< Go Back The Midsummer Solstice Once more the wheel has turned, and we are at the Mid-summer Solstice, which falls between 20th and 22nd June. Astronomically, this is when the hours of daylight in the Northern hemisphere reach their peak, with the the longest day and shortest night, and was for our ancestors a very significant time indeed. Also known to Wiccans as Litha and the Druids refer to this time as Alban Hefin. The light and heat of the sun was vital for a good harvest, and survival, and it was celebrated by lighting fires to replicate the sun. Many stone circles, such as Stonehenge were aligned to catch the first rays of Midsummer sun, as it rose, and our ancestors would have stayed up all night to see this sacred spectacle.The Goddess is heavily with child and the Sun God at his absolute peak. A time to celebrate all your achievements, and the beauty and fertility of the Earth, but.......this time is also tinged with sadness, as the Oak King must now surrender his rule to his brother The Holly King, and very slowly, from now on the power of the sun begins to wane, and we start to prepare to go, once again into the dark time of the year. So celebrate this day with flowers, herbs, eat drink and dance!
Have a wonderful Midsummer Solstice.