Summer

Summer…As I force myself to stop humming Beach Boy’s songs, I begin to ponder what this time of year holds for the average pagan. For American pagans, does it hold nothing but apple pie, fireworks and patriotism? What about July is profound in our spiritual lives? At first blush, it would seem that not much is in the ether to help us become closer to deity. However, after a discussion with my friend, I came to realize that this time of year is very important to our spiritual health.

The raw, lustful power of Beltane is passed. We are moving through the sweet, playful and committed love of midsummer. What is next, Lammas? Not so fast! Things are changing around us. We can all feel it happening but no one can put their finger on the exact changes. That’s the energy of summer. The God’s power is becoming less but the days are getting hotter. We play to our hearts content as if our school days were still with us. However, in the back of our minds, questions begin to pop up and nibble at our conscious selves. These questions arise from the changes that we feel happening. I’ll get back to these questions in a few minutes.

Think about this time of year. The trees and grass are green, the fields are fertile and the days are warm and sunny. Life is moving at a slower pace for all of us. There are times in the heart of summer that our existence seems surreal to us. We are usually happier in the summer because the sun is good enough to shine longer hours and chase the cobwebs of depression from our brains. Why, then, are we so off center? Shouldn’t we be just ducky knowing that we have the rest of this grand season before us? Ah grasshopper, what lessons we must learn!

As of midsummer, the power of the Goddess begins to wax and she will be bearing the fruit of the young God. She is growing, not only in girth, but in wisdom as she is to become a mother. As any mother knows, the anticipation of the pregnancy is sometimes overwhelming. The fear of the delivery can sometimes overshadow the joy of the upcoming birth. As summer slowly moves into autumn, loping along, there are times that we anticipate the work ahead with the harvest and the possible failures we could experience and we are caught off guard by nagging doubts. What does doubt do? It raises questions!

In American society today, unless you live in a rural area, we don’t think much about crop failures. Yet, something in the backs of our minds knows that our survival is in question this time of year. Because we are so removed from the ebb and flow of the seasons when we live in an urbanized society, we don’t REALLY understand where these questions arise from. It’s as old as husbandry and agriculture itself. The hard work of spring is done and, Gods willing, we will have enough food for the upcoming year! But what if we don’t?

The questions that are in our ancient psyche are what spur our minds into discontent in the middle of the loveliest, easiest time of the year. That is what makes summer a great time for divination! Because divination is more about knowing yourself than knowing the future, those doubts and “off” feelings can be a great springboard for “getting to know thyself” a whole lot better. Whether you throw the tarot, spread the runes, read the leaves, gaze into the mirror or trace with the crystal ball, summer, because of the emotions that are linked to ancient genetic memories, can aid you in asking questions of yourself that you didn’t even know you had to ask!

author: Morgan Ginther