Wednesday, June 21, 2023
Midsummer might be most famous today for its association with the fey. This association is the result of people being fearful of the fey on celestially auspicious occasions such as the Summer Solstice (and Beltane, Samhain, and Yule) and because of the enduring popularity of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1595/1596). This play did more than just forever wed the fey to Midsummer; it changed how they were viewed in popular culture.
Before Dream, the fey were generally seen as troublesome at best, and usually as evil. (Considering how well we take care of our world, can we really blame them?) But this play transformed the fairy folk into kindly creatures. As on scholar put it, Shakespeare’s fairies “were ‘benevolent’ and ‘completely identified with buds and blossoms, dew-drops and butterflies.'” This was a far cry from how they were seen in the centuries leading up to Shakespeare’s play.
One could embrace Midsummer’s association with the fey, and use it as an opportunity to honor them, bribe them, and generally make sure our relationship remains a positive one. Even if you don’t choose to work with the fey on Midsummer, it’s probably a good idea to at least acknowledge them on the night most associated with them. This could be as simple as an invitation for the fey to be part of your ritual, and to ask for their blessing before and after your rituals.
The story of the Oak King and Holly King is also popular at Midsummer, this is more than like due to the fact that December is such a busy month, while June has seems to have less. A favorite ritual is to have the Goddess of Summer deliver the killing blow to the Oak King in order to keep the earth fertile. It was a new twist on the sacrificial god story.
Rites involving fire have been popular at Midsummer for hundreds if not thousands of years. Bonfires, or even just a small fire in a charcoal grill, are a great way to connect to our ancestors who celebrated long ago on Saint John’s Eve. Fire is a powerful magical tool, and simply throwing things (and ideals) that we want out our lives into a fire can make for effective spell work. The smoke from Midsummer fires can be used to protect a home or convenstead from negative influences.
Rituals involving the power of the sun are especially popular at the Summer Solstice. Rituals can be built around specific solar deities or around the idea of the sun’s power giving life to the grains, fruits, and vegetables at sunset when the longest days meets up with the shortest night.
One of the oldest traditions associated with Midsummer is that of a burning wheel. Though seldom practiced today, people have been rolling flaming wheels down hills for thousands of years. The first recorded instance of this practice dates back to the fourth century CE, and the first reference to the practice happening specifically on Midsummer dates from the sixteenth century.
What’s most interesting about the solar wheel is that it’s clearly a symbol of the sun, by god such as Apollo and Helios and on lots of other more mundane items. Solar wheels have appeared on ancient pottery, jewelry, and coinage, and have been used by humans to represent the sun for over five thousand years. (The first recorded instance we’ve been able to find dates back to the third millennium BCE, which means they might have be even older.)
Divination has been a part of this holiday most likely from the beginning. Writing in the twelfth century, a rather un-fun Christian monk wrote of Midsummer: “He who at the feast of St. John the Baptist does any work of sorcery to seek out the future shall do penance for fifteen days.” This tradition has lasted until the present day in many places, with many divination spells centered around romantic pairings and potential spouses.
Midsummer offers a little bit of something for everyone. It’s a time for doing magic, celebrating the sun, and getting a sneak peek into the future. It also features traditions that have been a part of the human experience for thousands of years. Hail the Midsummer fires! Hail the sun!
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