Sometimes known as Midsummer, Summer Solstice, estival solstice, Midsommar (not the movie), longest day of the year, shortest night of the year, feast of St. John the Baptist, and many other names in many different cultures! But what actually is it? And how can you translate this energy into something you can use to improve your own life? Ritual and ceremony are important but what is more important is understanding how to connect to and make use of these energies! Let's break it down!

What is a Solstice?

Scientifically, a Solstice happens when one of the earth's poles is at Maximum tilt towards the sun.  This happens twice a year (one for each pole - for each hemisphere).  The when one pole does it's maximum tilt towards the sun, that means that the other pole is doing it's maximum tilt away from the sun.  Thus, one happens in the Summer (closest to the Sun) and one happens in the winter (away from the Sun).  These events generally happen around the same time every year - Summer Solstice for the northern hemisphere takes place in June (anytime between the 19th thru the 22nd), and the winter solstice takes place in December (around the same dates - between the 19th and 22nd). Although the summer solstice is the longest day of the year for that hemisphere, the dates of earliest sunrise and latest sunset vary by a few days. This is because the Earth orbits the Sun in an ellipse, and its orbital speed varies slightly during the year (this is why have a Solstice window). Since prehistory, the summer solstice has been seen as a significant time of year in many cultures, and has been marked by festivals and rituals. Traditionally, in many temperate regions (especially Europe), the summer solstice is seen as the middle of summer and referred to as "midsummer". Today, however, in some countries and calendars it is seen as the beginning of summer.

Spiritual Significance

In Spiritual practices, the days that mark milestones in the earth's movement around the sun tend to have special significance.  The solstices in particular represent extremes.  They represent the two polarities of the Sun's power - one life-giving, that brings light, power and growth, and the other that brings shadow, rest, and hibernation.  When we celebrate the Summer Solstice we are celebrating the full power of the Sun.  For this reason, most summer solstice celebrations involve fire of some kind. For me personally, this festival brings raw power of elemental fire.  This is a time of change and transformation.  Of not only knowing what you are capable of, but reaching for it and doing it.  This is the time to dive into all of those projects you were putting off all year long.  The Sun has no time for procrastination, it has no excuses and no better things to do.  All it can do is do what it is meant to do, which is shine.  It doesn't care who is watching, who likes summer and who doesn't, none of that matters.  The Sun doesn't need anyone - as a matter of fact, we need it -  and it knows it!. I think that this time of the year is the one time that it is ok to be you.  To be selfish and to not care what anyone else needs or wants.  This is a time for you to decide - what makes YOU shine? What makes YOU feel good? That's all that matters at this time - and it is not selfish to reach for it!

A Simple Summer Solstice Ritual

I believe that "reclaiming your power" is the theme of this celebration.  What parts of you are you suppressing or forgetting because you are afraid of what others will say of think? This is a time of shedding and getting back to what is truly yours! This is a simple ceremony - all you need is paper, a fire (a cauldron fire will do), and a Bay Leaf. The Fire represents change and transformation and it is also what connects you to the power of the Sun (the central theme of this Sabbat). The paper represents personal transformation. and shedding  As it burns so do your obstacles, your self-doubts and all of the things that stand in the way of you revealing your own truth.  Finally Bay is a fantastic herb, ruled by both Fire and Sun, it brings the self-confidence and ever dare I say the "authority" to be what you want to be regardless of what others say. A Cauldron fire can be created with Epsom salts and alcohol.  This is preferably done in a actual fire though.  Write down the the changes you want to make in the parchment.  What do you want to get rid of? boil it down to 3 words and write them down in your parchment.  Now think of what you want to become? Who or what are you trying to embrace that represents your true self? Write that on the Bay Leaf.  Look to the fire for inspiration.  Fire is transformative - it has the power not only to burn away that which you don't want or need, but through that process to reveal the true nature of what lies beneath. First burn that which you don't want or need.  It's important to watch that parchment burn all the way down.  Then toss the bay leaf into the fire change that to what you want to become! Remember - that action must follow ceremony - it's not enough to create a ceremony - but this festival is about DOING! Start doin the things to get you to where you want to go! Blessed Solstice!

