Miss Dana June, 2011

Summer Solstice and Backyard Camping

What joy radiates through the house as summer begins!  The warmth of summer fills us with a languid feeling. Why hurry? This is the time to relax and recharge from Father Sun’s amazing energy. The celebrating of the Summer Solstice is an ancient custom that is as appropriate today as it was long ago.

The week leading up to the solstice is the time to gather anything you have around the house that has images of suns and fairies. Plan to have a feast that day. Grill out and eat as many yellow foods as you can think of! Corn on the cob, yellow peppers, squash, and golden apples to name a few. Our dessert is a giant sun created by covering a giant pizza size cookie with vanilla ice cream. Then we split 4 bananas lengthwise and place them as rays of the sun. Chocolate syrup draws the circle of the sun with chocolate kisses for eyes and strawberry syrup for the mouth. This is cute to look at and very tasty!

We decorate our yard with yellow streamers and sun shapes we cut out of paper plates and aluminum pie plates. Sun wheels are made with Popsicle sticks and yarn. We place candles in the yard and deck and leave our treats for the fairies.

That night we sleep outside. Could there be more fun than camping? Fresh air, trees, lightening bugs, mosquitoes, snakes, ticks … wait a minute! I got carried away. Let’s see, there were air, trees, bugs and Fire! Yes, the greatest draw of all is the campfire. I never really understood the attraction.

Of course, I did have my tennis shoe catch fire at Girl

Scout camp. OK, this is not about me, this is about the kids. And that includes Dad!

Our house has a backyard full of trees and a river. Over the years a campsite was developed.  Deer walking past tents in early dawn make it memorable. The kids like the cooking aspect. S’mores and french toast are the two sacred items on the menu.

No matter what kind of yard you have, even if you have an apartment balcony, sleeping out of doors is a magical treat for a child. Everything seems different and adventurous when sleeping outside. What child doesn’t like a flashlight? Kids don’t seem to mind the hard ground and sleeping bags, either. And on hot nights, sleeping on top of a sheet is enough. Kids don’t wake up with kinks in their necks and sore backs, like some grownups! Judge your yard and the age of your kids. If you trust them overnight without you, enjoy a quiet night inside. Otherwise, join them in the fun!

Tags: camping, children, kids, solstice, summer

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Miss Dana December, 2010

I love Winter Solstice!  It is the quiet moment before the holiday chaos.  The in-breath of stillness and peace brings the meaning of the season inward.

We have created a ritual for our family consisting of  walking a beautiful spiral labrinth.   Each person carries an unlit candle and walks the path to the center where they light their candle and then find a place on the spiral to stand and bring their “light to the world”.

An indoor spiral is created in our living room using stars cut out of white, gold or silver paper. I let the kids trace star cookie cutters onto the paper and then cut out. Glitter glue or other embellishments are sometimes added. Larger stars can be made out of paper plates and then covered in foil.

Lay a simple spiral of stars on the floor. Allow a 2-foot   path to walk on. Once set up, have everyone leave the space except mother. When called or on a musical cue the family enters, youngest to oldest, and walks the path one at a time.  At the center sits mother holding a lit candle.  Upon getting to mother, the child lights a candle and finds a place on the path for it to go and walks out of the spiral. Quietly each one takes their turn.

We use tea lights and votive holders for little ones. Mother lights their candle for them. When the children are older, other candles can be used. I have seen battery operated candles for house windows that could also be used if you had very active children.  I don’t even need to go into the list of safety issues needing to be in place in order to use candles, do I?

Gentle music playing and a story or poem read before and after everyone has walked the path. Then a quiet moment to take in the beauty of the room and the peace of the ceremony. Quietly leave the space with a parent staying behind to blow out candles. It is best not to let your children blow them out. To keep the image in mind is what we are after.

One year my oldest daughter made a very big spiral in our backyard  with strings of Christmas lights. I stood in the center and each person walked the twinkling path holding an apple with a candle in it. After lighting the candles, our family stayed on the path where they wanted their light to shine. It was lovely in the cold, clear night.   The spiral remained in our backyard for the whole season. It was magical to see it out the window at night.

