Summer Solstice/Litha marks the beginning of Intense Energy Period

Our up coming Summer Solstice marks the start of a few months of intense energy ahead of us. The solstice not only represents the longest day but the time that our beautiful sun's rays are shining most directly and vertically down upon us. We can benefit from this wonderful energy and use this time, building upon the enhanced energy that we feel within ourselves and emanating all around us.

You can make sun water at the time of the Solstice, sun water made at this time is especially potent and can be used for all sorts of remedies and energising uses. Find out how to make it here

Following on quickly from the Summer Solstice we  have full moon on July 2nd and then a trio of three super moons in a row in August, September and October

The July full moon on the 2nd is the Full Buck Moon, Thunder Moon or Hay Moon, named for the abundance of nature at this time of year. This moon follows hot on the heels of the Litha or the Summer Solstice, our earth will literally will be crackling with super charged energy.

The Supermoon in September comes the closest to us for 2015, being only 357,098 km or 221,890 miles away.

What is a super moon

Why do Supermoons Occur?

Why does the super moon affect me?

On Combining Christmas and Yule, Winter Solstice

How do you combine Christmas and Yule in your family traditions? Do you celebrate both traditions?

In our family I have only been a Pagan for approximately four years. My teenage daughters therefore in regards to Paganism, how can I put it; 'gently support' what they term their Mum's 'hippy ways'! They love what I do and I know a lot of it is rubbing off on them but they in in no way put them selves in my camp it just wouldn't be cool! Perhaps if I had become a Pagan whilst they were toddlers it might have been different. I look wistfully every year at the mothers and their very young children all dressed up with flowers in

their hair at the maypole in Glastonbury for Beltane!

Christmas is therefore a very big event in our house. Although adults really now my girls adore Christmas and get really excited which I love. I have no problem with celebrating Christian holidays alongside Pagan ones and have not let go of a lot of my Catholic upbringing. I believe in religious tolerance for all religions, every religion has something to offer and we can never say one is better than another. Personally I like to draw from many different religions in my personal beliefs. For me Paganism is about worshipping our Mother Earth not about whose religion is the better one.

My Yule Altar

So to celebrate Yule at the Winter Solstice this year I will be lighting candles and having a private mediation, welcoming the return of the sun. I struggle with the long dark days so will be very glad that our sun is returning to light our earth. For that I give gratitude to our wonderful Mother Earth Gaia. I like to bring the outside into the house at this time of year so have made our mantlepiece into an altar to honour our Mother Earth, the Goddess Gaia. This is following ancient Pagan customs of bringing greenery such as holly ivy and mistletoe into homes for good luck, more on ancient customs can be found here

Our Pagan Christmas tree

Although our Christmas tree is festooned with baubles and memories of holidays past I also like to Paganise it a little with ornaments I have made and pentacle charms. Perhaps you can have a go at making your own pentacle charm to go on your Christmas tree this year? Pentacle charms like the one depicted here are still available in the Astarte Moon Shop  as well. 

Yule Pentacle charm-Astarte-Moon Shop

Blessings of love and light for the return of the sun at Yule to you, AstarteAlison

Cold Yule Moon Saturday 6th December 2014. Moon phases December

We are coming up to our beautiful Yule Cold Moon on Saturday 6th December. We haven't seen any snow here but the other side of the Atlantic have had more than enough already! This December Full moon was often called the Snow Moon, Cold Moon or frost Moon for obvious reasons! More background on Full Moon names can be found here: Dec Moon names

This Full Moon is our Christmas moon, our Yule moon. It is often thus named as 'The Long Nights Moon' or 'The Moon Before Yule' as the Solstice occurs usually around the 21st December when we have the longest night and the shortest day. More information on the Pagan celebration of Yule may be found here. Yule Celebrations

Below are details of Full Moon times wherever you might be.

