MIDSUMMER BLESSINGS 2022
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Tuesday June 21, 2022 2:13am PDT
(Litha / Summer Solstice)
We have reached the halfway point on the Wheel of the Year – Midsummer – with the sun in Cancer and the earth in Capricorn.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
If you are wondering why this Sabbat is called “Mid”summer, the ancients reckoned the seasons by the Major Sabbats (Samhain, Imbolg, Beltaine, and Lughnasadh) so summer, for them, started at Beltaine. The Minor* Sabbats (the equinoxes and solstices: Mabon, Yule, Ostara, and Midsummer) were places of balance and stillness, falling at the midpoints between the Major Sabbat days. The summer solstice is midway between Beltaine and Lughnasadh – hence, “Mid”summer. Litha is another name for this Sabbat.
WHEEL OF THE YEAR
The God at Midsummer
The God has reached the peak of his strength as the full embodiment of solar light – the Oak King – in Cancer. However, Cancer contains both the womb and the tomb.
The “womb” aspect represents the origins of the Sun God, and where he feels the full support of the Goddess. However, the “tomb” aspect represents his shadow – the Holly King – reminding him that while the sun’s power is at its peak, the light now begins to wane. Shadows at Midsummer appear small at first, but grow with the turning of the Wheel.
The Goddess at Midsummer
The Goddess has moved into Capricorn, the sign of authority, public status, and highest potential. She has developed through maidenhood and sexual awakening to master Her full feminine power. The Goddess now sits Her throne as Priestess of Earth, channelling the energy of the sun; pregnant with the coming harvest (Horned God/Green Man to be slain at Lughnasadh). However, we must remember the Goddess’s entrance into Capricorn activates its guide, Saturn, who represents the shadow – the Holly King. Like the Taijitu symbol of Taoism, the seed of the shadow exists in the abundance of the light. As the shadow waxes, the light wanes, and the Wheel spins on and on…
GIRDLE OF THE GODDESS
In the language of Theodomy, the 12 signs of the zodiac are further divided into 36 primordial energies of the divine feminine, called the Girdle of the Goddess.
At the time of Midsummer, the sun is in the 10th primordial energy activating Frigg, the Goddess of fertility, family, home, love, and women. See my FRIGG post for more information.
BETWIXT & BETWEEN at MIDSUMMER 2022
There were some challenging energies building up to Midsummer 2022 and there are tense and unsettling energies around the corner, so I would recommend really taking the time to pause at the solstice. Midsummer resonates with stillness (solstice, from the Latin word solstitium, literally means “sun standing still”). The planting is finished and the harvest is yet to come, and Midsummer relishes the moment in between.
This is also the reason Midsummer is a favourite of the Fae. Anything betwixt and between attracts the Wee Folk, the Good Neighbours, the Fair Ones… If you are interested in connecting with the Fae, I suggest leaving a bit of your garden wild as a welcoming gesture. Honey, butter, milk, and whisky (or whiskey) go a long way too ;). However, fair warning, they can be a mischievous bunch who enjoy messing with their friends just as much as their foes. Nonetheless, a blessing from the Fae is a great boon and life is a lot more interesting when you’ve been faery-kissed.
So, whether you engage the Fae this Midsummer or not, be sure to take a deep breath, feel the energy of the Sun God above and the strength of the Earth Goddess below …and feel gratitude for the blessings of being alive.
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*It is common today for the Sabbats to be referred to as either “quarter days” or “cross-quarter days”. However, it is most often done incorrectly by imposing our current seasonal reckoning onto ancient beliefs. The ancients reckoned the seasons by the Major Sabbats, making these the quarter days (and, consequently, the solstices and the equinoxes the cross-quarter days). However, because of our current seasonal calculations, many modern pagans overlook their own history, opting instead to erroneously call the current seasonal demarcations the quarter days. To avoid confusion, I will stick with the Major and Minor descriptions of the Sabbats (though none are truly minor).