Tags: christmas, solstice, yule

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Administrator June, 2010

Purpose
Rededication to the Lord and Lady, beginning of the harvest, honoring the Sun God, honoring the pregnant Godddess

Dynamics/Meaning
Crowning of the Sun God, death of the Oak King, assumption of the Holly King, end the ordeal of the Green Man

Tools, Symbols & Decorations
The sun, oak, birch & fir branches, sun flowers, lilies, red/maize/yellow or gold flower, love amulets, seashells, summer fruits & flowers, feather/flower door wreath, sun wheel, fire, circles of stone, sun dials and swords/blades, bird feathers, Witches’ ladder.

Colors
Blue, green, gold, yellow and red.

Customs
Bonfires, processions, all night vigil, singing, feasting, celebrating with others, cutting
divining rods, dowsing rods & wands, herb gathering, handfastings, weddings, Druidic
gathering of mistletoe in oak groves, needfires, leaping between two fires, mistletoe
(without berries, use as a protection amulet), women walking naked through gardens
to ensure continued fertility, enjoying the seasonal fruits & vegetables, honor the
Mother’s fullness, richness and abundance, put garlands of St. John’s Wort placed
over doors/ windows & a sprig in the car for protection.

Goddesses
Mother Earth, Mother Nature, Venus, Aphrodite, Yemaya, Astarte, Freya, Hathor,
Ishtar, all Goddesses of love, passion, beauty and the Sea, and Pregnant,
lusty Goddesses, Green Forest Mother; Great One of the Stars, Goddess of the Wells

Gods
Father Sun/Sky, Oak King, Holly King, hur, Gods at peak power and strength.

Animals/Mythical Beings
Wren, robin, horses, cattle, satyrs, faeries, firebird, dragon, thunderbird

Gemstones
Lapis lazuli, diamond, tiger’s eye, all green gemstones, especially emerald and jade

Herbs
Anise, mugwort, chamomile, rose, wild rose, oak blossoms, lily, cinquefoil, lavender,
fennel, elder, mistletoe, hemp, thyme, larkspur, nettle, wisteria, vervain ( verbena),
St. John’s wort, heartsease, rue, fern, wormwood, pine,heather, yarrow,
oak & holly trees

Incense/Oil
Heliotrope, saffron, orange, frankincense & myrrh, wisteria, cinnamon, mint, rose, lemon, lavender, sandalwood, pine

Rituals/Magicks
Nature spirit/fey communion, planet healing, divination, love & protection magicks.
The battle between Oak King, God of the waxing year & Holly King, God of the waning
year (can be a ritual play), or act out scenes from the Bard’s (an incarnation of Merlin)
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, rededication of faith, rites of inspiration.

Foods
Honey, fresh vegetables, lemons, oranges, summer fruits, summer squash,
pumpernickel bread, ale, carrot drinks, mead.

Tags: litha, midsummer, sabbat, solstice

• Correspondences

Kerry Morgan January, 2010

Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice was important to many different cultures in times past. It really marked the passage of seasons and marked a time of celebration for the winter months, it was finally the time to rest at least in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere it marked the time of summer and sunshine filled days.

The Solstice celebrations are a hard thing to put a time line on without knowing the exact date the Earth was born. But as far back as recorded history goes, the Winter Solstice, no matter which hemisphere you lived in, was an important event. For our purpose here, we will focus on what many pagans will participate in or have participated in for their celebrations around the world.

For many cultures of pagans, divination is a fun way to celebrate the Solstice. This was a popular activity in years past. Some of the methods of divination in years past might include scrying. With so many lakes and ponds freezing, they acted as a perfect “mirror” back in the day, especially when scrying under a full moon in the dead of night.

Many cultures used fire or candles to celebrate the coming of Winter. Once mirrors were created, two candles could be set to reflect their flames and enlightenment could be found by sitting and observing the reflections. Another way to celebrate the return of Light to the world, after the first early days of Winter, was to light a Yule log which was brought in from the woods many months ahead of the celebration. It was believed to help bring protection from harm to the family that had a Yule log within their home.

Some cultures would put their shoes lined up in a row together to signify harmony throughout the year. Others still would created an alter to their gods and goddesses and look for guidance for the coming year in dripping wax, or the drifting smoke of candles or bon fires. Some considered it bad luck to allow the candles or fires to burn out.