Setting moon earth sky.org

Saturday 6th December 2014 01:26:48 pm Central European Time (CET)
Moon sign: Gemini 14° 17'

WELLINGTON = Sunday * 7th Dec 2014 * 01:26:48 am (NZDT)
SYDNEY = Saturday * 6th December 2014 * 11:26:48 pm (AEDT)
TOKYO = Saturday * 6th December 2014 * 09:26:48 pm (JST)
BEIJING = Saturday * 6th December 2014 * 08:26:48 pm (CST)
BANGKOK = Saturday * 6th December 2014 * 07:26:48 pm (ICT)
DELHI = Saturday * 6th December 2014 * 05:56:48 pm (IST)
MOSCOW = Saturday * 6th December 2014 * 03:26:48 pm (MSK)
RIYADH = Saturday * 6th December 2014 * 03:26:48 pm (AST)
BERLIN = Saturday * 6th December 2014 * 01:26:48 pm (CET)
LAGOS = Saturday * 6th December 2014 * 01:26:48 pm (WAT)
LONDON = Saturday * 6th December 2014 * 12:26:48 pm (GMT)
RIO = Saturday * 6th December 2014 * 10:26:48 am (BRST)
NEW YORK = Saturday * 6th Dec 2014 * 07:26:48 am (EST)
MEXICO CITY = Saturday * 6th Dec 2014 * 06:26:48 am (CST)
LOS ANGELES = Saturday * 6th Dec 2014 * 04:26:48 am (PST)
HONOLULU = Saturday * 6th Dec 2014 * 02:26:48 am (HAST)

And here are the moon phases for December 2014, sorry I am a bit late in updating this post for you.

Full Yule Moon Blessings to you, Alison

Supermoon in Aquarius August 10th 2014 and Perseid Meteor Shower. Feel the amazing energy.

This August we are blessed with the brightest Supermoon of 2014.  August’s supermoon will reach her fullness at 1.10pm CDT 18 10 UT on August 10^th 2014.  She will have reached her closest point to earth just a few minutes earlier at 12.44 CDT. The fact that these two phenomena co-incide means that this supermoon will be a particularly spectacuar event this August. At this point of perigree she will be just 221,765 miles away from earth, our supermoon won’t be as close as this again until September 2015.

 What is a Supermoon?

We have three supermoons this year, the first was in July, did any of you see it? I didn’t manage it as it was cloudy here! The third supermoon will be in September. August’s supermoon will be the most spectacular though, being closest to our earth of the three so will surely prove to be an event not to be missed. Supermoon’s are on average 14% larger and 30% brighter but I can’t find a statistic of how much brighter this August moon will be, she sure will however be a sight not to be missed!

 

Super mini moons astroblogger.com

The best time to view our wonderful moon will be just as she rises which will be just after sunset on Sunday.  The moon on the horizon always seems to look larger than when she is is high in the sky, this is because of what is known as the ‘Ponzo Illusion’

“Most supermoons appear larger than they really are because of what's called the "Ponzo Illusion." First put forth in 1913 by Italian psychologist Mario Ponzo, it holds that the human mind judges the size of an object based on its background.

Most people perceive the horizon as being farther away than the point straight above their heads. "When the moon is on the horizon, your brain thinks it’s far away, much farther than when it’s overhead," writes Phil Plait in his Bad Astronomy blog. "So the Ponzo Illusion kicks in: Your brain sees the moon as being huge, and it looks like you could fall into it." http://www.al.com

Why do super moons occur?

How will the super moon affect me?

August’s Supermoon also coincides with the Perseids meteor shower, her super brightness will mean that the Perseids may be a little harder to view this year. There will be a lot of energy however happening in the skies above us. This will be quite a turbulent and power fuelled time for all of us!

 

Perseids from VEoz.com

This Supermoon will be in Aquarius. Although the time of the full moon will be a turbulent one it will bring about a breaking down of barriers and a releasing of any pent up emotion that needs to be let go of. Aquarius is an air sign known for shattering perceptions and breaking rules. You will emerge feeling cleansed and refreshed. Let go of all that you do not need, break down those walls, you will feel so much better for it.

The August Supermoon is also the Lunar Lammas falling midway between the summer and Autumn Equinoxes. Lammas or Lughnasadh is a celebration of the first harvest, of giving thanks for the fruits of our labour and looking forward to the months ahead.

Our supermoon this August has many names given to it, it has been called the Grain Moon, Mating Moon, Chokeberry Moon, Summertime Moon, Corn Moon , Moon when Cherries Turn Black and the Barley Moon.

