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Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on June 14, 2012 at 9:57am

Litha Loaf

1 1/4 cups warm water 
1 envelope of yeast 
2 Tbsp sugar 
2 Tbsp softened oleo 
1 1/2 tsp salt 
1 tsp dried leaf thyme 
2 3/4 cups plain flour 

Sprinkle yeast over water in a large warm bowl (I still use the good old Pyrex yellow); stir till dissolved. Add oleo, sugar, salt, thyme, and half of the flour. Beat on medium mixer speed 2 minutes or 150 strokes by hand; scrape bowl often. Beat in rest of the flour with a spoon till smooth. Scrape down sides. Cover; let rise till double, about 1 hour. Beat down with 25 strokes. Turn into greased bread tin or 1 1/2-qt casserole. Bake l hr 10 min at 175°C. Brush top of hot loaf with melted oleo (I just rub a stick over it). 

 

 

Sabbat Honey Cake

½ cup butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup honey
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg, well beaten
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups of flour, sifted
½ cup buttermilk

Frosting:
1 cup powdered (10x) sugar
1 tablespoon of melted butter
1 ½ tablespoons of milk, slightly warmed
½ teaspoons of honey, warmed slightly

In a mixing bowl on medium speed, cream butter until light. 
On low speed, mix in honey and beaten egg.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. 
Add this dry mixture, alternating with some of the buttermilk, into the first bowl.
Blend everything together thoroughly then pour into a 9x13 baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes.
When done, allow cake to cool completely. 

For frosting: blend powdered sugar, warm milk, melted butter and warm honey in a bowl. Spread over entire cooled cake.

 

 

Solstice Herb Bread 

3 C. flour 
1 tbsp. sugar 
1 tsp. salt 
1 pkg. dry active yeast 
2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives 
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary 
1 tsp. fresh thyme 
1 1/4 C. hot water 
2 tbsp. Crisco 

Mix 2 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Add herbs, water, and Crisco. Beat slowly, stirring in remaining cup of flour until smooth. Scrape batter from sides of bowl and let rise in a warm place for 35 minutes or until it doubles in bulk. Punch down and beat with a spoon for about 15 seconds. Place dough in a greased loaf pan, patting down and forming a loaf shape with your hands. Cover and let rise again for about 30 minutes or until it again doubles in bulk. Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes. Brush top with butter or margarine and remove from pan to cool. 

 

Solstice Fruit Fizz

400g cherries
4 nectarines
250g strawberries
300ml lemonade
6 lemon balm leaves
A few cherries and strawberries, to serve
Ice cubes

Cut the nectarines and cherries in half and remove the pits. Cut any leaves and stalks off the strawberries, and wash all fruit thoroughly. Push through a juicer, then top with sparkling water or lemonade, and pour into a jug. Add a few ice cubes, the lemon balm leaves, and extra fresh fruits.

http://recipesforapagansoul.weebly.com/litha-jun-20-23.html

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on June 13, 2012 at 9:37am

In the moon of Litha, we should all remember this time for year.. For as Shaman, we make ready for the start of the dark time of year.. Though young (first years) tend to find this time full of trials and "problems", the older ranks find ourselves gathering up the sun for storage for the rest of the year..
http://twopagans.com/holiday/Litha.html

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on May 30, 2012 at 7:35am

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on May 30, 2012 at 7:35am

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on May 30, 2012 at 7:35am

~How To Hold a Midsummer Night's Fire Ritual~

The Summer Solstice, known to some as Litha, Midsummer, or Alban Heruin, is the longest day of the year. It’s the time when the sun is most powerful, and new life has begun to grow within the earth. After today, the nights will once more begin to grow longer, and the sun will move further away in the sky.

If your tradition requires you to cast a circle, consecrate a space, or call the quarters, now is the time to do so. This ritual is a great one to perform outside, so if you have the opportunity to do this without scaring the neighbors, take advantage of it.

Begin this ritual by preparing the wood for a fire, without lighting it yet. While the ideal situation would have you setting a huge bonfire alight, realistically not everyone can do that. If you're limited, use a table top brazier or fire-safe pot, and light your fire there instead.

