SUMMER SOLSTICE AND MIDSUMMER’S DAY

We’ll watch the Sun

As his chariot rolls

Far down the horizon’s rim.

                                                                                                Mary L. Wyatt

At the summer solstice we cross the threshold of the year.  The sun has reached the peak of his strength, and after this day will begin to diminish.  Almost imperceptibly, time and the season adjust all around us; days grow shorter and recede before the lengthening hours of the night.  Like the sun, the season will gradually lose its warmth and brightness.  At the summer solstice we stand between the seasons in a breathless moment, and watch as the wheel of the year rolls on. 

Some Summer Symbols

The summer solstice usually falls near the cusp between Gemini, the Twins, and Cancer, the Crab.  Gemini is ruled by Mercury, the messenger of the gods, in the 3^rd House of communication, journeys, and siblings – all echoed in the open, outreaching sociability of the season.  By Midsummer’s Day (June 24^th) the Sun has entered Cancer, ruled by the Moon in the 4^th House of the home and family, domesticity and stability.  The Moon dictates our emotional responses to things, and we carry these wherever we go – just like the crab carries its shell.

In Tarot the summer connects with two cards, the Lovers and the Chariot.  The Lovers typically features two figures, a man and a woman, and is associated with many manifestations of this duality – not just the twins of Gemini, but also brother and sister, Adam and Eve, and the embodiment of the intangibilities of choice.  The Chariot suggests forward movement – both mental and physical – accomplished by looking beyond immediate circumstances, following intuition, and allowing the universe to carry us out of stasis to change, or, it might be said, out of our comfortable shells.

John the Baptist - Midsummer’s Saint

In the Christian calendar, the nativity of St. John the Baptist is celebrated at Midsummer on June 24^th.  Some traditions suggest that the early Church incorporated many of the incantations used by the cult of Bel, a pagan sun-deity, into re-dedicated litanies to St. John.  One ritual that that crosses the boundaries of many belief systems is the gathering of the plant St. John’s Wort on the feast of St. John.  When gathered at the appropriate time, St. John’s Wort is considered a cure-all; if it is gathered in on any other day, it might make you allergic to sunshine.

Midsummer Superstitions

v  On Midsummer’s Day, decorate the house with birch twigs and roses.

v  It is very unlucky to hear a cuckoo calling on Midsummer’s Day; she is not supposed to sing on this day of the year.

v  When gnats cluster and dance up and down, good weather is on the way.  But if they rush around and sting, a prolonged period of rain is coming.

v  If the first butterfly you see on Midsummer’s Day is white, you will eat white bread for the rest of the year; if brown or dull, you will have to survive on inferior brown bread.

Spells of Midsummer

Against Weeds in the Garden:  Under a waning moon, break one leaf from the garden’s tallest weed.  Crush it with your teeth and spit the fragments upon the earth, saying:

Malum Depuo, Hostem Veneno, Caedo Caedo

Cut the plant’s stalk off short with a silver knife and spread a handful of salt over the hidden root.  The entire garden bears witness to this act, and its enemies (the other weeds) must soon withdraw.  (It is not suggested to attempt this spell with garden pests, however.)

A Small Blessing on Vegetables:

Beans and peas and lettuces,

Radishes and beets,

Rise up soon for me to make

A garnish for my meat!

Source:  This Article Includes Spells and Poems from Slade, Paddy.  

Encyclopedia of White Magic: A Seasonal Guide © 1990, The Hamlyn Publishing Group/Mallard Press.

BELTANE: "Summer's Lease" Begins

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer’s lease has all too short a date . . .

But thy eternal summer shall not fade . . .

Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade . . .”

                                                           

                                                                        William Shakespeare

Summer, the season of joy and pleasant climes, is ushered in with one last fiery blast from the bluster and rain of March and April.  May Eve, April 30, is the night when witches the world over commune to celebrate the sacred marriage, the union of the Lord and Lady, the Sun and Moon. 

German witches celebrated the night in honor of the goddess Walpurga - their May Queen – with wild festivities on the Brocken, the highest peak of Germany’s Harz Mountains.  Since Saxon times, the region had a supernatural reputation; the gods were believed to manifest there on May Eve.  With the advent of the Christian faith, the pagan celebration that had come to be known as Walpurgisnacht was truncated; the Church canonized the German goddess, creating her St. Walpurga, and moved her feast to February to discourage the orgiastic rituals that associated her with May.  But this did little to discourage her followers, who continued to celebrate Walpurgisnacht, though in a decidedly less overt manner.

“If you love me, come discretely down to meet me, under the greenwood tree.”

                                                                                                                        (Traditional rhyme.)