One interesting name is the Dog Day’s moon which refers to the hot days of the late summer in the northern hemisphere that occur in late July and August. The Old Farmer’s Almanac lists the traditional period of the Dog days as the 40 days beginning July 3^rd and ending august 11^th.  The name Dog Days was believed to originate from the ancient Romans and Greeks who named these days after the star Sirius, the Dog Star, brightest star in the sky. The Dog Days originally were the days when Sirius rose just before or at the same time as sunrise, this was known as a heliacal rising.

Enjoy this Aquarius Supermoon. Pass through this time of turbulence and emerge refreshed at the other end. Hopefully you will have caught a glimpse of some of the wonderful Perseid meteors to light your path along the way!

Supermoon blessings to you, AstarteAlison xxx

Ten fun facts about the Summer Solstice or Litha

Ten fun facts about the Summer Solstice

The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year and is  generally celebrated on the 21^st June. So those are facts that you knew already! Below are a few facts that you may or may not know about this wonderful time of year, a celebration of the wonderful strength of our amazing sun.

The common name used amongst Pagans for the Summer Solstice is Litha. Other names for Litha include: Lithia, Alban Hefin(Gaelic for light of the shore), Sun Blessing, Gathering Day, Feill-Sheathain, Whit Sunday, Whitsuntide, Vestalia(Roman), The Feast of Epona(Ancient Gaulish) Thing-Tide, Sank Hans Aften(Denmak) and St. John's Day. If you have heard of any more I would love to hear from you!

The word Solstice comes from the Latin ‘solstitium’ meaning 'Sun stands still' because the apparent movement of the Sun's path north or south stops before changing direction.

Litha is often synonymous with Midsummer and is said to be associated with Faeries or the fey folk. Offerings of milk and honey were often left out for them.

Transformed by Ruth Calder Murphy

As well as faeries there were thought to be evil sprits around at this time of year therefore our ancesters wore garlands of herbs and flowerflowers to protect themselves. The most popular of these was St Johns wort which was known as ‘chase’devil’

Litha was known as Sankt Hans Aften in Denmark and was an official holiday until 1770.

Litha was celebrated with bonfires as a reflection of the sun. Folk would jump through the fires and it was said that the height that they jumped would be the height of their crops the following year.

The Chinese celebrate this time of year by honouring Li the Goddess of Light

The Druids celebrated the day as the wedding of heaven and earth. They believed this to be a very sacred day, seeing the wonderful long day as a blessing given to us by mother earth. Handfasting ceremonies became very popular during June and even today it remains popular to have a June wedding.

The full moon that occurs near the time of the Summer Solstice is often termed Mead moon, name for the drink made from honey, often served at handfasting ceremonies.

In Poland the night of merrymaking - also known as St. John’s Night or “Noc Świętojańska” - is still observed in some areas and some Polish communities in the United States

The Pagan Wheel of the Year: Yule or the Winter Solstice

Yule traditions and history

Yule or the Winter Solstice takes place on 21^st December. Because the cycle of the Earth around the Sun isn't exactly the same length as our calendar year, the dates can fall on the 20th or the 22nd of December, however it is generally the 21^st that is considered the festival of Yule. Yule is the celebration of the longest night and shortest day. After this point our days will begin to get longer and the light return to the world.

 

Yule by Margaret Ellis

Yule is one of the fire festivals on the Wheel of the Year, a time of great warmth and celebration. This special time marks a turning point for our Earth: the days have reached their longest point and from now on until the Summer Solstice the light will return. The celebration of the Winter Solstice therefore focuses heavily on the themes of hope and renewal. As new life is slowly breathed into the world, so we can look at new starts within our own lives. Yule is also all about family, love and security. We give thanks for the family and friends that we have in our lives and spending time with them during the Yule holidays helps strengthen that bond.