Say either to yourself or out loud:
Today, to celebrate Midsummer, I honor the Earth itself. I am surrounded by tall trees. There is a clear sky above me and cool dirt beneath me, and I am connected to all three. I light this fire as the Ancients did so long ago. At this point, start your fire. Say: The Wheel of the Year has turned once more
The light has grown for six long months
Until today.

Say:
Today is Litha, called Alban Heruin by my ancestors.
A time for celebration.
Tomorrow the light will begin to fade
As the Wheel of the Year
Turns on and ever on.

Turn to the East, and say:
From the east comes the wind,
Cool and clear.
It brings new seeds to the garden
Bees to the pollen
And birds to the trees.

Turn to Face South, and say:
The sun rises high in the summer sky
And lights our way even into the night
Today the sun casts three rays
The light of fire upon the land, the sea, and the heavens

Turn to face West, saying:
From the west, the mist rolls in
Bringing rain and fog
The life-giving water without which
We would cease to be.

Finally, turn to the North, and say:
Beneath my feet is the Earth,
Soil dark and fertile
The womb in which life begins
And will later die, then return anew. Build up the fire even more, so that you have a good strong blaze going.

If you wish to make an offering to the gods, now is the time to do it.

Say:
Alban Heruin is a time of rededication
To the gods. The triple goddess watches over me.
She is known by many names.
She is the Morrighan, Brighid, and Cerridwen.
She is the washer at the ford,
She is the guardian of the hearth,
She is the one who stirs the cauldron of inspiration. I give honor to You, O mighty ones,
By all your names, known and unknown.
Bless me with Your wisdom
And give life and abundance to me
As the sun gives life and abundance to the Earth.

Say:

I make this offering to you
To show my allegiance
To show my honor
To show my dedication
To You.
Cast your offering into fire.

Conclude the ritual by saying:
Today, at Litha, I celebrate the life
And love of the gods
And of the Earth and Sun. Take a few moments to reflect upon what you have offered, and what the gifts of the gods mean to you. When you are ready, if you have cast a circle, dismantle it or dismiss the quarters at this time. Allow your fire to go out on its own.

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on March 5, 2012 at 4:32pm

Litha Introduction
Summer Solstice, or Litha as it is also called, occurs on or about the21st of June, when the Sun enters zero degrees Cancer. It marksMidsummer for many cultures, even though in most of the US, summer hasbarely started and the kids are just now getting out of school! It isthe longest day of the year, and the shortest night; when the sunreaches his apex in the sky, and the days will now grow shorter as thelight begins to wane.

Many legends explain this phenomena as the darkness triumphing over thelight. The darker brother kills the lighter brother in these legends,and the brother who dies resides in the underworld until it is time forhim to return and slay his brother again, to rule for the next 6 months.The stories of Lugh and Goronwy, and the Oak King and the Holly Kingare but two of these legends.

It is interesting to note here that the Christian religion has alsotried to usurp this holiday by decreeing it the birth of John theBaptist, and declaring it his feast day. Now, other Saints in theChurch are only remembered for the day they died (usually in martyrdom)so it is very curious that St. John the Baptist should be the only onerecognized on his natal day. Also, the original birth of Christ wasmoved from late Spring when he was actually born, to December 25 tocoincide with the birth of all the other "Sun" Gods. So even theChristian religion has rotated to the Pagan cycle of the Earth, withtheir births lining right up with our Solstices. The natural cycle,what we call the Wheel of the Year, is evidently highly compelling!This was the traditional time of year to harvest your magickal andmedicinal herbs. Cut them with a scythe or boline, by the light of theMoon, while chanting the appropriate chant for the purpose for whichthe plant will be used. Leave an offering for the rest of the plant,and try not to harvest more than 1/3rd of the plant so that the restwill remain healthy and vigorous. If you have to harvest the roots,then you will need to find a bunch of them growing together, and thenonly harvest 1/3 of them, so that the rest will thrive in the space youhave just provided. Harvesting a branch should be done at the lowestjunction where the branch joins the main plant, and be careful not todamage the remaining plant. Nature will provide all our needs, but notif we destroy Her gifts!

