I Am the Sun
I am the Sun -
And I bear with my might
The earth by day, the earth by night.
I hold her fast, and my gifts I bestow
To everything on her, so that it may grow:
Man and stone, flower and bee
All receive their light from me.
Open thy heart like a little flower,
That with my light I may thee dower:
Open thy heart, dear child, to me,
That we together one light may be.
Christian Morgenstern
Midsummer
The celebration of Midsummer's Eve has been linked to the summer solstice since ancient times. The solstice falls on June 21; Midsummer’s Eve on June 24; and the Feast of St. John is observed during this time as well. Some hold the belief that Elizabeth, John’s mother, built a large bonfire to notify her cousin, Mary, of the birth of her child, that she might come to share in her joy. Since many customs of midsummer festivals blend with aspects of St. John’s life, the two festivals have become interwoven in many regions of the world.
While wind and air are the themes and symbols of Whitsun, the Summer Solstice and the Feast of St. John share the theme and symbol of the sun—the element of fire. In the language of the young child, King Sun is sitting highest on his throne at this time. It is wonderful to weave stories and songs, plays and verses filled with images of the sun and the fairy-folk, flowers and garland-making, animals and insects, all thriving in the ripeness of the season’s harvest.
This is the time to celebrate the essence of the St. John’s feast—connecting to the wisdom of the spirit through light.
The bonfires at Midsummer and the Feast of St. John represent this connection and allow us to truly feel the warmth and power from above and within. Let the children feel their strength and fire.
Families and communities might gather for bonfires at both Midsummer and St. John’s. These flames symbolize the power of the spirit to transform the past and ‘burn up’ the old and unwanted elements of our nature.
You may want to participate in this wonderful old tradition if it is legal in your community and light an outdoor fire in an appropriate place. Proceed with due caution, of course, and make sure your fire will not be a hazard.
There is something truly magical about a fire at night in midsummer. Let everyone participate in gathering the kindling, branches, and logs. Watch the expression of awe and amazement on the children’s faces as the flames leap and jump.
Feel the peace, calm, and serenity that settles in as you tell stories and share nourishment together around a fire. Return home with fresh-strung garlands and glowing images that will nurture your dreams.
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2. Build, build fires that leap and flicker,
Bright fires crowing lofty mountains.
Light, light radiance for all people
Life, warmth, for all living things
3. Jump, jump! High above the firelight
High, high, higher than the sunset
Jump, jump, grain will grow and ripen,
High, high, high as you can rise.
Fairy Gifts
On Midsummer night, children can put little cakes or hand made gifts out for the fairies. Help them chose a lovely spot in the garden or woods where they feel the fairies especially like to come. The children wake in the morning to find their gifts are gone and in their place is a special treasure for them from the fairies such as a crystal or tiny fairy doll.
I Am the Sun
I am the Sun -
And I bear with my might
The earth by day, the earth by night.
I hold her fast, and my gifts I bestow
To everything on her, so that it may grow:
Man and stone, flower and bee
All receive their light from me.
Open thy heart like a little flower,
That with my light I may thee dower:
Open thy heart, dear child, to me,
That we together one light may be.
Christian Morgenstern
While the bees are busy, we humans can take some time off to enjoy Midsummer, a romantic festival filled with dances, games of love divination, and frolicking of all sorts.
In Eastern Europe, Ukrainians call this holiday Kupalo, after a pagan god of love and the harvest, who sleeps under a tree during the winter and awakens in the warm weather. On Kupalo’s eve, unmarried men and women gathered in the woods to perform dances, sing songs and do what the spirit moved them to do to honor this lusty god. The women wove flowers into wreaths that were tossed into the river; these were used in divination for the young woman could determine what family she would marry into by watching to see where the wreath drifted ashore.
On Midsummer night, Ukrainian men searched the forest for a type of fern that only would bloom at this time. It was guarded by seductive wood nymphs whose temptation they had to resist, of course. To harvest the flower, they drew a circle around the fern with a white powder, cut off the blossom with a knife, and wrapped the flower in a sacred cloth. If they could keep silent about finding the elusive flower, they would enjoy a superhuman strength.
In Poland, wildflower wreaths – or wianki – were also used in divinations on Midsummer’s night. A wildflower wreath, studded with lit candles, was placed in the water. If the wreath circled in eddies, marriage would occur later rather than sooner. If it floated away fast, marriage would happen quickly. If it touched another floating garland, only friendship would result. As in the Ukraine, if it ran ashore, it indicated where the potential husband lived. Perhaps more efficiently, if a man removed the wreath from the water, oooh la la! A night of love would soon ensue, posthaste.
Wreaths also have their place in the Nordic Midsummer celebrations, where they are worn on women’s heads. Finnish women pick seven types of wildflowers and place them under their pillows at night to dream of their future husbands.
I have been fortunate enough to experience two summers with their endless nights in Finland. I was quite young when I visited Finland (7 and 9 years old) and don’t have a particular memory of Midsummer Eve itself (probably missing it because of my school schedule). In Finland, the day is called Juhannus, after St. John, and is celebrated with a bonfire or kokko (these bonfires are reminiscent of the Nordic midsummer “Balder’s balefires,” which were named after the Norse god). I certainly remember Finnish nights in general — how late the sun set, and the magic of sitting outdoors on summer nights filled with light, eating freshly-picked raspberries or perhaps taking a sauna.
copied and pasted by Susannah Andrews from these sites:
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