The world Yule appears to have many possibilities for its origin that I have found. The word is said to have been derived from the word Jul, Jol or Juul in the Pagan Norse tradition which is a word meaning ‘Wheel’ The Feast of Juul was a festival observed in Scandinavia at the time of the December solstice. In countries like Scandinavia and Norway, people were forbidden to use wheels on the day of the Solstice as they waited for the return of the light.  This is because they believed that the Wheel of the Year stopped turning for a brief moment as one cycle ended and another began.  The Old Norse 'jol' is said to have been borrowed in Old French as 'olif', which gave way to the Modern French 'joli'; "pretty, nice," originally meaning "festive"

Yule is also know as Alban Arthan (Gaelic for ‘the light of Arthur) and also may have derived from the Anglo-Saxon Hweol also meaning Wheel. According to Webster's Dictionary, Yule originates from "geola" (Old English for "ice"), another name for the month during which it was celebrated. "Modronacht" (Mother's Night) is another name for the Winter Solstice.

 

Lights of Yule by Oshuna on DeviantArt

Yule is often celebrated as a 12 day celebration, it begins on "Mothers Night" (December 21st) and ends 12 days later on "Yule Night" (January 1st). This period of time is the origin for the Christian "12 Days of Christmas". ( can you recite all the verses for the song ‘On the twelth day of Chrismas my true love sent to me…..!). When ancient people used a lunar calendar, it left about 12 days left over each year.  So the twelve nights of Yule were considered to be not part of the old year, or part of the New Year. Thus as these twelve days were separate for the other days of the year they were considered to be especially important and sacred.

The twelve days are organized as follows:

Dec. 20 to Dec. 23. During the 1st 3 days - 
The virgin Maiden Goddess is honored as a guide for moving forward into the new year, to set you on a fulfilling and positive path.

Dec. 23 to Dec. 26. The 2nd set of 3 days - 
The Mother Goddess is honoured for fertility and all your projects ahead of you.

Dec. 26 to Dec 29. The 3rd set of 3 days - 
These 3 days are for the rebirth of the God, and honoring his guidance.

Dec. 29 to Jan. 1. - 
The last 3 days of Yule are a celebration of the Old Crone Goddess who is honoured for her wisdom and as the teacher in the lessons of life and spirit.  She is also honored as the waning year giving way to the new year. At the culmination of  these 12 days the new year was then celebrated. In Norse traditions Red Thor rides pas in his sled pulled by magical goats and brings presents for the children.

Yule is represented by the death of the Holly King and the birth of the Oak King, the God of the Waxing Year. Robert Graves suggests in his book The White Goddess that the two figures, the Holly King and the Oak King represent the two haves of the year. They constantly strive for superiority with the Holly King being victorious over the Oak King at midwinter and the Oak King winning in midsummer. The colours of Yule, red, white and green are said to have come from the Holly Tree, Mistletoe, and honoring the Goddess and the God. 

The Holly King from the Village Witch

The Goddess at Yule is Queen of the Darkness. She will give birth to the Child of Promise, the Sun God, who will bring light back to the world. The Sun God is often named Lugh in Celtic traditions. He is reborn in human form to rejoin his beloved wife Eriu. Eriu is described as a hag, who transfoms into a beautiful Goddess by the marriage and personifies the land of Ireland.

Many ancient monuments around the world have been found to be related to the Winter Solstice. Stonehenge is most famously believed to be in alignment with both the Winter and Summer sunrise and many people gather there each year to see the sunrise over the heel stone. The Newgrange burial mound in Ireland is another ancient monument  said to be aligned with the winter Solstice, the dawn light hitting the inner shrine. This Stone Age monument dates to around 3200 B.C., making it 500 years older than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt and a thousand years older than England's Stonehenge.

Yule has long been celebrated as an important festival the world over. Of course in the Christian world it has been taken over by Christmas but as we will explore, many of the traditions we associate with Christma such as mistletoe and the Christmas tree stem from pagan practices in place a long time before Christianity.

Ancient traditions of Yule

Ancient Pagans’ lives revolved around harvest and livestock. Thus many traditions concentrated on giving thanks and ensuring that good luck would continue. The winter solstice was a time of honoring the sun and giving thanks for the bounty that sustains the family throughout the cold winter months.