If you live in the southern part of the US, you can harvest many plantsnow also, unless you are in the deep south. This far south, likesouthern Florida, and southern California, not much that has magickalor medicinal value will still be alive by this time. Most of theharvesting must be done at Imbolc, or Ostara, because the intense heatand sunlight will have burned off many herbs by this time. One way totry to save them is to put them under screening, or indoors withdiffused light. That will enable some of the hardier varieties tosurvive through the early summer at least.

Since the Sun at Litha is entering Cancer, a water sign, this holidayis one of the best ones for gathering your magickal water which will beused on your altar and in your spells for the coming year. We usuallygo to the beach at Litha, and gather salt-water. We bring offerings offlowers and nuts, and 3 pennies or 3 dimes for prosperity and throwthese into the waves before we take our water. We honor Aphrodite andYameya as the Goddesses of the Sea by taking some jewelry as anoffering. It can be simply a broken silver chain, a ring you used towear, one half of an earring set, things like that. We find that doingthis means that when we visit the beach anytime at all, we don't haveto worry about losing any of our "good" jewelry to a jealous Goddess!If you don't live near the sea, another excellent source of magickalwater, is rain water from a thunderstorm, and there are plenty thatoccur at this time of year. The more electrical energy the storm putsout, the more energized the water is, so the fiercer the better!

Collect in a glass jar, or porcelain, avoid metal containers. Store ona shelf, and don't leave the jar on the ground, or the energy willground. We only use our water for 6 months, after that we return thewater to the source, and collect fresh. The energized water really onlylasts about 6 months. If you add shells, rocks from the sea, or othernon-perishable sea items such as coral, the energy of the water willstay higher during the 6 months. This water is not for drinking, butonly for magickal use.

In June, the Full Moon is called the Honey Moon, because this is thetime to collect the honey from the beehives. Mead is an excellent brewmade from honey, and there is Lord Riekin's Mead making recipe on thisweb-page, or you can e-mail Lady Bridget for his instructions also.Mead is the traditional drink for Summer Solstice for that reason.

Small mead, or Soda-Pop mead, can be made about 10 days prior todrinking, and is low in alcohol and on the sweet side. For thesereasons, it is the preferred Mead to make just prior to this Sabbat.Incidentally, it was believed that since the Grand Union between theGoddess and God happened in May, at Beltain, that it was unlucky tohave mortal weddings in May. In addition, many couples found that afterthe May Day frolic, they were "expecting" and so June became the mostpopular month for weddings, and still is today. Since the June FullMoon is called the "Honey Moon", can you guess now why that term isused for the time right after the marriage ceremony?!!

It is appropriate also, to have honey on the altar during the Cakes andWine to dip your cakes in for this celebration. In our tradition, wealways have honey on the altar to symbolize the sweetness of life. Italso is a symbol of what combined energies to a single goal canaccomplish!

There are many songs associated with Litha, or the Summer Solstice, andchants dealing with the ocean and the ebb and flow of the year areespecially appropriate. Do some research, find books of poetry and seehow much material is available with the Sun theme, and the Ocean theme.Our ancestors have been worshiping the Sun for long ages, and thewealth of material out there will astound you. Anything that pleasesyou and your group can be used in your rituals without copyrightinfringement as long as it is not published, and if you distributewords be sure to credit the proper sources.

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on March 5, 2012 at 4:29pm

L I T H A
Midsummer
(circa June 21)

Herbs Lore The Altar Goddesses Gods Spellwork Activities *
Food

At Midsummer, the Holly King, God of the Waning Year, vanquishes the Oak
King, God of the Waxing Year. Read about them here. Celebrate passion
and success. This is a night of powerful magick. Laurie Cabot, in
Celebrate the Earth, calls midsummer the sun's sea change, when the sun
reaches its peak, and "in one magical instant begins to wane." A
midsummer fire was traditionally fueled by the friction between two
sacred woods -- fir and oak. The element of fire is an important
component of Midsummer, possibly because the sun is blazing in the sky
and the heat generates thunder and lightning.

