Midsummer is such a special time. The days are long and the night air is warm. The hustle and bustle of spring subsides, and makes way for more relaxation and enjoyment of life. This year, the weekend of the summer solstice (also called Litha) was also the weekend of the full Strawberry Moon. I decided to celebrate both together. Actually, as I am typing this I realized I forgot to add strawberries to the wreath offering. Whoops! Anyways...
At home I built a small fire, adding some dried herbs and spices to makes it smell more magic-y. Then my partner and I held hands and leapt over it, making sure not to let go of each other. In some traditions, leaping over the flame ensures fertility of both self and crops in the coming year. In others, it grants wishes or keeps your current romance true and faithful. It is a fun and easy solstice ritual. I have heard of people leaping over a lit candle in their bedroom - you can make this as simple or as complicated as you like.
The final part of my celebration involved making an offering to the local lake. I spend a lot of time at this lake during the summer months, and this is my way of showing gratitude and sort of "opening" the summer lake season for our family. I made two large wreaths full of white flowers, put on a white dress over a bathing suit, and made my way to the lake.
Any time I do something in public, I am racked with self-consciousness! There were only a few people, but of course they were staring at me with confused-but-interested looks on their faces. I remained friendly and smiling. However, when I stepped slowly into the calm water, I forgot I had an audience at all. There may have been other people at the lake, but NO ONE was in the water. It was clear and still and warm. I filled my head with memories of summers past, and breathed deep to smell the water and the plants. Once waist-deep, I slowly pushed the wreaths out. They floated beautifully, slowly drifting further and further away.