Misltletoe. In the Pagan Norse tradition the Norse god Balder was son of Frigga, goddess of love and beauty. She loved her son to such a degree that she had the four elements (Fire, Water, Air, and Earth) promise that they would not harm her son. However the evil God Loki found that mistletoe could harm Balder and shot him with an arrow made from the plant. The white berries are said to be Frigga’s tears at the loss of her beloved Balder. Luckily Balder is restored to life, and Frigga is so grateful that she reverses the reputation of the mistletoe, making it a symbol of love and promising to bestow a kiss upon anyone who passes under it. Thus when we pass under it, the kiss we receive is a sacred kiss from the Mother Goddess herself! A kiss under the mistletoe was often considered to be a promise of marriage and commitment. 

Mistletoe was considered highly sacred by the Druids because, as a parasitic kind of vegetation, it never touched the earth (growing instead on oaks and other trees) and also like holly bore berries in the middle of winter. Druids gathered the leaves and berries from oaks trees with special sickles made of gold. They called mistletoe "all-heal" because they believed it had the power of protection against illness and bad events, and also because they believed mistletoe spread goodwill amongst people. Legend says that enemies meeting under the mistletoe cast their weapons aside, greeted each other amicably, and honored a temporary truce. Misteltoe was also considered as a symbol of fertility.

Yule Log. This was traditionally a large log that was selected on size because it had to burn throughout the twelve days of Yule. In ancient times   A tree was chosen on the eve of Yule, often an oak as they were considered sacred. The huge log was then pulled from the forest into the town or village. As many people as possible grabbed onto the ropes to help pull, because doing so was believed to bring good luck in the New Year. The log was lit with a scrap of burned log carefully preserved from the previous year, a practice that ensured the continuity of good fortune from year to year and from generation to generation. Various Pagan religions around the world used the ashes in various ways to ensure luck and protection throughout the coming year. The ashes were sprinkled under beds, at the threshold, around crops and trees. For the Vikings, the Yule log was an integral part of their celebration of the solstice, the julfest. On the log they would carve runes representing unwanted traits (such as ill fortune or poor honor) that they wanted the gods to take from them. It was thought that as the log burnt so these unwanted things were erased. You may want to have your own Yule log in your home this winter. Select a log that has fallen from a tree if possible.

In her book ‘ Wheel of the Year” Pauline Campanelli says  “The Yule Log is selected early in the year and set aside. It is traditionally of oak. Early in the season as you begin decorating the house with great sprays of fir and sprigs of holly, you might wish to adorn the Yule Log with traditional and symbolic greens as well. The bright green needles of fir represent the birth of the New Year that is about to begin. The dark needles of yew symbolize death, in this case the death of the waning year. Trailing vines of ivy represent the Goddess as the female element, as do bare branches of birch, whose wintry appearance actually promises the return of Spring. Sprigs of holly with bright red berries represent the Holly King of the dying year, while the oak log itself represents the Oak King of the new year.”

One common part of the Yule tradition was that no unnecessary work would take place in or around the household as long as the log burned. This encouraged people to get together and relax with family. This custom still continues today as we spend time with family and friends.

The ‘Christmas’ Tree. Again many parts of the world had different traditions concerning the Yule tree. Christmas trees are thought to have evolved from the rite of symbolically selecting and harvesting a "sacred tree," a practice found in many ancient cultures. Evergreens and firs were sacred to early peoples, including the ancient Greeks, Celts, and Germans. Evergreens remained green while other vegetation lost their leaves and appeared lifeless during the bitter winter cold, thus they were seen to be sacred trees. The German word for Christmas tree is not Kristenbaum, or Christmas tree, but Tannenbaum, or sacred tree. In Roman times, on the night before Saturnali Roman priests called "tree-bearers" cut one of the sacred pines, decorated it, and carried it into the temple. Many ancient cultures chose a special tree to be part of their celebrations, perhaps decorating the tress around their homes or bringing a tree into a special meeting point in the centre of their towns and villages. Decorating the Yule tree was seen as a way of ensuring the return of the summer abundance. Trees were often decorated with fruit, nuts, flowers and berries.

Try this Yule to bring in some greenery from outside into your home and decorate your tree with the fruits of the earth such as dried fruit and nuts.

