Wheel Of The Year: Midsummer

Midsummer marks the time of the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, the height of the sun's power. And though the hottest days of summer still lie ahead, from this point onward we enter the waning year, and each day the sun will recede from the skies a little earlier." - Edain McCoy (pg 149, Sabbats: A Witch's Approach To Living The Old Ways)

Also known as Litha, this Sabbat is the 6th of eight turns on the Wheel of the Year.

Midsummer is the high point for the Green Man or The Oak King. For soon, he will give himself as a symbolic sacrifice to show us that death is part of the natural order of life. For after death, comes rebirth or the summer lands.

Fire plays a key role at Midsummer, from giant bonfires to lighting a few bright yellow candles, and anything in between that is safe for where you live and/or practice.

With Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Summer Solstice is now forever connected with fairies in the mind of pagans and non-pagans alike.

Rituals and Magick are important in the life of a pagan, but can be very different as well. It greatly depends on your path, traditions, coven, circle, family, or if you practice solitary.

The following is a Family Ritual that is found in The Pagan Family by Ceisiwr Serith:

"For this ritual, the barbecue will substitute for the bonfire. Pour the charcoal into the barbecue and soak it with lighter fluid. Put the grate on and on top of it a pot of water (you can use the same pot you used for May Day, but be careful of plastic handles. They can melt). Nearby put the lighter fluid, the matches, and an aspergill.

When everything is ready and everybody is around the barbecue, establish sacred time. Then the father (or the oldest male present) says:

" 'Today the wheel has come to a special point.

Since Yule the light has been growing.

At Ostara the light became greater than the dark

and it kept on growing.

It has grown until today: Midsummers,

The middle of the light time.

Tomorrow the light will start to fade

as the wheel turns to darkness 

until it is Yule again.

But today it is bright 

Today the sun is high

Today the world is warm and bright 

and we celebrate this with fire.

The Lord Sun blazes above

Our fire blazes below.' "

He lights the fire (with one more squirt of lighter fluid first.) When the flames have died down a bit, everyone can take an aspergill, dip it in the water, and sprinkle everyone else with it. Then take the pot off and, after it cools, water your garden or a tree with it. While waiting for the coals to be ready, a water fight would be a good idea. Then barbecue."

Blessed Be
Goddess Bless America, and all Nations )O(

My Introduction

Merry Meet and Welcome,

This is a start of a new adventure for me, and I hope you'll join me on it.

I have lived with my children in Utah for almost 3 years now, but I have never felt like a local. I don't really fit in very well, which is a mixed blessing at best.

I have developed over the years a strong moral center within myself. Also, a highly tuned sense of right and wrong, fair or unfair. I'm also a strong believer in social justice, civil rights, and human rights.

I'm a member of the Democratic Party. It's the best fit for me out of the two national political parties. I have to admit at times though I feel at odds with my own party. I feel the Democrats are moving in a more center - right direction, and there is no one to really represent me as a true liberal and progressive. I'm looking for the Robert Kennedy of my generation. I want to vote for someone who inspires me, not just vote for the best option because the other party has nominated someone who is very much out of touch with core American values, the needs of the average citizen, the proper role of the federal government, the US Constitution, and international law.

I also practice a non-mainstream faith. I'm a Pagan, and an Eclectic Witch. I believe in both Goddesses and Gods. There is an alter set up in the living room of my apartment, you can't miss it if you stop by or come for a visit. My Children and I attend a local temple (or church) that welcomes all the traditions and paths that are under the Pagan banner. I love sharing my faith with other, but in no means will I push it on someone else. There is no missionary program, the individual person has to search for themselves if interested. As a Pagan, I believe everyone follows their own path in this life, so what is right and works for me may very well not work for you. In this way I respect all faith and religions while still being able to disagree with some of the stands or views they promote.

As You can see, I'm out spoken, and at times can be to blunt for my own good. For better or worse, I stand up boldly for my views, and what I believe in.

These are all great qualities to have, so you might find yourself asking what's the problem?

I live behind the "Zion Curtain" and in the very heart of Mormon America. The world headquarters for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -Day Saints (Mormon, LDS, FLDS) is just a few miles away. I don't think I could be anymore different from the overwhelming majority of residents of Utah.

I grew up and came of age in the New England section of the country. I spent ten years living in Las Vegas, and now I'm in Salt Lake City. Each place has help me learn about myself and helped define who I am today.

My goal for this blog is to share my family's life, our values, our struggles, the places we visit or attend regularly, politics, my personal views on many different subjects, parenting, current events (local, national, international), faith or religion (our and others), sports, recipes (own, family, or found), reviews, and much more from a very unique perspective, and voice that hasn't been heard from.

I love comments, and as a strong believe in our 1st amendment right to freedom of speech, I encourage polite debate on my blog. I want to know, and I'm interested in your reactions, thoughts, and views...

In this way, I see my children and I as New American Pioneers, blazing our own personal trail through Utah, the West, and America itself.

Merry Meet, Merry Part, and Merry Meet Again,
Goddess Bless America,
Blessed Be )O(