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WHEEL OF THE YEAR - SPECIFIC WICCA WICCAN SABBATH HOLY DAY RITUALS

Summer Solstice - History of the Summer Solstice

"Summer Solstice or Midsummer is a ritual full of fertility images which celebrate Mother Goddess and Father God as life givers. This is because the Goddess is pregnant and full of the life given to her at May Day. It is also a time when the sun is revered for the life it brings to the world. Folks celebrate the blossoming and ripening of the fields. The traditional colors to wear on Summer Solstice are red and orange as a representation of the fire and warmth of the sun.

?The Summer Solstice altar is always decorated with full summer roses and flowers. Candles or a bonfire figures prominently. Lavender is an herb which is often found in Irish and British folklore. Its aroma was and still is considered an aphrodisiac and is commonly used as incense on Midsummer.

?During our ritual, flowers will be thrown into the fire so their fragrance will fill the air. Traditionally the ashes from this fire are spread over the garden to insure the fertility of the land. Modern science tells us what great wisdom there was in such ritual ceremonies because ashes contain many beneficial botanical ingredients (such as nitrogen).

?Summer Solstice is also a time to bless livestock and pets for the life bearing force they symbolize and bring into our lives.

?On this longest day of the year it also becomes a time to reflect on the passing of light into darkness. As we ourselves accept our own growth and change, we must accept the passing of the seasons and the sun. It is a great to time review projects in process, acknowledge goals accomplished, and bring new improved energy to current conquests.

?Today, we see clearly how light and dark are not to be perceived as ?good? and ?bad? but are merely balanced elements of a whole process called life."