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Ancient Wisdom of Summer
Summer is the sacred season of full action, growth, and self-expression on our planet. It is the time of intense development of all crops, wild grasses, and domesticated backyard plants. It is the time of year when we can "watch the grass grow" and notice the tomatoes enlarge almost by the hour. In my own garden, my rose buds develop
and bloom in just a day or two instead of the weeks that it took the first blooms to flourish.
It is also the time of greatest light and it is natural for us to be active long into the evening hours, thriving on less sleep and energetically bounding out of bed at first light in the morning. Our natural attitude is, "I can sleep in the winter." Our skin loves the feeling of the sun; our cells seem to rejoice at the great influx of vitamin D.
When we harness the life force of summer, we have the energy to do our work and have plenty of vigor left over to play. It is the time when we can use the energy of the earth and sun to really get things done.perhaps things we have put off. Let yourself work hard and play hard. Feel your health and vitality multiply with lots of movement. Leap! Cavort! Dance! Run!
Our ancestors celebrated the Summer Solstice with huge bonfires to echo the heat and fire of the sun. As the flames burned down, couples would leap over the embers in commitment to their love. Young couples would leap as the flames still burned, hand in hand, thrilling to the danger. As the embers burned late into the night, the oldest couple of the village would walk across the coals, sealing the midsummer ritual for another year.
Easy and Flexible Salsa Recipe for Summer
It seems strange that hot foods seem to taste even better in the summer, as if our taste buds want to harmonize with the heat in the environment. This salsa recipe uses whatever looks good at the produce market and the results are always delicious. Here is the basic recipe:
o 2 cups of the main ingredient, such as tomatoes, peaches, strawberries, corn, mango, or even blueberries
o ¼ cup onion, such as green or red onion, shallots, or leeks
o 2 minced chilies - try different levels of heat
o 3 Tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice
o 3 Tablespoons oil
o 3 Tablespoons fresh herbs
o sugar, salt and pepper to taste
Try different kinds of chilies, oils, vinegars, and herbs. Strawberries, red onion, cilantro, with raspberry vinegar is fabulous. Peaches, shallots, fresh mint, and balsamic vinegar is delicious.
Summer Party
Of course make the salsa!
Have several invited guests bring copies of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Hold this party in a backyard or in the countryside to simulate the enchanted forest, where most of the play's action takes place. Have fun reading and acting through this wonderful pagan romp filled with ancient summer symbols. This is a fabulous play to introduce children to Shakespeare. I once saw a sixth grade class put on A Midsummer Night's Dream and their play was as fun and magical as a full Broadway production.
Fairies, which play such an important part in Shakespeare's story, are summery characters. Our ancestors believed that on the eve of Midsummer, the veil between the world of fairies and humans was the thinnest. Perhaps you will inspire some nature sprites to participate in your play.
If you have a picnic as part of your summer party, remember to leave some sweets for the fairies. You do not want an angry fairy to make trouble for you. That is another of the themes of A Midsummer Night's Dream: if the fairy realm is not happy, no one is happy. It is only when Queen Titania and King Oberon mend their marriage that the human kingdom can proceed with the three weddings that end the play.
Let your creativity and silliness flow. Use flowers in your hair and lots of filmy veils. This is your chance in the whole year to joyfully embody Puck's exclamation, "Lord, what fools these mortals be."
Ritual for the Full Moon in June
The Algonquin Tribe in the Great Lakes region of our country named the full moon in June "The Strawberry Moon." June is the short season for harvesting wild strawberries. Although, in our unnatural forcing nurseries, the strawberry season is longer, in the natural world of our ancestors the sweetness of the strawberry was made even sweeter by the shortness of the season.
The idea of the sweetness of short-lived blessings is echoed by the birth of the darkness in the midst of the longest day of light at the Summer Solstice. We are reminded that in the fullness of our enjoyment of any earthly pleasure is the seed of its change.its fading. It reminds us to appreciate the now moment of all of that which we love.
For this ritual, go outside on the night of the full moon in June. Go to a private place where you can disrobe entirely and enjoy a moon bath. The ritual of "drawing down the moon" is an ancient wiccan rite of drawing the goddess energy into the body of the celebrant. Let your own desire be your guide. This is the perfect time to draw to yourself the powerful receptive qualities that will help you appreciate the transitory blessings of life. Facing the full moon ask for increased compassion, enhanced appreciation, greater connection with others and healthy emotions. Let the emotions come and you might find yourself crying, wailing, or laughing with the moonlight streaming into and through you. Let the moonlight wash any resistance out of your body/mind, so that you are left with the silvery moonlight in every cell.
Finish your ritual by enjoying fresh strawberries your favorite way.with champagne, ice cream, or sour cream and brown sugar.
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