Well here we are at the turning point- the earth's turning point and, perhaps, ours- as the solstice officially arrives at 1:16 p.m.EST for us here in Ontario. To find the time of the solstice in your part of the world, here is a handy site.
A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year when the Sun's apparent position in the sky, as viewed from Earth, reaches its northernmost or southernmost extremes. The name is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstices, the Sun stands still in declination, that is, the apparent movement of the Sun's path north or south comes to a stop before reversing direction.
Because so many of our traditions are still linked to England and its early pagan and Christian celebrations, this date is also known as Midsummer. The story behind Shakespeare's play of A Midsummer Night's Dream is based on the belief that 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. 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 and 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.
And here is a more moderate form of magic. What are the chances that Elise Muller would once again win the draw? Well, in this case, 50/50. Congratulations Elise!
Wishing one and all the peaceful celebrations of this magical time
when any wonderful thing can happen if we invest our intentions with love.
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