Says Cabot: "The tradition of hurling fire wheels into the air or down
from atop a sacred hill was a common practice throughout Europe up until
the 19th century or even later." As at Beltane, herds were driven
through the embers of Midsummer fires to purge them of disease. Rubbing
the ashes from the Beltane fire on our foreheads at Midsummer heightens
our magickal powers.

HERBS

At Midsummer, nine different herbs are thrown into the blaze --
mistletoe, vervain, St. John's Wort, heartsease and lavender are usually
among the nine chosen, but the nine can be chosen from this list :

sage, mint, basil, fennel, chive, chervil, tarragon, parsley,
rosemary,thyme, hyssop, honeysuckle, red heather, white heather, rue,
sunflower, lavender, fern, mistletoe, St. John's Wort, mugwort, vervain,
meadowsweet, heartsease, feverfew, iris, rowan, oak, fir, pine, aniseed,
hazelnut.

LORE

Midsummer is a good time to seek protection and to purify space against
negative or harmful energy. It's also a good time to divine in matters
of fertility and love. In ancient times on Midsummer's Eve, young women
galloped through fields of growing crops on broomsticks to ensure a
bountiful harvest and personal fertility.

Protection rituals are appropriate at Midsummer. Some make protection
amulets, charge them, use throughout the year and burn in the Midsummer
fire -- making and charging a new one for the next year. I had a mini
fire in my cauldron at the kitchen table (my altar for now) and burned
Midsummer herbs and woods.

Make a small pouch out of white cloth. Fill it with any combination of
midsummer herbs you wish. (Be sure to add them in threes). Tie the pouch
with a red string. Hold the pouch in your hand. Concentrate on any
problems, pain or illness you wish to be rid of. Picture these things
going into the bag. Throw the bag into the Midsummer fire.

In Celebrate the Earth, Laurie Cabot invokes the sorcerer, Merlin
(Merddin, Myrddin), who dwells in the spirit of the sacred Oak -- also
the Faery Queen and flower goddess Vivian (Merlin's wise teacher) who
was made completely of flowers in the Underworld.

Midsummer is a very magickally powerful night, and a classic time for
works of magick. A good time to tackle the biggies -- spellwork that
needs a lot of power behind it.

Midsummer is a great time for a re-dedication.

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on March 5, 2012 at 4:22pm

A Midsummer's Celebration
by Mike Nichols

The young maid stole through the cottage door,And blushed as she sought the Plant of pow'r;--'Thou silver glow-worm, O lend me thy light,I must gather the mystic St. John's wort tonight,The wonderful herb, whose leaf will decideIf the coming year shall make me a bride.

In addition to the four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic year, there are four lesser holidays as well: the two solstices, and the two equinoxes. In folklore, these are referred to as the four 'quarter-days' of the year, and modern Witches call them the four 'Lesser Sabbats', or the four 'Low Holidays'. The Summer Solstice is one of them.

Technically, a solstice is an astronomical point and, due to the calendar creep of the leap-year cycle, the date may vary by a few days depending on the year. The summer solstice occurs when the sun reaches the Tropic of Cancer, and we experience the longest day and the shortest night of the year. Astrologers know this as the date on which the sun enters the sign of Cancer.

However, since most European peasants were not accomplished at reading an ephemeris or did not live close enough to Salisbury Plain to trot over to Stonehenge and sight down its main avenue, they celebrated the event on a fixed calendar date, June 24th. The slight forward displacement of the traditional date is the result of multitudinous calendrical changes down through the ages. It is analogous to the winter solstice celebration, which is astronomically on or about December 21st, but is celebrated on the traditional date of December 25th, Yule, later adopted by the Christians.

Again, it must be remembered that the Celts reckoned their days from sundown to sundown, so the June 24th festivities actually begin on the previous sundown (our June 23rd). This was Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Eve. Which brings up another point: our modern calendars are quite misguided in suggesting that 'summer begins' on the solstice. According to the old folk calendar, summer begins on May Day and ends on Lammas (August 1st), with the summer solstice, midway between the two, marking mid-summer. This makes more logical sense than suggesting that summer begins on the day when the sun's power begins to wane and the days grow shorter.

