How to Celebrate the Summer Solstice
Midnight sun, flower garlands and mischievous summer spirits
Hello,
There’s magic to be found in every season. But some months are laced with just a little bit more than others. June is one of these months. In the natural world so much is happening right now. Days are long and hot, nights are short, and hot, and everywhere is teeming with life and energy.
Here, the roses in my garden are finally flowering all at once and the strawberries and raspberries in the vegetable patch are ripening under the watchful eye of my toddler. The unmown grass is now completely out of control (in a good way), the hedgerows are full and the tree canopy is thick and lush, knitting together overhead to create green-filtered sunshine below.
But as well as all this lovely summery activity, June also has an undeniable undertone of magic and mystery, thanks to Summer Solstice which falls next week on the 21st.
The Solstice is when the sun ‘stands still’ in the sky and gives us the longest day and shortest night of the year. And this short night of heat and light has traditionally been a time when magic and mischief was considered to be strong, and when ancient folklore and half-forgotten myths come to life under the strange, feverish light of a midnight sun.
In this newsletter we’ll look at the origins of Solstice celebrations, dip into some of the folklore that surrounds this Midsummer festival then explore how to celebrate the Solstice in your own home.
What is the Summer Solstice?
The Summer Solstice occurs when the sun is at its highest position in the sky, creating the longest day and the shortest night of the year. The word solstice comes from the Latin sōlstitium, which translates as sōl, (sun) and sistere, (to stand still). It falls between June 20th and 22nd (June 21st this year) and it marks the official start of astronomical Summer. However some believe the Solstice actually marks the midpoint of the season, hence the name ‘Midsummer’. After this point the balance will start to shift towards the dark again, as the days start to shorten and the wheel turns towards the Winter Solstice.
This time of year has been celebrated as a significant time since the Stone Age and evidence of the importance of this time of year to early civilizations can be seen in the layout of Neolithic monuments such as Stonehenge which were believed to have been designed in relation to the Solstices. Tracking the movements of the sun would have been of crucial importance to agricultural communities and it is believed these stones were used as a gathering place to witness and celebrate the Solstices.
This podcast by English Heritage about Stonehenge and the Solstice is a really good listen if you want to dig into the history a bit more.
Solstice Folklore
The time around the Solstice is also known as Midsummer in some cultures and is particularly celebrated in Scandinavian countries, where the sun barely sets at this time of year so they are able to hold their celebrations under the midnight sun. From long midsummer feasts to maypole dancing, flower crown wearing and lighting bonfires, many of their traditions have been adapted and borrowed by other Northern countries over time.
Most Solstice rituals centred around fire, usually a communal bonfire, and these fires were used for their protective powers as well as to celebrate light and boost the sun’s power for the rest of the growing season. This need for protection could have been partly to do with needing crops and livestock to prosper in the coming months. It could also be because spirits and magic were believed to be potent at this time and bonfires were considered to have a protective element.
Because the sun appears to stand still in the sky for a few days around the Solstice, it was seen as a strange and otherworldly time, where normal laws of nature were suspended and magical things could happen.
The night before Midsummer Day, known as Midsummer Eve, is when celebrations traditionally begin and this night has long been linked with otherworldly happenings, fairies, spirits and mayhem. This brilliant podcast by the National Trust explores how there might actually be a scientific reason behind this collective ‘Midsummer Madness’ and it’s all to do with light levels and circadian rhythms. If you’ve ever felt a slightly feverish rush of energy around this time of year, and wondered why, then this is definitely worth a listen.
How to celebrate it at home
This midsummer festival is all about celebrating the sun, so it’s a wonderful excuse to maximise the long hours of sunlight, gather friends together and celebrate outdoors.
While Beltane, (the early summer festival held in May), marked the start of summer, the Solstice marks the mid point, the moment in the year when the sun is at its full strength and the natural world is at its peak. Here are a few ways to bring some Solstice rituals into your home this June.
1. Light the shortest night with candles
Midsummer Eve, or the night before the Solstice, has traditionally been a time when magic and mischief was considered to be strong. To symbolically keep the sun shining through the shortest night of the year, and as a symbol of protection against any Midsummer magic, some like to stay awake all night and keep a fire or candle burning from sundown on the eve of the Solstice, to sunrise on Solstice morning. Others might choose to stay outside all night instead, around a bonfire, to greet the early Solstice dawn.
Even if you don’t stay awake all night, lighting a candle on the eve of the Solstice is a symbolic way of honouring the power of the sun and bringing its warmth into your home.
Image: Rowen and Wren
2. Greet the dawn
Stonehenge is perhaps the most famous Solstice gathering place for pagans, with many staying up all night to greet the dawn on the longest day of the year. You can watch a livestream of the dawn rising over the stones on the English Heritage Youtube channel if you fancy it, or just tune into the Solstice energy wherever you are by greeting the dawn on the longest day of the year from the comfort of your own home. If you don’t want to stay awake the night before, set an alarm, or leave your curtains open to allow the sun to wake you naturally on the shortest night of the year.
3. Make a flower crown / wreath
Flowers are in abundance now so this is a good time to gather and preserve them or to pick them fresh to weave into crowns or wreaths. Flower crowns were traditionally worn for Midsummer celebrations in Scandinavian countries, where garlands of flowers and herbs were made and worn to ward off mischievous spirits.
You could also make a flower and herb wreath for your front door to protect against Solstice magic and to celebrate this abundant time of year. Sprinkling a few flower petals into a bath is another way to weave some midsummer magic into your day.
4. Have a Midsummer feast outside
These long days of midsummer are the perfect time to host a summer garden party, or to have a picnic outdoors, to eat fresh, seasonal produce and enjoy the long, light evening. Elderflowers are at their peak at this time of year and these tiny star-shaped flowers with their summery scent are intrinsically linked to this festival, so elderflower cordial is the perfect drink to accompany an outdoor feast.
5. Gather and dry herbs
Herbs are believed by many to be at their most potent on Midsummer, so now is the time to cut and preserve them for the winter. A small herb posy also makes a lovely Midsummer gift. Cut a small bunch, tie together with string and attach a paper gift tag with a Midsummer message for your friends or guests. When your guests get their posy home they can hang it up somewhere to dry out, preserving a little of the scent and memories of midsummer to take with them into the colder, darker months.
6. Strengthen the sun's power with a bonfire
The Solstice is a celebration of the sun, and accordingly, ancient pagan traditions tended to centre around fire, often with a bonfire at the heart of the festivities. Lighting bonfires is a pivotal element of many of the Seasonal celebrations I write about, but the spirit and purpose of these fires changes along with the seasons. The Summer Solstice is a time of sun worship as the sun is at its peak right now, on this the longest day, but there is also an awareness that after this day, the sun's strength will start to diminish, so Solstice fires are intended to strengthen its power, and boost it for the remainder of the growing season.
The Summer Solstice is a sociable, outdoor festival, held at the time of the year when it is possible to stay outside all night, so outdoor fires take on a celebratory feel and this is a season to share with friends and family.
I hope you enjoyed reading this and do let me know if you try any of these rituals (or others) this Solstice. Just hit the Comment button below.
If you enjoyed this article, maybe you’d consider sharing it (perhaps on notes). I’m brand new here and would love to meet new readers and make some nice connections with like-minded folk. Thank you!
Want to know more about the Wheel of the Year? Take a look at my quick guide below:
