Venus]

Originally posted by Emy

Sounds really nice Kiya
May we all have a wonderful summer solstice! With a little party, sunshine, magic and all :)

Blessed be!

Here, Here!!!!

Glad you liked the link chryssi1 :) Have a wonderful celebration!!

[Lavender]

:( On the actual solstice, I'm going to the dentist.

:p But that weekend, I'm going to the Lavender Fair in Langley!:p

[Amethyst Rose]

I'm actually kinda bummed this summer solstice.... last midsummer I went camping with a bunch of my friends, and we had a ritual at sunset, and called fairies by the light of the moon. It was a really incredible time.
But I'm a province away from my friends now, and I really miss spending sabats with them. So, I'm kinda sad that I dont' have anyone close to me to celebrate with this year.... :(
I probably won't do much..... watch the sun rise, and set, and say a little prayer, but that's about it....

[Kiya]

... it's what's in your heart that counts. I'm sure that the God and Goddess will be with you. I suggest you think back on your last midsummer with much joy - it's a memory to treasure - and I'm sure that you will feel that joy when you watch the sunrise and sunset.

I'll say a prayer for you that day, and I'm sure the whole of our wonderful band of friends here will all be celebrating in their own way.

Hey... even though we're not all together, I guess that means in spirit you'll be surrounded by even more people than last year!

Bright Blessings to you!

:sunny: :sunny:

Kiya

[Lilu]

Chryssi: What do you think of the Kitchen Witch book? I have been thinking about buying it recently, it looks very interesting, and I love Patricia Telesco's books!

I have recently been thinking about how since I've come to the US I haven't done as much ritual as I used to. I want to get back into it because I used to feel really great when I was doing it.

So this Summer Solstice I would like to plan a ritual down near the stream on this property. That sounds nice. And maybe those awful ticks will have gone away? *wishful thinking*

:)
Lilu

[Young Oak]

Folks, here in the midwest (USA), I will ring in the Solstice with a new tree (Oak). My new tree will be planted at the rising of the sun. This will be the second in a quarterly planting to include nineteen new Oaks on the Earth. If my math comes out right, It will culminate in the year 2005. I believe that to be a special year in my growth as a child of the Earth.

Blessed be our Mother Earth

[Amethyst Rose]

Wow.... great idea, Young Oak... :D

And welcome to the list! Make you're self comfortable and try not to eat the spam. Someone should be around shortly to offer you some lemonade. :)

[Faery-Wings]

I am just a beginner so I don't have lots to go on, but I really like The Cookbook. I am learning Wicca and Kitchen Witchery at the same time. The first couple of chapters talk about ways to use magick in the kitchen, the way you stir your food, set the table, the meanings of food, etc. The recipes themselves are neat. They are not your everyday recipes- like you aren't going to find a recipe for chicken parmesan in here :D The recipes are from all over the world too and represent many of the Gods, Goddesses and holidays.

If anyone would like, I can post the recipes for Summer Solstice. They are: Rose Pancakes, Apricot Delight, Serendipity Cookies, Raspberry-Guava Pie, Curried Beef, Hot Pockets, Asparagus Salad, and Breakfast Rice. I think I am going to try the Asparagus Salad with some grilled chicken and the cookies for dessert.

BB!

Chris

[Emy]

Sounds delicious!