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Merry Solstice 2008
(by Trish Reynolds - June 19, 2008)
SUMMER SOLSTICE
And a very merry Midsummer to all
At the time of summer solstice, this year on June 20, the noon sun will be directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer. This makes it the longest period of daylight and the shortest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The sun actually seems to pause in its traverse of the sky, appearing at the same height at noon for the five days before and five days after the solstice before beginning to move forward in it’s yearly spiral. From around the 16 to the 26 of June, we enjoy the longest days of the year before appreciably beginning the decline towards the dark half of the year.
Today we use the Solstices to mark the beginning point of summer and winter. Officially summer started when the Sun entered Cancer today, making tomorrow, June 21, the first full day of summer. But it wasn’t always the beginning.
Our agrarian ancestors actually marked the beginning of summer at Mayday or Beltaine, the first day of May. They observed the Summer Solstice as the mid-point of the summer, the time when crops had been sown and the first harvest was yet a few weeks away. The extra leisure time, warm weather and the long days of sunlight made this an ideal time for weddings and other celebrations to take place. The full moon of June is called the honeymoon as it was considered the best time to harvest honey from the hives. According to ancient lore the newly wed couple were fed foods and beverages rich in honey to encourage love and fertility in the relationship.
The Summer Solstice has been celebrated around the world by many cultures, as can be attested to by such ancient Neolithic monuments such as Stonehenge and The New Grange.
In Ancient China the Summer Solstice ceremony celebrated the feminine Yin forces of the earth, just as the heavens and male Yang forces were celebrated at the Winter Solstice.
Gaulish Celts celebrated the Feast of Epona, the pan-Celtic Horse goddess who represented fertility and agriculture at the Summer Solstice. This was a feast that was later assimilated by the Roman Cavalry who incorporated Epona into their own pantheon.
European tribes celebrated the Midsummer with bonfires and considered it a night for working potent love magic. Young girls might perform spells and charms to discover the names of their future husbands.
The ancient Romans celebrated the Feast of Vestalia during mid June in honor of Vesta, the Roman Goddess of home and hearth. This was the only time of the year when married women were permitted to enter Her Temple, which was normally the strict domain of the Vestal Virgins
In Sweden, Midsummer trees similar to those found during the Winter Solstice, were erected and decorated in towns and villages. The female members of the community would bath in the local rivers as part of a magic ritual to bring fertility to the crops.
After Europe’s general conversion to Christianity, the Church established the Feast of Saint John the Baptist as the mid-June holiday. It may in fact be the oldest such feast day accorded a saint.
Today many modern Neo-Pagans celebrate Litha or Alban Heruin in the Druidic traditions, as a holiday dedicated to the Gods of the Sun as They rise to the height of Their power, providing light and warmth to the growing season and to the Earth. Goddesses of Sun such as the Celtic Bride and the Anglo-Breton Sul are also honored at this time in some traditions.
William Shakespeare’s famous comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, follows the adventures of a hapless group of actors as they enter a forest on the Eve of Midsummer, when the fairy folk delight in creating magical mayhem amongst the mortals. The play perfectly captures the mischievous essence of the day. Midsummer is a day dedicated to love, fertility and magic.
This year the Summer Solstice occurs at 7:59 PM EDT on June 20.
Trish Reynolds' e-mail address is reynolds@northjersey.com.
Cutline:
Summer Solstice sunrise over Budd Lake.
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