In the most ancient of times, the changing of seasons became a beacon of hope. During the winter cold it was a bleak hard time for peoples living so long ago. When the sun came up on the day after the Solstice it was a signal for hope that warmth and the growing of plants and foods would indeed return after the time of rest.

How did you celebrate your Solstice this year? Did you mark the day with presents? Did you celebrate the sun returning? Have you stored enough to last through the winter months? For pagans, it is an important time to recognize the need to relax and rest and celebrate the seasonal changes but also the time of rebirth. For magical practitioners of all cultures, it was and continues to represent a time to let go of old ways of thinking and living, and start new ways. Many celebrations will incorporate magical ritual to help people change their old ways and adopt new, more enlightened ways.

I hope everyone had a truly wonderful, loving holiday time with family and friends, without stress and worry, with good health and prosperity for all.

Tags: solstice, winter

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Witch1979 February, 2009

The Wheel of the Year

One of the goals of any earth-centered spirituality is to attune oneself with the cycles of nature.  Before modern times this was in a sense automatic, as most folks worked directly with the earth for their basic sustenance.  The practice of agriculture demanded an intimate knowledge of the seasons and weather patterns.  To be out of touch with these cycles could mean disaster by way of starvation.  In today’s world most of us are not farmers.  Our food comes pre-packaged or processed in supermarket stores.  Those of us in urban centers are even more disconnected from natural surroundings, with little space set aside for gardens or parks.  But though awareness of the cycles of nature is not as common as it once was, many still choose to observe and learn as they can.  We may not all study ecology, yet we do all have access to two of the most basic observable patterns – those of the sun and the moon.

In this article I will focus on the solar cycle, which is the basis of the calendar we use today.  Each year is of course one full revolution of the earth around the sun.  Our planet experiences what we know as seasons because of this cycle combined with the factor of the earth’s tilt.  We experience winter when the strength of the sunlight we receive is weakest, not from any change in the sun but rather due to the indirect angle at which it is hitting the surface of the earth.  Summer is likewise the opposite point in the year when the light is most direct.  Observing seasonal changes is something anyone no matter where they live can do.  Allergy sufferers are often keenly aware of these changes!

To truly attune with seasonal cycles though, takes a step beyond simple observation.  Attunement is more than intellectual knowledge; it is a celebration of these processes of nature and an awareness of them in everyday life.  Many religions and cultures mark seasonal holidays for just such a reason.  In modern Wicca these are known as the eight sabbats that comprise the Wheel of the Year.  Each sabbat celebrates either the beginning or midpoint of a given season and has its own set of traditions that have built up over the years.  A brief overview of each follows*:

Samhain (sow-in) is the Wiccan New Year. It falls around the same day of the calendar as secular Halloween and marks the midpoint between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice.  It is a time of traditions that honor loved ones who have passed on, and many believe that at this time the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead is blurred or thin.  Many practice divination around Samhain.

Yule is the winter solstice. It is the shortest day of the year, with all the days following it bringing a bit more daylight going towards summer.  For this reason Yule marks the celebration of the rebirth of the God, metaphorically represented by the sun.  Celebrations of this type are ancient and cross-cultural.  Christmas as a celebration of the birth of Christ is one such version of the Sun-God’s rebirth, bringing the hope of new life that is to come while at the darkest point of the year.

Imbolc, also known as the Feast of Lights, follows Yule. It is the midpoint of winter and is traditionally a time of inspiration and the seeds of the life that will emerge with spring.  One goddess especially associated with Imbolc is the Celtic Brigid.

Ostara is the beginning of spring and marks the spring equinox. Day and night are even at this point of the year.  Themes of fertility and sprouting life dominate this holiday.  The Christian Easter is around the same time and symbols such as the egg and rabbit actually reflect older pagan observances.

Beltane falls opposite Samhain and is the height of spring. It was one of the greatest festivals for the ancient Celts and was celebrated with large bonfires.  In secular terms we know it as May Day.  Beltane marks the sacred marriage of the God and the Goddess from which all life and fertility flow.  Their union leads to the future miracle of rebirth, as the child she conceives is to become the new God born at Yule.  Practices such as the dancing of the May Pole are folk traditions symbolic of fertility rights and sexuality.