Friday, May 22nd - New Moon party in Gemini! Woohoo! Seriously though, what does that actually mean? People toss words around about the moon and the amazing energies coming, and for most people it's a big ol' Eh? Why should I care about this new moon and what does it mean when it is in Gemini? So a new moon, basically means that from the earth we can't see it.  Furthermore - it is in conjunction with the Earth and Sun.  This means that it is perfectly aligned with these three bodies.  The reason why this is important is that the Sun and the Earth are the two bodies in the solar system that have the most impact on what goes on with the moon.  The fact that they are all aligned it means a concentration of purpose.  But what purpose? A new moon is a still moon (A moon that appears to stand still).  This means it doesn't appear to be moving (although it is, but from our vantage point it isn't). It doesn't light up anything - actually it is the opposite of light.  It is a truly darkened sky.  A New Moon reminds us that ultimately we are alone, and we need to get our crap together if we want to survive! So a new moon is all about me, me, me, me!  The one time in the month that it is ok to tell everyone else to back off so you can focus on yourself.  Take advantage of it! But what does it actually mean when the moon is in a zodiac sign? The moon in zodiac is astrological concept, that describes the monthly lunar apparent path on the sky, visible from Earth. We see the Moon moving daily from one zodiac constellation sector to another.  This means, that from our vantage point, as the moon moves (and as it stops) we see it moving through each constellation (each zodiac sign).  It doesn't mean that the moon is actually going from one constellation to another, but it does mean that from our point of view it appears that it is - and hence the influence.  Think of the moon as a prism, changing the energy coming to us from constellations in different ways. Hence a New Moon, a still moon, means no outside work.  It means focusing on yourself and doing some much needed shadow work.  Now take that work and put it through the prism of Gemini (the sign the moon appears to be passing through).  How does the sign of Gemini change the energy of the new moon?  Gemini is about the two sides of our personality.  The side we show to the world and the one we keep for ourselves.  What happens when these two sides disconnect or collide?  Gemini is an air sign, ruled by mercury - which means that Gemini tends to get stuck in their heads - in thought patterns and obsessive thoughts.  What aspects of yourself are you currently blocking? What aspects are you currently overthinking? These are all characteristics of Gemini.  This moon speaks to self-sabbtage tendency that we all have.  How we tend to stop ourselves from taking changes because we believe we are unworthy or that people will make fun of us? In this moon evaluate your own behavior patterns.  How do you sabotage your own plans? How do you stop yourself from taking changes because fear tells you it's too risky? Take advantage of the still moon - when everyone appears to be standing still to find the quiet place inside you, to understand and change these negative behaviors.  You can be your best ally or your worst enemy.  This moon offers you a chance to choose which one you want to go with for now! Are you ready to let your inner badass-self out?  

The full moon tends to hog all of the attention every month.  People always know when the full moon is, what planets are traveling during it's phase, which astrological signs are active and even the exact time it starts and ends.  Over the last few decades the full moon has stolen the spotlight.  It's power is at times misunderstood.  Sometimes I think that the thought process is :"if witches doing something during it, then it must be powerful".  As Oscar Wilde said, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.”  So much of witchcraft is understanding the forces we work with - not simply imitating behavior. So once the glory of the full moon passes, we enter the less famous phase of the waning moon.

What is the Waning Moon?

Waning is the opposite, or decreasing after a full moon, and is always illuminated on the left. There is a waning Gibbous moon, which means more than half of the moon is illuminated. And a waning Crescent Moon, when less than half of it is illuminated. Waning brings an energy that the Full or New Moon doesn't have - and that is the energy of movement. During the New and Full moon phases, there is no movement.  During this time the moon's gift to us is light - either fully illuminated (Full) or completely obscured (New).  Neither one of those requires movement - quite the contrary - these are times when all other energies stand still and the energy or light or darkness is in full force. During these phases the moon is also in complete conjunction with the Sun and the Earth, which also makes everything look perfectly aligned and still. The energy of movement is actually even more complex than you may realize.  The moon appears to be moving from our point of view (as we appear to be standing still), however the fact is that we are also moving.  So when the moon rotates around us, it also rotates around the sun - since we rotate around the sun. Other planets also rotate around the sun during that time - just imagine the number of interactions! A waning crescent moon is up in the east before sunrise. It’s waning toward new moon, when the moon will be between the Earth and Sun. Each morning, the moon shows us less and less of its lighted side. It rises closer to the sunrise, heading for new moon. Many people miss the waning crescent moon because it’s a morning moon, visible before sunrise.