Although our Pagan ancestors probably preferred June 24th (and indeed most European folk festivals today use this date), the sensibility of modern Witches seems to prefer the actual solstice point, beginning the celebration on its eve, or the sunset immediately preceding the solstice point. Again, it gives modern Pagans a range of dates to choose from with, hopefully, a weekend embedded in it.

Just as the Pagan mid-winter celebration of Yule was adopted by Christians as Christmas (December 25th), so too the Pagan mid-summer celebration was adopted by them as the feast of John the Baptist (June 24th). Occurring 180 degrees apart on the wheel of the year, the mid-winter celebration commemorates the birth of Jesus, while the mid-summer celebration commemorates the birth of John, the prophet who was born six months before Jesus in order to announce his arrival.

Although modern Witches often refer to the holiday by the rather generic name of Midsummer's Eve, it is more probable that our Pagan ancestors of a few hundred years ago actually used the Christian name for the holiday, St. John's Eve. This is evident from the wealth of folklore that surrounds the summer solstice (i.e. that it is a night especially sacred to the faerie folk) but which is inevitably ascribed to 'St. John's Eve', with no mention of the sun's position. It could also be argued that a Coven's claim to antiquity might be judged by what name it gives the holidays. (Incidentally, the name 'Litha' for the holiday is a modern usage, possibly based on a Saxon word that means the opposite of Yule. Still, there is little historical justification for its use in this context.) But weren't our Pagan ancestors offended by the use of the name of a Christian saint for a pre-Christian holiday?

Well, to begin with, their theological sensibilities may not have been as finely honed as our own. But secondly and more importantly, St. John himself was often seen as a rather Pagan figure. He was, after all, called 'the Oak King'. His connection to the wilderness (from whence 'the voice cried out') was often emphasized by the rustic nature of his shrines. Many statues show him as a horned figure (as is also the case with Moses). Christian iconographers mumble embarrassed explanations about 'horns of light', while modern Pagans giggle and happily refer to such statues as 'Pan the Baptist'. And to clench matters, many depictions of John actually show him with the lower torso of a satyr, cloven hooves and all! Obviously, this kind of John the Baptist is more properly a Jack in the Green! Also obvious is that behind the medieval conception of St. John lies a distant, shadowy Pagan deity, perhaps the archetypal Wild Man of the Wood, whose face stares down at us through the foliate masks that adorn so much church architecture. Thus medieval Pagans may have had fewer problems adapting than we might suppose.

In England, it was the ancient custom on St. John's Eve to light large bonfires after sundown, which served the double purpose of providing light to the revelers and warding off evil spirits. This was known as 'setting the watch'. People often jumped through the fires for good luck. In addition to these fires, the streets were lined with lanterns, and people carried cressets (pivoted lanterns atop poles) as they wandered from one bonfire to another. These wandering, garland-bedecked bands were called a 'marching watch'. Often they were attended by morris dancers, and traditional players dressed as a unicorn, a dragon, and six hobby-horse riders. Just as May Day was a time to renew the boundary on one's own property, so Midsummer's Eve was a time to ward the boundary of the city.

Customs surrounding St. John's Eve are many and varied. At the very least, most young folk plan to stay up throughout the whole of this shortest night. Certain courageous souls might spend the night keeping watch in the center of a circle of standing stones. To do so would certainly result in either death, madness, or (hopefully) the power of inspiration to become a great poet or bard. (This is, by the way, identical to certain incidents in the first branch of the 'Mabinogion'.) This was also the night when the serpents of the island would roll themselves into a hissing, writhing ball in order to engender the 'glain', also called the 'serpent's egg', 'snake stone', or 'Druid's egg'. Anyone in possession of this hard glass bubble would wield incredible magical powers. Even Merlyn himself (accompanied by his black dog) went in search of it, according to one ancient Welsh story.