The ancient Egyptians considered the palm tree to symbolize resurrection. They decorated their homes with its branches during the winter solstice. The ancient Pagan Romans decorated their Saturnalia trees with bits of metal and replicas of their god, Bacchus [a fertility god]. They also placed 12 candles on the tree in honor of their sun god".

Wreathes. The wreath circle symbolizes the wheel of the year and the completion of another cycle. Often wreathes are made with holly and ivy, the holly representative of the Goddess and ivy the God. Like evergreens holly was seen as magickal as it bore berries in the middle of the cold winter. Both holly and ivy were seen as sacred and as a protection against any negative forces. Perhaps you would like to make your own decorative wreath this year?

Christmas Wreath by Rodalvarez.com

Carol singing. Carol singing from door to door is said to come from the tradition of ‘Wassailing’. Wassailing or to "wassail," is a word derived from the Old Norse 'ves heil'. In Old English 'hál' meant "be in good health" or "be fortunate." By about the 1600s, the practice of taking a wassail bowl containing a type of wine or cider about the streets had taken root. Instead of consuming the drink at home, wassailers went house to house offering a warm drink and going Wassailing was born. The wassailing tradition also sometimes included drinking the cider or suitable wine as a toast to a tree or orchard in the hope that it would continue to flourish.

Christmas Pudding. The Christmas pudding of Victorian times evolved from the medieval dish of frumenty -- a spicy, wheat-based dessert

Yule around the world

Yule or Winter solstice celebrations were held by many cultures around the globe. Yule celbrations were practiced among such diverse groups as Native South Americans, Celts, Persians, Orientals, and Africans. The Winter Solstice was known as Sacaea to the Mesopotamians, the Festival of Kronos to the ancient Greeks, and as Saturnalia to the Romans.

In the Norse tradition, the Valkyrie looked for souls to bring to Valhalla during Yule. Norwegians stopped hunting and fishing for the twelve days of Yule in order to allow the weary world to rest and to hasten the arrival of the sun.

In ancient Rome the festival of Saturnali begins on December 17 and lasts for seven days. It was held to honour Saturn, the father of the gods and was characterized by the suspension of discipline and reversal of the usual order, disagreements were often forgotten about at this time of the year and people forgivien for any misdemeanors. Wealthy Romans at the time of Saturnali  would exchange lavish gifts. There would be feasting, and they would hand over the Freedman's hat (also known as a Liberty Cap or pileus) to their slaves and serve them dinner, although the slaves still had to cook!

In Russia it was customary to sprinkle grain on your doorway as a way of bringing luck and ensuring plentiful food over the coming months. In many Baltic lands today corn is still scattered in the doorway, also the ashes of the Yule log are scattered near fruit trees to increase their yield in the summer/autumn.

In Poland the ancient winter solstice festival involved people showing forgiveness and sharing food. This tradition still survives today and is known as ‘Gody’

In both France and Germany ashes from the Yule log were mixed with cows’ feed to help them to produce healthy carves in the springtime. French peasants also believed that if the ashes from the Yule Log were kept under the bed, they would protect the house against thunder and lightning.

 

Yule by Rowiel on DeviantArt

In the northwestern corner of Pakistan, a festival called Chaomos, takes place among the Kalasha or Kalash Kafir people. It lasts for at least seven days, including the day of the December solstice. Chaomos involves ritual baths as part of a purification process, as well as singing and chanting, a torchlight procession, dancing, bonfires and festive eating.

In Cusco, Peru there is a major celebration for the Winter Solstice which begins in the town and proceeds to the local ampitheatre.

It is apparent therefore as we look at cultures around the world that Yule has always been an important festival. The themes of re-birth, returning of the light, love and family are ones that are echoed across many parts of our world. It is a time for protecting ourselves and the lives of those we hold dear, a time to ensure harmony amongst all people. How do you celebrate Yule? Do you have any particular traditions that happen every year with your friends and family?