Midsummer or Litha is the summer solstice. As the longest day of the year it is a celebration of the light and warmth of the sun.  Life is at its peak, and fruits of the earth abound.  Many Wiccans choose to focus on spells and magic of all kinds at this time.

Lughnasadh (loo-nus-uh) or Lammas is the first of the festivals celebrating the harvest of the coming autumn months. Lugh is a god of the Celts, honored as a sacrificial king whose death mirrors the harvest of the grain.  Bread and corn are symbols of this sabbat, and the baking of all types of loaves is the primary activity.

Mabon is second harvest festival and the autumn equinox. It is the final stretch of the year leading up to Samhain as the days begin to wane.  As at Ostara day and night are even at Mabon, and many use it as a time for reflection on balancing aspects in their lives.  As a harvest festival it is also a celebration of abundance and family with whom we give thanks for our many blessings.

The descriptions above are the barest of outlines for the sabbats and I heartily recommend Eight Sabbats for Witches by Janet and Stewart Farrar for more information.  The four sabbats falling on solstices or equinoxes (Yule, Ostara, Midsummer, Mabon) are referred to as quarter days, and the others (Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh) are termed cross-quarter days.  The latter are modern adaptations of ancient Celtic fire festivals, hence their names and associations with the Celtic gods.  The quarter day holidays may not have been observed all at once in particular cultures, but grew out of folk customs that held over time and were later adapted by Wicca.  By celebrating each of these sabbats as a solitary or with others it is easier to stay in tune with the passing seasons and remember the cycles of planting and harvest that are the ultimate source of our food.  The sun is of course the original source, whose light is converted by agricultural plants into energy we can consume to live.  Our reverence for the sun by commemorating sabbats is really our reverence for sustenance, and our thanks for the miracle of life and rebirth.

* I have composed the knowledge of these sabbats from my own readings and do not claim in any way that these are their only meanings or correspondences.  Different paths will have their own traditions and may or may not attribute the same meanings.

Journal for the Month of January:

Attunement as a solitary is for me the primary part of my practice right after reading as much as I possibly can.  When I don’t remember to mark the sabbats and the cycles of the moon I lose touch with my spiritual practice.  I get sucked right back into daily life, with little appreciation for where my food comes from or what is in season.  It is very easy to get distracted from what is important, and I have to constantly make the effort to immerse myself in nature, because the world I live in isn’t going to do it for me.

Now I’m not someone who romanticizes going back to nature in the sense of separating from the modern world.  I’m a rare camper, and while I thoroughly enjoy outdoor activities I’d say I’m probably still guilty of seeing the outdoors as more of a temporary destination than a home.  I love my air conditioning in the summer.  I burn to a crisp without buckets of sunscreen, attract poison ivy like a magnet, and seem to taste quite yummy to a variety of insects.  In the winter I’m buried under layers of coats and sweaters and feel cold no matter the temperature.  And yet despite all the discomfort I could very well ease by choosing not to go out, I find myself wanting to stand out under the stars and just gaze.  Since choosing this path I see the moon in the sky at night and smile with true happiness.  I want to know what foods are grown locally and what is in season.  I look upon nature with a new appreciation through the metaphor of the God and Goddess.  In short I feel I am beginning to see what is around me and perhaps I’m starting to reconnect.  I take small steps, but a whole new curiosity exists in me that was absent, or maybe just silent, before.

I’m looking forward to Imbolc this year.  Though I started this column late last year my first steps into Wicca were shortly after last year’s Imbolc, and in a sense I consider it my New Years.  It is the time when Persephone emerges from the underworld as the maiden Kore, bringing life and hope once more to a barren world.  New beginnings and renewal are my themes, and I wish a blessed year to all in whatever new endeavors you are pursuing.  May we all reach the heights to which we aim!

