Happy Solstice
And happy anniversary to me and my Jason. 9 years ago today, we were handfasted by our friend Kat, in a beautiful mountain home in Franklin, NC, surrounded by people I no longer keep in touch with, mostly. Some are still friends .. enozgirl I still adore, and cherish the fact that we're still friends even after she's known me all these years. sithicas still hangs around too .. but he's a dork. *winks and snugs* And Nikki, but she's on evil MySpace and not eljay. But beyond those two .. no one in eljay-land was present for my handfasting. Tom and Christine, Izzy, Randy, Ducky ... even Kat and we have grown out of touch. It's a sad thing, really. I have fond .. and not-so-fond ... memories of that trip .. and it's kinda sad.
"Did that sign say Tennessee?' comes from that trip .. since we all drove out there, and one group was -very- late .. because they missed a turn and ended up driving into Tennessee. And it will never be forgotten. :) I still remember being so stressed out that a tiger's eye ring I was wearing shattered. Just .. out of the blue shattered off my finger. I remember sending the boys out to fetch firewood because Dammit I wanted a fire! And also to fetch me daisies ... and having them return with the whole plants that they had pulled up, roots and dirt and all. I remember Ducky bringing alcohol into the house, and me about kicking him to the curb for it, because there was no alcohol at my handfasting, thankyouverymuch!!!
I remember waking Izzy up by jumping on her bed one morning ... and nearly giving her a heart-attack because of it. I remember coming downstairs and catching Tom and Christina cuddling in the bed and creeping back upstairs .. they'd been broken up you see, to everyone's dismay .. and they got back together during this trip. I remember making shadow puppets on the fog that rolled up to the edge of the deck that overlooked a huge valley. I love the Smokey Mountains. I remember cramming five people and five people's stuff .. including all the gifts we were given for out handfasting .. into Jason's little Kia Sephia for the 4 hour drive back home. A suggestion: don't try this at home.
What amuses me is I don't at all remember the handfasting itself, other than vague recollections. I can remember the dress I was wearing, can remember seeing candles all around us. I remember the friends present .. some of which who were not Pagan and had no idea what to expect. I just remember being happy that people were there to share our handfasting with us.
The Sun's Peak
Summer Solstice
On the longest day of the year, the sun, which has on the days preceding seemed to rise higher and higher into the sky, reaches its zenith and rises no more. This day, which in the Northern Hemisphere can occur between the 20th and 23rd of June, marks the start of summer and is known as the summer solstice. From time immemorial, the coming of summer's light and warmth has been a time of gladness and celebration. In June, the snows had long since melted, the ground had thawed, the first fruits were ripening on their vines, and Mother Nature had once again renewed herself. Though most of us have turned away from our agricultural heritage, the summer solstice remains a time of new beginnings and life-enriching endings. It is the day the sun reaches the peak of its power as well as the day that heralds the shorter days that eventually bring with them autumn's chills.
For ancient peoples of the Americas and Europe, the summer solstice was a particularly joyous day-and one auspicious for those seeking year-long luck, fertility, abundance, and prosperity. Men and women on two continents would gather to pay tribute to the sun's magnificence, to pray for a bountiful harvest, and to bolster the sun's energy with bonfires and fireworks. Today, the summer solstice represents an optimal time to reflect upon the blessings we have received in seasons past and visualize the new bounties we hope to receive in the season just beginning to flourish. At noon, when the sun is at its highest point, we can pay reverence to its incredible strength and its ability to create life while also musing on the impermanence of life as represented by the impermanence of the season. You can reestablish your innate connection to nature on the summer solstice by spending time outdoors; following the sun's procession as the day passes; burning sun oils such as orange, benzion, or juniper; or decorating an altar with solar images, summer greens, or colorful blossoms.
Just as the summer solstice is symbolic of agricultural growth, so is it symbolic of personal growth. It is a wonderful time to nurture your potential as you would nurture a tiny seedling and let your creative energy express itself fully. On the summer solstice, you may feel compelled to emulate the noontime sun and be at one with the world around you or to let your inner brilliance shine forth at full strength, if only for a single day. Your life, like the seasons, follows a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, and summers, whether literal or figurative, can always be celebrated.
A wonderful Solstice to everyone.
"Did that sign say Tennessee?' comes from that trip .. since we all drove out there, and one group was -very- late .. because they missed a turn and ended up driving into Tennessee. And it will never be forgotten. :) I still remember being so stressed out that a tiger's eye ring I was wearing shattered. Just .. out of the blue shattered off my finger. I remember sending the boys out to fetch firewood because Dammit I wanted a fire! And also to fetch me daisies ... and having them return with the whole plants that they had pulled up, roots and dirt and all. I remember Ducky bringing alcohol into the house, and me about kicking him to the curb for it, because there was no alcohol at my handfasting, thankyouverymuch!!!
I remember waking Izzy up by jumping on her bed one morning ... and nearly giving her a heart-attack because of it. I remember coming downstairs and catching Tom and Christina cuddling in the bed and creeping back upstairs .. they'd been broken up you see, to everyone's dismay .. and they got back together during this trip. I remember making shadow puppets on the fog that rolled up to the edge of the deck that overlooked a huge valley. I love the Smokey Mountains. I remember cramming five people and five people's stuff .. including all the gifts we were given for out handfasting .. into Jason's little Kia Sephia for the 4 hour drive back home. A suggestion: don't try this at home.
What amuses me is I don't at all remember the handfasting itself, other than vague recollections. I can remember the dress I was wearing, can remember seeing candles all around us. I remember the friends present .. some of which who were not Pagan and had no idea what to expect. I just remember being happy that people were there to share our handfasting with us.
The Sun's Peak
Summer Solstice
On the longest day of the year, the sun, which has on the days preceding seemed to rise higher and higher into the sky, reaches its zenith and rises no more. This day, which in the Northern Hemisphere can occur between the 20th and 23rd of June, marks the start of summer and is known as the summer solstice. From time immemorial, the coming of summer's light and warmth has been a time of gladness and celebration. In June, the snows had long since melted, the ground had thawed, the first fruits were ripening on their vines, and Mother Nature had once again renewed herself. Though most of us have turned away from our agricultural heritage, the summer solstice remains a time of new beginnings and life-enriching endings. It is the day the sun reaches the peak of its power as well as the day that heralds the shorter days that eventually bring with them autumn's chills.
For ancient peoples of the Americas and Europe, the summer solstice was a particularly joyous day-and one auspicious for those seeking year-long luck, fertility, abundance, and prosperity. Men and women on two continents would gather to pay tribute to the sun's magnificence, to pray for a bountiful harvest, and to bolster the sun's energy with bonfires and fireworks. Today, the summer solstice represents an optimal time to reflect upon the blessings we have received in seasons past and visualize the new bounties we hope to receive in the season just beginning to flourish. At noon, when the sun is at its highest point, we can pay reverence to its incredible strength and its ability to create life while also musing on the impermanence of life as represented by the impermanence of the season. You can reestablish your innate connection to nature on the summer solstice by spending time outdoors; following the sun's procession as the day passes; burning sun oils such as orange, benzion, or juniper; or decorating an altar with solar images, summer greens, or colorful blossoms.
Just as the summer solstice is symbolic of agricultural growth, so is it symbolic of personal growth. It is a wonderful time to nurture your potential as you would nurture a tiny seedling and let your creative energy express itself fully. On the summer solstice, you may feel compelled to emulate the noontime sun and be at one with the world around you or to let your inner brilliance shine forth at full strength, if only for a single day. Your life, like the seasons, follows a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, and summers, whether literal or figurative, can always be celebrated.
A wonderful Solstice to everyone.