The festivities of Walpurgisnacht give way to the light of the fires of Beltane, May 1^st, the first day of summer in the Old Style calendars.  Fire played a prominent role in Beltane celebrations; before the great bonfires were lit on the Celtic hills, the hearth-fire of every home was extinguished.  Bearing faggots and torches from the great fires, folk would rekindle their hearths, reclaiming them from the darkness and recognizing the growing light of the summer sun.

            It was common to choose a King and Queen to reign over the celebrations of May Day, but theirs was no tender love.  Indeed, in May, “the lusty month of May,” romantic love, trysts, and sexual desire blossomed feverishly alongside Nature’s bountiful blooms.  May’s association with sensuality and pleasure caused many minstrels to celebrate it as the month to “make much joy” – and the lush allure of greenery made a natural lover’s bower.  On May Eve, men and women, noble and common alike, would venture into the greenwood to go “a-Maying,” and would spend the night out, making love in woods and fields. 

“I have heard it credibly reported . . . that of fortie, threescore, or a hundred maides going into the woods over night, there have scaresly the third part of them returned home againe undefiled.”

                                                            “The Anatomie of Abuses,” Philip Stubbes, 1583.

The May Pole

No image comes more readily to mind when one thinks of May than that of people dancing joyfully around a flowered and beribboned May Pole.

            In addition to gathering flowers from the woods, it was also the custom to bring back a young tree.  Stripped of its branches, it would be set up in the midst of the village and decorated with flowers and long, flowing ribbons. 

            The May Pole was a powerful fertility symbol, representing the Sun God in the guise of Green Man, and embodying the spirit of growth and the promise of seed.  Its placement in the earth – the phallus of the god into the mother’s womb – continued the highly-sexual imagery of May celebrations.  Groups of dancers would circle the pole “sunwise” (or deosil), binding it about with the long ribbons, and “calling up the power” to strengthen it with dancing, singing, and drumming.

            Old-style May Day celebrations included the march of a white-clad virgin, representing day and the bloom of summer (another incarnation of the goddess queen), accompanied by another female clad entirely in black, representing night and the dearth of winter.  Fairs, mummer’s plays, milk and the rejuvenating waters of the new season were all celebrated in lore and superstition at this time of year.  And fire, always fire, as the power of the sun increased and the wheel of the year turned toward the solstice of June.

Celebrating Saint Sara la Kali (May 25^th)

In May, the Roma (Gypsies) everywhere, but particularly in Europe, celebrate their patron saint, Sara la Kali (or “Sara the Black”) with exceptional and genuine devotion, making pilgrimages to the saint’s famous French shrine. 

Although never canonized, Sara has been venerated by the Roma at least since medieval times as the Gypsy woman who drew the three “Marys of the Sea” (Saintes Maries de la Mer, thought to be Mary the sister of Lazarus, Mary the mother of St. James and St. John, and Mary Magdalene) to safety from the waves after they had fled Palestine in the wake of Christ’s crucifixion.  She is called “la Kali” because legend speaks of her origins on the coast of Egypt, where her skin was bronzed by the sun.

Each May, on her feast day, the statue of the saint is carried from its cave-like shrine in a great procession and held aloft to the gathering of pious Roma pilgrims.  The statue is then carried to the spot on the French shore where the Roma believe the legendary meeting with the Three Marys took place.  The statue is gingerly placed in the crashing surf where it is anointed and blessings are bestowed upon it before it is safely returned to its home.  The solemnities are followed by great fanfare and celebrations among the Roma, often lasting for days. 

For generations only the Roma were allowed to enter the shrine of St. Sara, making her the most personal of intercessors for a people generally bereft of advocates.  Recently, however, the Roma-only rules were suspended and Gadje have been allowed access to the enclave of the Black Saint of the Gypsies.

All material Copyright (c) 2011-2015 by Alyne Pustanio and Creole Moon Publications.

Reproduction or dissemination in whole or in part without the expressed written consent of the Author and/or the Publisher is strictly prohibited by law.

OMENS AND SUPERSTITIONS

At one time it was the responsibility of augurs and soothsayers to interpret what was considered to be signs sent from the gods.  Eventually, the predictions made by soothsayers and fortune tellers became common knowledge and passed into folklore.

            Omens have been known since ancient times and are today referred to as superstitions.  They vary from country to country and culture to culture, and sometimes can even have completely reversed meanings in different folk traditions.

            The following are some examples of how to interpret the present and anticipate the future through observing various omens, and highlight a variety of superstitions.

SORTILEGE

Divination by casting or drawing of lots, derived from the Latin sors, the word for lot, and sortilegus, meaning diviner.  An alternative name for sortilege is cleromancy, from kleros, the Greek word for lot.