Until next month, blessed be! )O(

Tags: how to, new to craft, sabbat, solstice

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Administrator June, 2006

There’s a village one year’s journey from here. And in that village lives a woman with four children. Like any family, all four children are kindred and similar — yet very, very unique. One is a feisty child, with brilliant golden hair, and a natural glow warmer than any other. This child’s name is Summer.
In an entire year, perhaps the 91 days (and nights) of Summer seem to fly by the quickest… When you think of summer, what comes to mind?
Summer is the peak, the pinnacle, the realization of what took root during the Spring. One lesson the seasons teach is that many things in nature grow, mature, and then fade. Imagine yourself old and gray and wise. Look back upon your own life as if it were a single turn of the year. What part of your life was your high point, your “Summer,” your peak? Where did you shine your brightest, glow your hottest?
We too change like the seasons. When Mother Nature puts on Her Summer wardrobe, so do we. Except these wardrobes seem quite opposite. In Summer, the forest grows more thickly covered, while we become less covered. Summer is a season of short sleeves, short pants, short skirts and bare toes. While the trees might wear their thick green coats, we often frolic clad with nothing but the sky! More of our natural selves comes out in the Summer – arms, legs, skin – what we are beneath all those layers of cold Winter clothes can shine forth in the Summer. Maybe we resemble our animal cousins, who also shed much of their fur and feathers in Summer.
Summer’s warmth lets us enjoy a great many simple pleasures. After a cold Winter, the freedom of just being outdoors is a true gift! The increased energy of Summer brings increased activity of all kinds: festivals, vacations, travel. What special Summer gatherings do you look forward to? All the adventure, experiences, learning, worship, fun, freedom, passion, celebration and joy that these festivals offer are the unique gifts of Summer!
Some people say Summer begins near June 21 with the Solstice. To others, it begins on the last day of school, or with the Memorial Day barbecue. Whenever you begin Summer, mark that day as a special spoke in your own private Wheel of the Year. See it as a unique rite of passage. Every year, Summer throws a party – and you’re invited!
Of all the four seasonal quarters, Summer burns the brightest. Remember that some things that burn brightly often burn out quickly. For some, Summer is a time of fleeting temporary moments – a Summer Job, a Summer Fling, a Summer Vacation. What new experiences might you want to try this Summer, even if only for a little while?
Summer’s friendly weather lets us enjoy the great outdoors. Being outside has a plethora of gifts: Sounds, smells, sights, and the touch of the Sun’s golden gloves upon our skin. (Perhaps it is no accident that during Summer, TV programs are all re-runs – nature’s incentive to get off the couch and into the great outdoors!)
In the Summer, we are free to venture out and smell the many roses that weren’t available all Winter long. One way to celebrate the season is to enjoy the fruits and vegetables that only appear during Summer. Where I live, July brings the first taste of a very sweet white corn on the cob, called Silver Queen. It only lasts a few short months, and it’s worth the wait! What seasonal treats does your region offer? Remember that not all seasonal treats grow on trees. Drippy ice cream cones, frozen icy drinks, and even toasted marshmallows are all SummerSpirits. What other experiences do you savor, but can only find in the Summer?
Summer’s Sun nourishes our world with warmth, the same way Mother Earth nourishes us. She takes that solar energy and transforms it into leaves, fruits and grain. Through photosynthesis, plants take in the energy of the Sun. (Remember this the next time you “take in” a salad — the union of both Sun and Earth!) The Earth is much greater than we are, but the Sun is over 100 times larger than the Earth. Perhaps it is the nature of larger things to nourish smaller things that need love and care to survive. What things shine upon you, and what do you shine upon in return?
The Sun’s energy changes the world in only a few short days. Seeds germinate; trees leaf out and the insect world buzzes back to life! Before you know it, it’s Summer.
Summer has a unique energy that makes it different than any other time. What might this unique energy bring especially for you? What type of magic, ritual, or divination might work best for you in Summer? Try brewing an herbal Sun Tea, or maybe starting a candle flame by lighting a match with a magnifying glass. Use the energy of the Sun; feel how it differs from the energy of the cold.
Summer is so hot, we want to cool off. It actually brings us closer to water — whether enjoying a swim, a playful moment with the garden hose, or the feel of our own sultry Summer sweat.
Why is Summer hot? The Earth spins round the Sun like a dancer around a campfire. Because our globe tilts on its axis, one hemisphere faces the Sun directly, while the other half does not. As the Earth makes its yearly orbit around the Sun, one hemisphere has Summer; the other hemisphere has Winter. In Summer, your part of the world faces the Sun and has a more direct connection to its light and heat. What other aspects of life work the same way? Have you ever noticed a special warmth in your life simply by being directly exposed to something or someone quite radiant? What was that like? Would you feel just a little bit colder if that connection became more distant?
Perhaps pondering a simple Suntan can help us understand other parts of life that “shine” upon us. Sun-worshippers expose themselves to the Sun’s glow, and become changed by it. Just enough exposure, and everything’s fine. Too much? Ouch – what a burn! Remember that as you expose yourself to the energy from any person, place or thing around you.
One sunny day this Summer, notice your own shadow. Stare at it; see your own form the way nature sketches it upon the ground. Study its shape, size, curves. Now let your “inner nine-year-old” come out and play. Use your fingers and make shadow-bunny ears, bear claws, or dragon wings. Shift into any shape you desire; take on any quality you wish. Try “casting” (a very magical word indeed!) your shadow across an object you wish to empower with a bit of yourself. Now try it in reverse, standing behind an object whose shadow you wish to empower you. Feel it?
Just like pondering a tan, perhaps pondering a simple shadow can help us understand other parts of life. Ever feel shadowed by something that gets in the way? Ever feel like something blocks you from the light? Just enough shade creates a welcome shelter, like resting under a trusty Oak. Too much of a block can make you feel cut off and underexposed. What things in your life gently protect you from getting fried? What things stand in your way, starving you from what you crave?
Summer brings a few extra hours of daylight, including the longest day of the year. Your use of those extra hours are your own celebration of the season, whether a walk in the park, washing your car, or caring for your garden.
However you celebrate the season, make this year’s Summer something very special!

