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 3rd House of communication, journeys, and siblings
– all echoed in the open, outreaching sociability of the season. By Midsummer’s Day (June 24th) the
Sun has entered Cancer, ruled by the Moon in the 4th 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 24th. 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.
