The longest day in the year, around the 21st of June, comes in many traditions with festivals and rituals. Herbs have always played a big part in that – for example in Celtic lore. Herbs that are at full bloom now at the summer solstice can be harvested and dried or used directly. The photo above was taken at midsummer – this is what is ready to be foraged in central Europe now.
Specific herbs were reserved for certain rituals to be celebrated at the solstice fire. Some herbs even got their name in some languages from this day because they are most potent at this time with the most sun hours in the day. As the name says, this is a Sun festival, and celebrates the fullest power of the Sun God, often also of a Sun Goddess.
Midsummer – Light over Darkness
Use this midsummer day to celebrate life, radiant energy, abundance in nature and to connect with what mother nature gives you. The sun power – light energy – is most essential not only for ourselves but also for herbs, of course. Plants thrive on sun light, warmth, and photons are an essential part of the plant mechanism. The vibrational light or life energy can be felt now. Also, Vitamin D is the SUN vitamin and essential for your immune system.
One of the best known midsummer herbs is St. John’s Wort – which used to be named Solstice Herb. It received its modern name after St. John when this Christian saint took over the Pagan solstice tradition (many holy days in the Pagan traditions were assimilated and renamed by the church). The latin name is Hypericum Perforatum. One of its most prominent uses is for depression. St. John’s wort was hung over doors at summer solstice in old traditions to ward off evil spirits. The name “perforatum” points at the many dots the leaves show, from the hypericum oil which is reddish. The term “hypericum” is a Greek mixture of “above” and “picture” most likely.
You can collect St. John’s wort at the summer solstice when it is in wonderful full bloom, then hang it head over to dry and use as tea later on (flowers and leaves). Another popular use of this solstice herb is to cover the flower heads with oil (such as olive oil or almond oil) and to let it steep at the dark place for six weeks, in a tightly sealed container, ideally a glass. Leave at least 1 cm or one finger breadth of oil above the flowers.
Strain the oil after this time and you will have a reddish oil ready to be used for massages and as a tonicum for muscles and even wounds or sun burn. For tea, dry the herb, then use it as any herb tea containing flowers (flores) – take one handful of dried St. John’s wort flowers and pour boiling water over it – 1 liter for a light tea, half a liter for a strong tea. Let sit for 10 minutes, then strain and enjoy.
Irish Celtic Summer Solstice Traditions
Druids called the Summer Solstice “Alban Hefin” – ‘The Light of the Shore’ or ‘Light of Summer’. A bonfire was lit at summer solstice evening – Litha – , and it is a day of festivals, of dancing around the fire and jumping over the fire (also as a couple, hand in hand), and so on. In Gaelic, Solstice is ‘Grianstad‘, literally ‘sun-stop’ in both Latin and Gaelic origin. Solstice bonfires were (or are actually) lit on top of the holy Kings’ Hill of TARA (the ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland). (Tara from Sanskrit means “Star” and signifies the “light of the soul”, also Goddess of the sea – compare below to Áine. 🙂 Yes, old Irish or gaelic shared the same language roots as Sanskrit, and some same words).
One of the best known monuments aligned with the summer solstice is the Grange Stone Circle, the largest in the British Isles, found at Lough Gur (Lake of the Celtic Goddess Áine) in County Limerick.
While Newgrange in Ireland (older than the Pyramids!) is know for its winter solstice properties, the sunrise on the longest day of the year is aligned over Lambay Volcano to the monument complex on Tallaght Hill in South Dublin. The Cairn on Tallaght Hill is in ruins, but the outer circle from the Cairn still exists. From the top of this Cairn on Tallaght Hill at midsummer one can see the sun rise over the Lambay Volcano and shine in to the foundations of an ancient ceremonial temple on Cnockan (or the Little Hill / Knockavinidee), “The Hill of the Fair Gods”.