Snakes were not the only creatures active on Midsummer's Eve. According to British faery lore, this night was second only to Halloween for its importance to the wee folk, who especially enjoyed a ridling on such a fine summer's night. In order to see them, you had only to gather fern seed at the stroke of midnight and rub it onto your eyelids. But be sure to carry a little bit of rue in your pocket, or you might well be 'pixie-led'. Or, failing the rue, you might simply turn your jacket inside-out, which should keep you from harm's way. But if even this fails, you must seek out one of the 'ley lines', the old straight tracks, and stay upon it to your destination. This will keep you safe from any malevolent power, as will crossing a stream of 'living' (running) water.

Other customs included decking the house (especially over the front door) with birch, fennel, St. John's wort, orpin, and white lilies. Five plants were thought to have special magical properties on this night: rue, roses, St. John's wort, vervain and trefoil. Indeed, Midsummer's Eve in Spain is called the 'Night of the Verbena (Vervain)'. St. John's wort was especially honored by young maidens who picked it in the hopes of divining a future lover.

And the glow-worm cameWith its silvery flame,And sparkled and shoneThrough the night of St. John,And soon has the young maid her love-knot tied.

There are also many mythical associations with the summer solstice, not the least of which concerns the seasonal life of the God of the sun. Inasmuch as I believe that I have recently discovered certain associations and correspondences not hitherto realized, I have elected to treat this subject in some depth in another essay. Suffice it to say here, that I disagree with the generally accepted idea that the Sun-God meets his death at the summer solstice. I believe there is good reason to see the Sun-God at his zenith -- his peak of power -- on this day, and that his death at the hands of his rival would not occur for another quarter of a year. Material drawn from the Welsh mythos seems to support this thesis. In Irish mythology, Midsummer is the occasion of the first battle between the Fir Bolgs and the Tuatha De Danaan.

Altogether, Midsummer is a favorite holiday for many Witches in that it is so hospitable to outdoor celebrations. The warm summer night seems to invite it. And if the celebrants are not in fact skyclad, then you may be fairly certain that the long ritual robes of winter have yielded place to short, tunic-style apparel. As with the longer gowns, tradition dictates that one should wear nothing underneath -- the next best thing to skyclad, to be sure. (Incidentally, now you know the real answer to the old Scottish joke, 'What is worn beneath the kilt?')

The two chief icons of the holiday are the spear (symbol of the Sun-God in his glory) and the summer cauldron (symbol of the Goddess in her bounty). The precise meaning of these two symbols, which I believe I have recently discovered, will be explored in the essay on the death of Llew. But it is interesting to note here that modern Witches often use these same symbols in the Midsummer rituals. And one occasionally hears the alternative consecration formula, 'As the spear is to the male, so the cauldron is to the female...' With these mythic associations, it is no wonder that Midsummer is such a joyous and magical occasion!

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on March 5, 2012 at 4:21pm

Celebrating Midsummer - School of the Seasons
The summer solstice is the time when the sun is in its glory. This isthelongest day of the year and the shortest night. The date of the summersolstice varies slightly from year to year. This year it falls on June21st.Summer solstice customs are also associated with a fixed date: June 24theMidsummer's Day. June 23rd is Midsummer's Eve.As the name "Midsummer" indicates, this is considered the height of thesummer. Yet there is an undertone of darkness in the light. While wecelebrate the power of the sun, we also note its decline. From now onthehours of sunlight will decrease.

The Fire and the SunThe great solar festival of the year is celebrated from North Africa toScandinavia with fire. This is a traditional time for a bonfire which islitas the sun sets. People dance around the fire clockwise and carry littorches. In some places, they set fire to wheels of hay which are rolleddownhill.Flowers and May Day wreaths are tossed into the fire. They burn and diejustas the heat of the summer consumes the spring and brings us closer tothedecline of autumn and the death of vegetation in winter. As we begin thedecline, it's important to remember that the wheel of the year is acircle.The spring will come again. The sun will triumph over the darknessagain.Thus, the circle is an important symbol. Wreaths are hung on doors.Peoplegaze at the fire through wreaths and wear necklaces of golden flowers.Before the calendar was changed in the 18th century, Midsummer fell on4thof July. When you celebrate Fourth of July, think of all those brilliantfireworks and blazing Catherine wheels as devotions in honor of the sun.

