Summer Solstice Celebration
/
The Summer Solstice marks the beginning of summer for the Northern Hemisphere and typically lands on the calendar between June 19-21. This is the longest day of the year with sunlight shining far into the night-time hours. It is a time to celebrate light, fire, and the hope for a good harvest.
This summer is calling us towards the hard, heavy, laboring work of working the soil of supremacy to weed out systems of racism. If we want climate justice, we must have social justice. These are the two sides of the same seed, if you will, that must be planted this season. As we move into a celebration of the Summer Solstice, may it be that the light we honor, and the harvest for which we hope is one that is truly a regenerative light for black lives, and a harvest that is equitable, honoring, and one of deep love.
In the excerpt below from his Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim, Catholic priest Edward Hays reflects upon the significance of this day and then offers a ritual for the solstice fire.
Summer Solstice Celebration
"In the northern hemisphere the season of summer begins on about June 21 and extends to about September 23. The intense rays of the sun reach the northernmost tip of our planet on the June summer solstice. And because the northern half of our planet tilts fully toward the sun, the hours of sunlight are the longest on this day and the hours of darkness the shortest. From our vantage point, it appears that the sun stops at the peak of its northward journey. For several days it lingers at this point and then slowly appears to move southward.
"Our ancient ancestors, who lived in harmony with the sun and the moon, knew within their bones the sacredness of such times. The eve of June 21, or midsummer's eve, was a night of magic and feasting. Deep within our bodies the memories of those sun feasts are still alive. We are children of the sun, the daystar that makes all life possible, as we travel in the icy darkness of frozen space. It is only fitting that we celebrate this turning point of our planet, even if we have a more sophisticated knowledge of the Earth, sun, moon, and planets than did our ancestors.
"It was believed that on midsummer's eve, the walls separating the worlds of the spirits and humans became as thin as tissue paper. The spirits of field and forest, of river and stream — all the inhabitants of that inner world — were free to pass back and forth between those walls and play among humans. It was a festival of fire, celebrating the full force of the sun-star. It was a time for feasting, a summer Christmas for play and pretending.
"Summertime allows us opportunities for celebrations outside — ideal for a fire feast. Whether you celebrate the solstice alone or with family or friends, you are in communion with all peoples, ancient and modern, who are touched by the magic of the feast and who gratefully honor the blazing gift of the sun."
Rituals & Ceremonies
Ritual of the Summer Solstice Fire
a fire or a simple candle flame may be used
"Holy is this fire of midsummer's eve, and holy are you, O God.
From your burning heart you drew forth a fiery ball
and flung it into space.
Your laughter shook the empty cosmos and echoed again and again
until the darkness of space resounded with your love and with fire.
You reached in again and drew forth fire and seeded it like yeast
in each atom, plant and animal, each bird, fish, man, and woman.
And you gave us a special star, our sun, aflame with a life-evoking energy
to make our planet green and fertile,
sun-soaked in your love.
"As we celebrate this solstice feast,
open our eyes to the countless wonders
and to the sparks of fire-life that you have planted in each of us.
May this holy and magical night
be aglow with star-fire and God-light
as we once again begin the sacred season of summer.
Amen.
"NOTE: In ancient times to dance about or to jump over the solstice fire was said to be a cure for disease, a prevention against snake bites, and a deep blessing."
Create Communion | Summer Solstice Recipes
By bringing in food that is made from our local landscapes into our seasonal ceremonies, we begin the critical shift into a sacramental worldview that is essential for a good ceremony. If the Earth is the Body of God (read Sallie McFague for more on this incredible theological metaphor), then the nourishing food that grows through the earthen body is holy, sacred, sacramental. “Take and see that the Earth is good!” is my favorite proclamation when eating a thoughtfully prepared item created from locally foraged plants and flowers.
This is one of the yummiest elements of rewilding. We remember that rewilding is, simply put, just that: re-membering. Becoming a member again of all of the biodiversity-all the forms of life-that are around us. I attune to the food cycles of my bioregion by foraging food growing naturally on the land. This is more than just acquiring food; it is a way to commune with the generative forces of nature, what Hildegard of Bingen called vereditas, the greening power of God.
Here are a few of my family’s favorite recipes to make for the Summer Solstice. The featured herbal or flower partner is found in my certified wildlife habitat urban homescape or just beyond in our neighborhood woods. These recipes are a profusion of what Earth is offering at the Summer Solstice in our bioregion: garden herbs galore, Elder flower, and lavender are our favorites with which to work this time of year! Try some of these out as a way to deepen into your own personal Summer Solstice ceremony.
Elderflower Infusion
If you are fortunate to live near an Elder bush, this is the time of year when it is a’bloom. The large, white, umbel (flat) shaped flowers really make the large, shrub like tree stand out, as they will often be covered with them!
This simple recipe calls for a three to four pre-washed large clusters of flowers placed in a one gallon jar and covered with purified water. Allow to rest in a refrigerator over night. To enjoy this floral water, pour your desired amount through a strainer and into your glass.
Elderflowers bloom around the time of the Summer Solstice and partnering the blooms with honey, which is like liquid sunshine, is a delicious way to celebrate the solstice. This favorite recipe comes from the good folks at Grow Forage Cook Ferment. Enjoy!
This delicious tea can be made from dry or fresh flowers and herbs. My anise is not quite ready, so I substitute in lavender, mint, and lemon balm with my elderflower and nootka rose petals. Grow Forage Cook Ferment gives good details on how to create this concoction for yourself!
These solstice cookies are everything! They actually look like the sun and are decorated with edible flower petals, and they taste delicious. My children love helping me create this recipe to enjoy around our solstice fire as the sun is still brightening the evening sky. Happy to share this recipe from the amazing ensouled hearth of Gather Victoria.
Solstice Herb Bread
Going out into the warm-earth garden to pick fresh herbs for this bread is a favorite solstice ritual. I also add in oregano and lavender as well.
3 C. flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 pkg. dry active yeast
2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 1/4 C. hot water
2 tbsp. Crisco
Mix 2 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Add herbs, water, and Crisco. Beat slowly, stirring in remaining cup of flour until smooth. Scrape batter from sides of bowl and let rise in a warm place for 35 minutes or until it doubles in bulk. Punch down and beat with a spoon for about 15 seconds. Place dough in a greased loaf pan, patting down and forming a loaf shape with your hands. Cover and let rise again for about 30 minutes or until it again
doubles in bulk. Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes. Brush top with butter or margarine and remove from pan to cool.