A Druid’s Web Log – The Fires of Solstice are approaching! June 2021

Summer Solstice is fast approaching. Incredibly, due to the pandemic I have not attended a live ritual since Winter Solstice 2019! A local Pagan Priestess is hosting a live Summer Solstice gathering on June 20 this year, which will be fantastic to attend. Held out of doors it should be safe, however, I will bring my own food and drink, rather than share in the usual pot luck feast. Here in the USA we aren’t 50% fully vaccinated yet, and they have always said that we need to be at 70-80% fully vaccinated before we can have true “herd immunity”. Meanwhile, variants of the virus keep cropping up in countries and places with large numbers of unvaccinated citizens. This isn’t over yet.

My Druid group, Tribe of the Oak has been offering public on line rituals on Facebook for almost four years now, a valuable service during the pandemic. As things are slowly looking better and fully vaccinated people are able to gather again (especially outdoors) we have decided to switch back to private observances and to encourage people to meet in person in their own areas once more. Anyone who wants to delve deeper into the Druidic mysteries is welcome to study with us (lots of reading required).

Here is an excerpt from “Scottish Herbs and Fairy Lore” to inspire your own Solstice rites (Pendraig Publishing, June 21, 2011)

Summer Solstice (Midsummer) – June 21

Locals go to a hill top before dawn to watch the Midsummer sunrise. When the Sun appears, hands are raised to catch the first rays, and held up to the Sun until the Sun clears the horizon. Then everyone kisses, sings and dances, and attends a breakfast feast.

Older boys and girls have gathered materials for a bonfire by pulling heather and tying it into bundles, carrying peat, and collecting twigs and branches. The peat is placed at the center of the fire, heather on top, and finally the wood. Adults supervise the lighting of the fire (which is ideally lit by friction) which should be respected as a “Fire Altar” and is not to be used for mundane purposes such as trash burning, cooking, etc.

Everyone dances around the fire, making offerings to it (such as dried herbs, butter, oil, and whisky) and then the young pull out flaming torches which they carry to the fields, barns, and hills. The fields, horses and cattle are sained with the burning brands which are carried in a Sun-wise circle around the boundaries and animals.

The Beltaine (May Day) fires at Uisneach, Ireland this year

The sick and those making petitions walk around the bonfire deiseil (sun wise). Sick animals are led around the pyre. Old bones are gathered and burned in the fire and those who are able take turns jumping the flames (because the grain will grow as high as they can leap).

Unmarried women carry home a partially burned peat, extinguishing it in the vat of stale urine kept for the conditioning of wool cloth (traditionally a barrel was kept out of doors for the gentlemen to pee in just for this purpose, over time the urine becomes ammonia). Then the peat is placed over the door lintel.

The next day the peat is broken open and the color of the fibers inside will reveal the hair color of their future husband.

Sailors and fishermen throw silver coins into the sea as they set out for the summer fishing, for luck and a calm sea. Selkies * drop their skins on this night, to come to shore and join the humans in their dancing.

*seals

May your own Solstice fires be bright!

SOME UPCOMING CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS

Jun 5 at 5 AM EDT – Jun 6 at 4 PM EDT
Event by Moon Books
Price: Free · Duration: 2 days
TWO DAYS of talks, panels & Q/A live sessions with a whole host of Moon Books authors.
FREE and open to everyone
The event will be run live from the Moon Books Facebook page and the recorded talks will be available for viewing later
June 18th-20th, 2021
Free Spirit Gathering
On Line Conference this year!
Ellen will speak Friday 7pm on Druid Magic
July 9 – 11th 2021
WITCHSFEST USA 2021 IN PERSON ON ASTOR PLACE & BROADCASTED LIVE ONLINE GLOBALLY
From: New York City
10th Annual WitchsFest USA – A Pagan Faire
REGISTER AND JOIN IN THE MAGICK!
RSVP HERE
Neo-Pagan Club of India
18 July 2021
Ellen Evert Hopman, Neopagan Author
DURATION : 90 minutes
TIME : 7 pm India 1: 30 pm England . 8:30 am USA . Conference will be on Zoom
whattsapp contact number is +917327965424
August 7, 2021
3:00-4:30 PM Eastern
Dragonfest
A talk on Druid magical techniques from history
October 26, 2021
Wild Ginger Herbal Center
6-8 PM Eastern
Ellen will speak on The Sacred Herbs of Samhain
A Zoom webinar

BOOK NEWS

The illustrations for my new children’s book are done. It is a collection of children’s stories based on traditional European Earth festivals. The publication date is Spring 2022.

*Below you will find the usual gleanings from the media- Archeology, Herbs, Nature, Climate, Health, Celts, Arts, Religion, Ethics and more. You can find my books in all the usual places and also here www.elleneverthopman.com Enjoy the read!*

ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS

More Archaeology News…

HERB NEWS

Make rhubarb mead!
Pine pollen fudge (if you live in an area with a lot of pines, its easy to gather the pollen. Just put a clean sheet on top of your car!)
Sea Buckthorn is food and medicine

More Herb News…