#yule

Sources and Further Information:

I have found my information from various sites all over the internet. Also the following books are excellent sources for wheel of the year information:

Wheel of the Year by Pauline Campanelli and

Yule: A Celebration of Light and Warmth by Dorothy Morrison

Pagan in the City: Cassandra Eason

Creating Circles & Ceremonies: Rituals for All Seasons And Reasons

MacKillop, J, Dictionary of Celtic Mythology, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1998

Samhain poetry. Harvest and Harvest Moon by Ruth Calder Murphy

This is a fabulous poem from Ruth Calder Murphy, describing the wonderful transition from summer to autumn. The beautiful painting is 'Transformed' by Ruth Calder Murphy

Harvest
As the days shrink
and the nights invade the space where
they should be,
I will reach back to the heart of Summer
and bring,
cradled to my heart,
a single Solstice Sunbeam.
I will grow it,
nurture it,
feed it with candles 
and fragrant oils from tropical flowers,
Yoga-stretch it
and clothe it in colour
until,
in the depths
of Winter's ink-black gaze,
I reach my arms wide,
laugh aloud
and with the power
of equatorial days,
blaze;
my spirit bright,
defy the night
and with Spring in my heart
and Summer in my belly,
remove the season's bushel
and shine my light.
It has grown fat
and blooms happy
and will bear me
all the way to Beltane-
to dandelions
and daisy chains.
Before the days shrink
too far into the night
I will harvest the light.

And another beautiful one on the wonderful harvest moon that shines during October.

Harvest Moon

What will I harvest,
harvest moon
I'll gather Summer
into my barns-
Sunbeams that catch in my lashes-
To be shaken out at Solstice
sprinkling golden memories
like glitter
onto the disbelieving dark
Your perfect face
returns my gaze
and acknowledges my intent.
You who harvest sunshine
every time
you shine

More examples of Ruth's fabulous work may be found here: http://www.ruthmathews.net/ruth.htm

Litha Summer Solstice, free e-card and fire blessing

Litha Blessing

May the sparks of the Litha fire carry your desires up into the universe.
May you draw strength from the fire's flame and comfort from it's warmth.
A blessed Litha to you and all those near to you, may you always be warm and imagine the the soft glow of the fire on your face.

Feel free to send this free e-card to any of your friends or family who you think would appreciate it, or simply print it out to enjoy yourself. Simply right click on the image to save it to your computer. 

Enjoy the warmth and togetherness that this Solstice fire festival brings to you and your family and friends this June. Celebrate with light, candles, fire and warm colours. Above all celebrate with love, warmth and togetherness. Enjoy this longest day of Litha and bask in the light that our wonderful sun brings to our amazing planet.

Tendrils of love and fire to you, Alison xx

Litha Summer Solstice Blessing free e-card and affirmation

Litha Summer Solstice Blessing

On this day of the longest sunshine, I send you love and light and warm wishes.

Litha Summer Solstice Blessing

May your day be filled with love and joy and happiness, as the sun fills the day so may your heart be overflowing with love.

The Pagan Wheel of the Year now turns to Litha, the summer solstice and we celebrate this day of the everlasting sun.

Feel free to send this free e-card to any of your friends or family who you think would appreciate it, or simply print it out to enjoy yourself. Simply right click on the image to save it to your computer. You are free to use this image as you please, I would just ask that you credit me if used for anything other than purely personal use.

I hope that you have a wonderful and joyous Litha filled with sunshine and laughter. Enjoy the wonderful light that we experience at this time of day, absorb the light into your soul that it may always burn there brightly.

Dancing rays of brilliant Litha Solstice sunshine to you, Alison xxx

Litha, Summer Solstice Honey Cake

Litha, Summer Solstice Honey Cake

Honey is a wonderful food to represent Litha. One of the names often given for the Full Moon at Litha is Honey Moon' or ' Mead Moon' as this is a time when the  bee hives are rich with honey. The honey can be used in many ways, one of which is to ferment it and make into a traditional Midsummer drink called "mead", hence the name 'Mead Moon'.

Baking a cake at Litha would be a fabulous way to celebrate with friends and family and using honey is particularly pertinent to the season. I am particularly minded to think about bees when there is such a threat to their very existence at the moment.  

"Scientific evidence that common pesticides are harming bees has risen in the last year and, along with huge public protests, culminated in the European commission (EC) imposing the ban on three neonicotinoids. Bees and other insects pollinate three-quarters of the world's food crops but have suffered steep declines due to habitat loss, disease and pesticide use."Guardian May 2013

So if you do make this cake, spare a thought for the bees that made this cake possible, and pray for their continued existence on our planet as they are so important to us.