            There are many types of sortilege.  In aleuromancy, answers to specific questions were baked inside small balls of dough and chosen at random, thought to have been a common practice until the 9^th century A.D.  Another form of sortilege is astragalomancy, divination by casting small bones (usually the vertebrae or ankle bones of sheep).  Belomancy is divination by arrows and probably dates back to the Babylonians.  It was also practiced by the Scythians, Arabs, and some North American Indian tribes.  Opening a book at random and taking an omen from the first words read – bibliomancy – is another form of sortilege.  It is also known as stichomancy: a “stitch” is a line of verse or a short section of prose.  Divination from a book of poetry is sometimes known as rhapsodomancy.  In the late Middle Ages the works of the Roman writer Virgil were the most popular choice, and bibliomancy was known as the sortes Virgilianae – the “Virgilian lots.”

            A large variety of objects have been used for lots.  In Africa, lots could be sacred stones or carved wooden or bone divining sticks – the tradition varies from tribe to tribe.  Divining sticks are also known among North American Indians and in parts of Asia.  In Polynesia, a coconut was spun and answered questions according to how it fell.  In Japan, slips of paper inscribed with omens for the future were placed in containers and drawn at random.  Pessomancy (psephomancy) is divination by drawing or casting of specially marked pebbles.  Many African shamans keep bags of “wise stones” that are cast to foretell the future.  Greek lots were specially marked wooden counters, drawn from an urn or cast on the ground (although the oracle at Delphi used beans as lots).  In China, “fortune cookies” are used, and are familiar to almost everyone.

            Many of us have unthinkingly determined our future by lots at some time in our lives – drawing straws to select a person to carry out a particular action, for example, or tossing a coin to make a decision.  Sweepstakes, lotteries, bingo, roulette are all forms of gambling that depend on casting or drawing lots. 

Sortilege Using Stones

Choose nine small, round-edged stones; you should be able to hold all nine in one hand. Mark symbols on one side of each stone, according to the following chart. Shake the stones in your hand, concentrating on your question, and cast the stones in front of you. Using the chart provided, read only those stones whose symbols are showing face-up.

Symbol and Interpretations:

Bird: Communications, visitors
Eye: "I" the questioner
Fence (drawn as a picket fence): Delay, restrictions, self-imposed limitations, old age

Flower: Success, prosperity

Moon (drawn as a crescent): Inner life, a woman or women

Rings (drawn as a triskele, three rings intersecting to form a triangle): Relationships, marriage, harmony, union

Sun: Health, outer life, a man or men

Swords (drawn as two crossed): Drive, energy, strife

Waves (drawn as two or three wavy lines): Intellect, travel (especially by sea or over water), dreams and the subconscious.

Animal and even human bones can be used for divination and prophesy.

INTERPRETING ITCHES

Top of Head: Promotion, good luck

Right Eye: A meeting

Left Eye: Disappointment

Left Cheek or Left Ear: Compliments

Right Cheek or Right Ear: Derogatory remarks

Inside Nose: Grief, bad luck

Outside Nose: Kissed by a fool

Mouth: Insults

Neck: Illness

Back: Disappointment

Left Shoulder: Unhappiness

Right Shoulder: An inheritance

Left Elbow: Bad news

Right Elbow: Good news

Left Palm or Ankle: Bills to pay

Right Palm or Ankle: Expect money

Abdomen: An invitation

Loins: A reconciliation

Thighs: A move

Left Knee: Gossip

Right Knee: Good news

Shins: Unpleasant surprise

Left Foot: Unprofitable journey

Right Foot: Profitable journey

Knives and Scissors

Dropping a knife on the floor: A male visitor

Dropping a pair of scissors: A disappointment which can be averted by stepping on the scissors before picking them up.

Scissors landing point down when dropped: Illness

Crossed knives: Bad luck

Breaking a pair of scissors: Bad luck

A knife left blade upward: Danger

Giving a gift of a knife or scissors: Can cut a friendship unless a pin or coin is given in return.

A new knife used first on anything other than paper or wood: Good luck

Placing or finding a knife in the cradle of a newborn child: Good luck

Lithomancy

This is divination using precious stones (although colored glass beads can be used as a substitute).  In a darkened room, scatter the stones or beads.  Light a candle, close your eyes, and clear all thoughts from your mind.  As soon as you open your eyes, notice which color of stone first reflects the light back at you.

Colorless (clear): Success and happiness

Red: Romance

Dark red: Passion, a wedding

Yellow: Infidelity

Green: A wish will come true

Turquoise: An unexpected opportunity

Blue: Good luck

Violet: Grief

Purple: A quarrel

Black: Bad luck

Lychnomancy

This is divination from the flames of three wax candles.  Arrange three candles in an equilateral triangle and light a fourth candle some distance away to provide enough light for reading.  Switch off all the lights.  Using the same match, light your three candles and read the omens presented by the appearance of their flames.