***

author bio:

Link (Anthony)

6538 Collins Avenue,

#255 Miami Beach, FL 33141

USA

AnthLink@aol.com

People often ask me why I chose the name Link. One important lesson for me this time around is to understand how all things "interconnect" — like noodles in the same cosmic broth. (Okay, I also wanted a really simple name that would not raise eye-brows in a mundane setting. Something like RunningBuffaloMoonFeather just doesn’t fit me…)

Most of my writing focuses on how ordinary parts of everyday life can be sacred and magical. Being ordinary makes them no less special! I try to erase the lines that separate spirituality from the rest of life. I don’t spend too much time in elaborate ritual, but rather see nearly every action as a magical event, from slicing an apple to licking an envelope. I often encourage readers to not blindly follow traditional spoon-fed teachings, but to discover what feels right for themselves, and for the moment. The most important Book we could ever find is written deep within ourselves, and within nature — and every day we turn a new page!

I grew up in a small suburban NJ town, the youngest child of two hard-working parents. I survived 12 years of Catholic school, which helped shape my "everyday" spiritual views (With the nuns of Saint Mary’s School, everything was a religious experience – from lunch to recess to taking tests and doing homework.) While I shed much of what I learned there, I think a few things stuck.

I began learning about alternative religion, divination and magic in the mid-1970′s, but did not really become active in the Craft until 1993 (what I call reaching "Spiritual Puberty"). My first teacher was a dear friend and neighbor, a Gardnerian 3rd Degree, who was killed in a car accident in 1984. (Great guy, lousy driver…) In 1993 I became a member of a small Tradition with only a few members spread out around the US. This gave me the opportunity to spend time with/learn from elders well-recognized in the Community. I have also been a member of Covenant of the Goddess, Pagan Federation International, Earth Spirit, Circle Network, Free Spirit Alliance, Pagan Federation International and ADF. I am legally certified as clergy with both Covenant of the Goddess and ULC (for whatever that means). My work has been published in many places throughout the US, plus Canada, England, Ireland, Holland and Australia.

Jobwise, I have worked for/with large international telecommunications companies since 1984. (Again, a lesson in how things connect…) I hold a bachelors degree in Communications/Journalism, and a masters degree in business and government policy. I moved from New Jersey to Miami Beach, Florida on August 1, 2001 and enjoy Miami’s internationally diverse culture, with a Latin spice!

Fun? I enjoy good food and good wine, bad humor, camping, gardening, traveling, almost anything Brazilian, the Ocean, SciFi, and sleeping late at least once a week.

Tags: link, solstice, summer

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