Summer is here

Summer Solstice , a festival of the seasons to celebrate the power of the sun and the fertility of Earth and pray for a bountiful harvest .People often light fires and jump 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. 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.

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 give him the power of inspiration to become a great poet or bard. 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 Merlin himself went in search of it, according to one ancient Welsh story.

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). 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!