St John and HoneymoonsMidsummer's Eve is also called St John's Eve. The official version saysthatSt John was assigned this feast because he was born six months beforeChrist(who gets the other great solar festival, the winter solstice). Actuallyitmay have more to do with the story of St John losing his head to Salome.Inancient times, a ritual sacrifice was made to the goddess of midsummer.Other midsummer symbols also accumulate around St John. He's the patronofshepherds and beekeepers. This is a time to acknowledge those wildthingswhich man culls but cannot tame, like the sheep and bees. The full moonwhich occurs in June is sometimes called the Mead Moon. The hives arefullof honey. In ancient times, the honey was fermented and made into mead.According to Pauline Campanelli in The Wheel of the Year, this is thederivation of honeymoon.This is a traditional time for honoring water, perhaps because it playssucha vital role in maintaining life while the sun is blazing overhead.Severalof the goddesses worshipped at midsummer - Matuta, Anahita and Kupala -areassociated with moisture and dampness. St John baptized with water whileChrist baptizes with fire and the Holy Spirit. In Mexico, St Johnpresidesover all waters. People dress wells and fountains with flowers, candlesandpaper festoons. They go out and bathe at midnight in the nearest body ofwater. In the city, they celebrate at the bathhouse or pool with divingandswimming contests.

Herbs and LoversMidsummer Eve is also known as Herb Evening. This is the most potentnight(and midnight the most potent time) for gathering magical herbs,particularly St John's wort, vervain, mugwort, mistletoe, ivy and fernseed.In some legends, a special plant, which is guarded by demons, flowersonlyon this one night a year. Successfully picking it gives one magicalpowers,like being able to understand the language of the trees.This is also a time for lovers. An old Swedish proverb says "MidsummerNightis not long but it sets many cradles rocking." According to DorothyGladysSpicer in The Book of Festivals, Irish girls drop melted lead into waterandinterpret the shapes it makes. In Spain, girls do the same with eggs. InPoland, they combine three of the symbols of the holiday for adivination.Girls make a wreath of wild flowers, put a candle in the middle, set itadrift on the river and tell the future by observing its fate.

CelebratingThis is a great festival to celebrate outdoors. Go camping. Go out intothewoods or up into the mountains or down to the beach. Find some placewhereyou can build a bonfire and light it when the sun sets. Bring alongplentyof flowers (especially roses or yellow flowers like calendulas, StJohn'swort, or marigolds). Fashion them into wreaths, wear them as you dancearound the fire and throw them into the fire at the end of the night.Bringalong sparklers too (but use them carefully). Indoors, use whateversymbolsrepresent light and warmth to you: golden discs, sunflowers, shiny metaltrays, chili pepper lights.Gather magical and healing herbs at night on June 23. Hang St John'swortover your doors and windows for protection; toss some on the fire aswell.Harvest your garden herbs now so they will be extra potent.To acknowledge the gift of water in your everyday life, decorate thefaucetsin your house. Z Budapest in The Grandmother of Time suggests walking tothenearest body of water, making a wish and then throwing in a rose youhavekissed to carry your wish home. She provides the following wishing poem:Yes, you are here in the soft buzzing grass.Yes, you are listening among the flowering gardens.Yes, you are shining from the most royal blue sky.Yes, you are granting me what I wish tonight.Grant me a healthy life rich with high purpose,A true partner to share my joys and my tears,Wisdom to hear your voice giving me guidance,Wealth to give to others as you have given to me.

Honoring Your StrengthThe sun is associated with will, vitality, accomplishment, victory andfame.As you throw your flowers into the fire, acknowledge youraccomplishments.Write about these at length in your journal, perhaps while sipping a cupoftea sweetened with honey, or gather your friends in a circle and goaroundseveral times with each person boasting about their strengths. Assign adifferent topic for each round, for instance, aspirations, courage,achievement, competence. Toast each other (with mead, if you can findit).This is your night to shine.

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