In Celtic Ireland, the Celtic Solar Goddess Áine was worshipped, sometimes together with one sister, Grainné, sometimes as a triple Goddess, either in herself, or with her two sisters. Gráinne or Etain / Éatain Eachraidhe (other Celtic places know this Goddess under the names of Rhiannon, or Epona), the white mare Goddess — and Àine, the red mare Goddess, shared the cycle of the year between them, but sometimes, Grainné is thought to be more another aspect of Áine.
Áine is the Goddess of faith, Ain of the light, Goddess of summer, love, protection, fertility, wealth and sovereignty. Her name Áine means “brightness, glow, joy, radiance, splendour, glory, fame”. Hers is one of the sacred herbs of the Druids, the wonderful Meadowsweet.
But also her sister Grainne rules herbs, knowledge, the sun and fire, ruling over the dark half of the year, and Áine ruling over the light half.
Since the oldest traditions we know of, we find this idea in other traditions reflected by other Gods – the alternation of light and darkness, fertility and droughts, life and death in an eternal cycle. Also the Oak King shows the same kind of Celtic tradition: he is crowned on this day, and also shares the other half of the year with another king.
The oak is holy in the Celtic tradition and also often nourishes the holy mistletoe of the Celts. Mistletoe was regarded special when growing on Oak, and it was often gathered at Midsummer at the height of its power.The oak symbolizes not only strenght and endurance, but also was named in the Celtic tradition “Duir”, meaning “doorway”. We enter the waning part of the year.
Áine is known in some parts of Ireland as the Fairy Queen of Munster. The word ‘an’, means bright’. She is considered one of the sdhe (pronounced shee) and more formally known as the Leanan Sidhe (Sweetheart of the Sidhe). Interestingly though, not only meadowsweet is attributed to her, but also the Yew tree, which can bring death.
She was – and is – worshipped on Midsummer Eve. Torches of hay and straw are carried in her honour, and lighted, round her hill in Limerick at night. Torches were waved over the crops and the cattle to bring fertility for the following year. We find a midsummer tradition like, burning straw, wheels, straw puppets, etc., all for a good harvest, all over ancient Europe.
Christian, Judaic & Kabbalistic Tradition and Summer Solstice
In Kabbalistic, Christian and Judaic tradition, the archangel Uriel or Auriel, meaning “Fire of God” or “Light of God” is the archangel attributed to summer and the element of fire. The light or fire of God has a very special meaning in the kabbalistic and Judaic tradition, and the message of this archangel is especially important at this summer solstice of the year 2021 – the time I am writing this. Why? This archangel is thought to be the archangel most connected to the materialistic world. But: Because he is pointing to wisdom and a reality beyond the materialistic world and beyond the illusionary slavery or bondage – and restrictions – we are presently in. Our world has turned pretty dark, we are in the midst of a war, though not everyone sees this. This is especially what Aurial is pointing to – there is more than our material world, or senses, are showing to us. More than the illusion of Maha Maya. Ayin, the Hebrew letter appointed to him, the EYE, shows that “there is more than the eye can see”. The Light of God in Judaism is a revelation, the Shekinah – and people when worshipping in this context cover their heads for this reason, not to be burnt or blinded by the too bright Godly Fire. The hand sign for the letter Shin (Fire) is made underneath this cover, and at the height of the mouth.
With midsummer celebrating victory of light over darkness and life over death, Auriel is pointing to this, too. “Auriel is the Patron Angel of judges, lawmakers, peacemakers, prophets, seekers of truth, upholders of justice, visionaries. He is Assigned to bring all sentient beings before the Throne of God on the Day of Reckoning.” I think, at this point of time, this is very good news. 😉
“Herbs and plants that are attributed in some traditions to the archangel Auriel are Ash, basil, birch, black pepper, bloodroot, cactus, chili pepper, cinnamon, clove, cumin, curry, fig, garlic, hops, horseradish, juniper, leek, mistletoe, nettle, nutmeg, peppermint, radish, rosemary, sandalwood, shallot, snapdragon, Solomon’s seal, thistle, Venus flytrap, wormwood (poison).”