Here is a very simple recipe for Litha Honey cake. 

8 oz Margarine

8 oz Honey
3 Eggs
12 oz Self Raising Flour

Cream margarine and honey.
Add eggs with a little flour and beat well.
Fold in rest of flour
Put in greased 8" cake tin and cook about 1 1/2-2 hours in medium oven,
or until skewer comes out clean.

You could drizzle with a little honey icing- 20z icing sugar, 1 tablespoon of honey and a little hot water . This will perfectly finish off your Litha honey cake.

A yellow bow around the cake and perhaps some bees to decorate it would look lovely, share with your friends, family,  and neighbours so that everyone may take part in the 

joy that is the Summer Solstice

Photograph bbcgoodfood.

How to make energizing sun water and bring abundance into your life.

You can make sun water in a similar way to making moon water. See my post on moon water for further information : moon water. Leave still or mineral water in a glass or ceramic bowl (yellow would be great to echo the beauty of the sun) covered with film or mesh from dawn until noon as this is when the sun is rising and will give your water the most energy. You may like to say a simple prayer as you put out your water. For example you could say

‘Mighty sun, beam your powerful rays down onto this water of mine. Fill this water with your strength and energy that we may benefit from your amazing power. Blessed Be’

If the day is more cloudy then you should leave your water for up to eight hours. If you don’t have a garden you can leave your container on a window sill, preferably east facing:the direction that the sun rises. You can make sun water at any time along the wheel of the year however the summer months are a more powerful time to make this water because of the increased strength of the sun. Litha or the summer solstice and Mabon are therefore ideal Sabbats on which to make your sun water.

You can add citrine if you wish to additionally charge the water. Citrine is a stone of abundance, it is used to attract happiness, wealth and laughter into your life. Citrine strengthens personal power and acts to combat any negative energy that is around you, either from people that you come across or excess electrical energy for example from televisions. Further information on Citrine and other crystals can be found on the Astarte-Moon website here: http://www.astarte-moon.co.uk. Tigers Eye would be another good crystal that you can use in your sun water. Tiger’s Eye is a very good grounding and balancing stone.  It is helpful for resolving inner conflict and blocked creativity, Tigers Eye energises you and lifts your mood.

Keep the water in a glass bottle once you have made it to maintain it’s purity. Plastic bottles slowly leak chemicals into the water so they are not a good idea.

There are many ways in which you can you can use this sun water. You will find that it has a different energy to moon water if you have made this before.  Your sun water will be charged with a happy, fun-loving energy. You can use the water as an energiser in baths. Adding sun water to your drinks will give you more energy throughout your day.  A wonderful way to start your day is with a yoga Salute to the Sun exercise accompanied by a glass of your sun water with a slice of lemon. Imagine the power of the sun as you are doing your salute to the sun and feel the sun’s rays filling you up as you drink the water, this will keep your energy levels topped up throughout you day.  The yoga sun salutation is an excellent way of awakening and balancing all your chakras. The name sun salutation translates to Surya Namaskar in Sanskrit which means praising of the sun. On a physical level the sun salutation improves, circulation, flexibility and stamina. It also increases blood flow to your heart. Diagram www.stylecraze.com

In addition I keep any small glass bottles that come my way then I can give my friends and family either the sun or moon water that I have made that month.  Cleansing your crystals with sun water will re vitalize and energize them

You can use your sun water to splash on the centre of your hairline to open your Crown chakra and clear your aura when you feel tired or doubt yourself. The crown chakra is often associated with the sun, the more activated the crown chakra is the more energy you will feel that you have. The energy will often appear as a golden halo of light, often termed a sun-circle. Strengthening the crown chakra in this way acts as a powerful detoxifier. It removes negativity and deep emotional blocks and gives you emotional strength and courage. Imagine that you are wearing a lovely golden crown full of sunlight and the sun’s amazing power.

Enjoy the energy that this sun water will bring to you and your friends and family.

Sunny blessings to you, Alison

Sources: www.stylecraze.com