A flame wavering from side to side: Travel

One flame burning brighter than the others: Great success

A glow or radiance at the tip of the wick: Prosperity

A curling or spiraling flame: Enemies plotting

Sparks: Be cautious

Rising and falling flames or candles burning unevenly: Danger

Flame sputtering: Disappointment

Flame unexpectedly extinguished: Great misfortune

Other Candle Omens:

New Year’s Candle Divination  

For this you will need twelve candles and a room with a wooden or concrete floor.

1. Remove any furnishings that might catch fire.

2. Next, arrange your twelve candles in a wide circle and light them all.

3. Name a candle for each month of the year.

4. Start at the January candle and jump over each in turn until you have completed the circle.

5. If you knock over or extinguish any candle, this signifies bad luck for that particular month.

6. Any candles still burning after you have completed the circle indicate good luck for the candles           those months represent.

True Lover Candle Divination

For this you will need a deep bowl of water, two halves of a walnut shell, and two small candles (birthday size) or wax matches.

1. Using a little melted wax to fix them in place, stand one candle in each half of the walnut shell.

2. Name one shell for yourself, the other for your lover.

3. Set the little shell boats afloat in the bowl of water.

4. Light the candles.

5. You will be true to each other if the two boats float side by side with the candles burning evenly.

6. Your relationship is doomed if the boats drift apart, overturn, or the flames go out.

7. You love more than you are loved if your candle burns longer than that of your lover, and vice             versa.

Lampadomancy

This is divination using a single oil lamp or a torch flame.

Flame with a single point: Good luck

Flame with two points: Bad luck

Flame with three points: Good luck

Flame bending, wavering: Illness

Flame unexpectedly extinguished: Disaster

Some Omens of Good Luck:

Four leaf clover

Picking up a pencil found in the street

Meeting sheep

Keeping a piece of oyster shell in your pocket

A ladybug landing on you

Carrying a rabbit’s foot

A horseshoe, prongs pointing upward

Sleeping on unironed sheets

A wishbone

Spilling your drink while proposing a toast

Bats flying at twilight

Breaking uncolored glass, other than a mirror

Walking in the rain

Sleeping facing south

A gift of a hive of bees

A sprig of white heather

A peapod containing nine peas

Seeing a bluebird

A robin flying into the house

A strange dog following you home

Hearing crickets singing

Putting your dress on inside out

A white butterfly

Rubbing two horseshoes together

Burning your fingernail parings

Picking up a pin

Cutting your hair during a storm

Catching two rats in the same trap

Finding a hairpin and hanging it on a hook

Sneezing three times before breakfast

Seeing a load of hay

Meeting a chimney sweep

Looking at the new moon over your right shoulder

Picking up a nail that was pointing toward you

Some Omens of Bad Luck

An owl hooting three times

A five leaved clover

Peacock feathers (especially in the house)

A rooster crowing at night

Meeting a pig immediately after a wedding

Opening an umbrella indoors

Emptying ashes after dark

A bat entering the house

Putting a hat on a bed

Singing before breakfast

Giving away a wedding present

Borrowing, lending, or burning a broom

Bringing an old broom to a new house

Bringing eggs into the house after dark

Cutting your nails on Friday

Bringing white lilac or hawthorn blossom into the house

Putting shoes on a chair or table

Killing a seagull

Mending a garment while you are wearing it (this harks back to when corpses were sewn into their shrouds)

Keeping your slippers on a shelf above head height

Seeing an owl in the daytime

Putting an umbrella on a table

Blossom and fruit growing together on the same branch (except on orange trees)

Meeting a grave digger

Buttoning a button into the wrong button hole

Putting your left show on before your right

Sitting on a table without keeping one foot on the ground

Killing a cricket

A picture falling

Breaking a glass when proposing a toast

Dropping a glove

Getting out of bed left foot first

Putting a pair of bellows on a table

A ring breaking on your finger

Three butterflies together

Red and white flowers in the same arrangement

Bringing Christmas greenery into the house before December 24th

Leaving Christmas decorations up after Twelfth Night (January 6th)

Looking at the new moon over your left shoulder

Taking anything out of the house on New Year’s Day

Removing your wedding ring

Meeting a hare on the road

Violets flowering out of season

Wearing an opal unless you were born in October

NOTE: The information contained in this article is presented as INFORMATION ONLY.

All material Copyright (c) 2011-2015 by Alyne Pustanio and Creole Moon Publications.

Reproduction or dissemination of this material without the expressed written

consent of the Author and/or Publisher is strictly prohibited by law.