What Energy can you use during a Waning Moon?

The waning moon brings the energy of decrease.  What are the things you want to remove from your life? Do you want to quit smoking? Lose weight? Cut some cords with unhealthy exe's? All of those things are gifts of the Waning moon. You also get 2 whole weeks of waning energy to work with - which means during that time the moon will pass through many other astrological signs and planets.  When you start adding all of that together, you can create some magick that can really pack a punch! During these 2 weeks you have the Waning Gibbous (the first week after the Full Moon) and the Waning Crescent (the week before the New Moon).  In my work these 2 phases bring 2 different levels of movement energy.  The first week (gibbous) packs the biggest punch so I tend to use that energy for external material things.  Getting rid of debt, banishing disease, removing negative entities or energies from places - I have gotten the biggest bang for my energetic buck during those the Waning Gibbous moon. The Waning Crescent Moon is gentler, it brings the energy of decrease but in a way that is incredibly useful for personal work.  Working with personal trauma, removing bad habits, removing self-doubt - all personal work tends to flow extremely well during the Waning Crescent phase.

May 2020 Waning Moon - What's up with that?

• May 8th -9th - Gibbous Waning Moon in Sagittarius - Remove obstacles to travel plans, banish fears that may keep you from taking chances.
• May 10th-11th - Gibbous Waning Moon in Capricorn - Remove obstacles at work, obstacles to finding a new job or home, Good time to work on budgeting and remove unnecessary spending.
• May 12th - 13th - Gibbous Waning Moon in Aquarius - Remove mental blocks that keep you feeling stuck in life, remove self-destructive behaviors.
• May 14th-16th - Crescent Waning Moon in Pisces - Self care - work on not giving away energy you need for yourself, prioritize, and remove people or tasks that are not deserving of your energetic generosity.
• May 17th - 18th - Crescent Waning Moon in Aries - Trauma work, what do you need to release or forgive so that you can move forward?
• May 19th - 21st - Crescent Waning Moon in Taurus - Physical self-care - take care of your body and mind, remove distractions, take a relaxing bath, grounding meditation, cook your favorite meal.

You have 2 weeks in May to experiment with Waning energy.  What do you plan to work on this Waning phase?  

Since I have been asked this many times - I wanted to post an article to explain how to use loose or powdered incese. You can use almost anything as an incense - including any type of loose herb. Before you burn any herb, please consult a reputable herbal guide to make sure the smoke is not toxic to you. There are MANY herbs in old magickal texts are poisonous and not safe to use as an incense.  To burn loose or herbal incense you will need the following: 1) 1 Fire-proof container - you can use a cauldron, a brass burner or any type of fire-proof container.  Please be sure to add in some ASH to each container to properly insulate it. Even if you are using a fire-proof container.  Also be sure you use some type of trivet or fire-proof coaster to keep your altar or surface from being burned. I have used in the past either cork or stone coasters and they have worked well. Even with a fire-proof container – it will get VERY hot – so be sure you protect yourself and your altar/surface.   2) 1 Tablet of charcoal – this can be round or square. There are many different types of charcoal out there – just find something you like best.  Place the charcoal on top of the sand inside your burner.           3) One set of tongs of some kind – you can buy special charcoal tongs but sometimes they tend to be expensive – but I use little metal serving tongs you can buy at the grocery store for $2. What you will need to do is pick up your charcoal with the tongs – and place it in direct flame for about 10-15 seconds to light it. Depending on the charcoal you are using, you may need a few more seconds. Some people use a lighter for this but I prefer to use a candle, it is safer. Once my charcoal is lit, I generally blow on it a little to see how far in it is – so long as it lights you should be good. Place your charcoal back down on your burner (on top of your ash) and let it sit there for about a minute or so while it finishes catching.       4) Select your herbs or incense to burn. Place the herbs or incense on top of the lit charcoal block. It will begin to smolder. My recommendation is to use very little to start with and then gradually add in more herbs or incense until you reach the desired amount.  If you put too much herbal material or incense, you can actually snuff out your charcoal, so start small!          

In this very short video I go over some ides on how to use our loose incense!

[su_youtube url="https://youtu.be/UOEx9lyu294" title="Using Loose Incense"]