WELCOME TO SUMMER, IN THE NORTH

Sol + stice derives from a combination of Latin words
meaning "sun" + "to stand still." As the days lengthen,
the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand
still in the sky.

                        
The Summer Solstice results in the longest day and the
shortest night of the year. The Northern Hemisphere
celebrates in June, but the people on the Southern half of
the earth have their longest summer day in December.

                        

The Celts and Slavs celebrated the first day of summer with
dancing and bonfires to help increase the sun's energy. The
Chinese marked the day by honoring Li, the Chinese Goddess
of Light.



Pagans called the Midsummer moon the "Honey Moon" for the
mead made from fermented honey that was part of wedding
ceremonies performed at the Summer Solstice.

                       

Ancient Pagans celebrated Midsummer with bonfires, when
couples would leap through the flames, believing their
crops would grow as high as the couples were able to
jump.

                      

Midsummer was thought to be a time of magic, when evil
spirits were said to appear. To thwart them, Pagans often
wore protective garlands of herbs and flowers. One of the
most powerful of them was a plant called 'chase-devil',
which is known today as St. John's Wort and still used by
modern herbalists as a mood stabilizer.