(From: The Angel Code, by Chantel Lysette).
Summer Solstice in Ancient Babylon, Egypt and Greece
In the ancient civilizations of Babylon, Egypt and Greece, for example, the summer solstice – or the first New Moon after the summer solstice to be more precise – marked the beginning of the New Year – this coincided with the rise of the north star Sirius, brightest star in the sky, in mythology known as the Goddess Sodpet or Sothis (Isis) in Egypt (also linked to Osiris) – and marked the beginning of the Nile floods (and also of very hot days) which in turn marked fertility.
“Utu, or later to Babylonians Shamash, was the ancient Mesopotamian sun god, god of justice, morality, and truth, and the twin of the Mesopotamian goddess Inanna (Ishtar), the Queen of Heaven – and also of fertility and devine justice. He was believed to ride through the heavens in his sun chariot and see all things that happened in the day. He was the enforcer of divine justice and was thought to aid those in distress.” Again, that’s good news! (I won’t mention here the mesopotamian traditions around the summer solstice, they are a bit dark. 😉 ).
By the way – in Greek tradition, the summer solstice is the day that slaves were equal to their masters, it was the start of the New Year. During this time, called Kronia, slaves participated in the festivities as equals or were even served by their masters. The Greek year started in Delphi at the first New Moon after the Summer Solstice. “Kronia” was dedicated to Kronos, father of Zeus – and of time. In ancient Rome, it was the beginning of the festival of Vestalia, attributed to the Goddess Vesta.
Innumarable Pagan Traditions at Summer Solstice
The Germanic summer solstice tradition by the way is interesting as the “Sun” in most language is male, and attributed to a male Sun God. But in the Germanic languages, the Sun is female, and nordic Goddess names such as “Sol” or “Sunna” mean just that.
Some of many Sun Gods are Apollo (Greek), Aten or Atun (Egyptian), Huitzilopochtli or Uitzilopochtli, Aztec sun and war god.
Importance of the Summer Solstice for Plants and Herbs
Back to herbs and medicinal plants: Apart from Spiritual meanings, why was the summer solstice so important to our ancestors? They relied of course widely! on the fruit of the land, and also needed to mark time to plan sowing, planting, harvesting and foraging. Many if not actually all ancient monuments were built aligned with the stars and the sun & moon cycles. Summer solstice is roughly half way to the full harvest (around Mabonadh, September 21st, Equinox), but midsummer is for many herbs and flowery plants the right time to harvest those. So, the greater bulk of the fruit we use for our health will start to be ready between the first harvest around Lughnasadh, August 1st or 2nd, six weeks from now, and Mabonadh, the fall equinox. Summer solstice is the first day of summer by the way, and now begins the time of wider foraging wild herbs.
Many herbs are reaching their peak, their full power, at this time of year and thus the fullness of their healing and nurturing potency. Giving a bunch of herbs as a gift on Midsummer Day is truly wonderful.
Last but not least, the Yogic Sun Salutation mantra Suriya Namaskar:
Om Mitraya Namaha
Om Ravaye Namaha
I bow to the One who is a friend to all
I bow to the One who always shines radiantly
Om Surya Namaha
Om Bhaanave Namaha
I bow to the One who dispels ignorance
I bow to the One who illuminates the entire Universe
Om Khagaya Namaha
Om Pooshne Namaha
I bow to the One who illuminates the entire Universe
I bow to the One who is all-pervading
Om Hiranya Garbhaya Namaha
Om Mariechaye Namaha
I bow to the One who is golden colored
I bow to the One who gives light with infinite rays
Om Adityaaya Namaha
Om Savitre Namaha
I bow to the son of Aditi, the cosmic divine mother
I bow to the One who is responsible for lifeOm Arkaaya Namaha
Om Bhaskaraya Namaha
I bow to the One who is worthy of praise and glory
I bow to the Giver of wisdom and cosmic illumination
