Midsummer June 21 Alban Heflin,  Alben Heruin,  All-couples day,  Feast of Epona,  Feill-Sheathain, Gathering Day,  Johannistag,  Litha, Oak Festival,  Sonnwend,  St. John`s Day,  Summer Solstice,  Sun Blessing, Thing-Tide, Vestalia, Whit Sunday, Whitsuntide   A new holiday adapted by neo-pagans to celebrate the middle of summer. The origins of the holiday originated in Wales where the celebration of midsummer was practiced and is called Gwyl Canol Haf. It is my conclusion that ancient pagans probably celebrated a form of midsummer holiday anyway because 1. The seasons and especially a solstice were important to them and 2. they had very hard lives and enjoyed celebrating like anyone else. If you want to put a name to what theycalled the celebration, it was not called midsummer as that is a rather generic name used now by neo-pagans. The name given to this time of year would have been, St. John`s Eve or St. Hans Aften or Jonines, or any other variations of "John". Emphasis would have been placed on the twilight time of balance of dark and light, short and long and the grey area in between when the faeries or spirits would be out and seen and communicated with easily. The times of dusk and dawn, eves of holidays, hence we get the wonderful Shakespeare story of a Midsummer Eve. Why St. John? At the time of early christianity and conversions, St. John was seen as a rustic nature based figure and often called the Oak Man. There are many statues of him that still exist which portray him as half human and half animal, perhaps hints of him as being a Jack in the Green or The Wild Man In The Woods. The plant, St. John`s Wort was seen as defence against harmful fearies. Bonfires are still lit today on the midsummer`s, lighting up hillsides and casting a glow of protection from harmful faeries.  If you have children, a great way to spend the holiday together as a family is to take them to a sacred site and picnic with vegetables and fruits from your garden and have them search for specific plants of the holiday too and explain the folklore. Midsummer and summer time are also the time for many pagans and non pagans too to think about weddings and handfastings. Many herbs collected at this time are used for a traditional handfasting. Picnics afterward with mead and ale and the traditional vegetables and fruits of the summer are served as well as wild flowers everywhere in hair and on table spreads. Summer Solstice Incense Recipe   3 parts Frankincense 2 parts Benzoin 1 part Dragon’s Blood 1 part Thyme 1 part Rosemary pinch Vervain a few drops Red Wine Midsummer Oil Recipe   4 drops lavender oil 3 drops Rosemary oil 1 drop Pine Oil (Use Sunflower oil as your base here) Midsummer Ritual Mead 2-1/2 gallons water 1 cup meadowsweet herb 1 cup woodruff sprigs 1 cup heather flowers 3 cloves 1 cup honey 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 cup barley malt 1 oz. brewer's yeast Pour the water into a large cauldron or kettle. Bring to a boil and add the meadowsweet herb, woodruff sprigs, heather flowers, and cloves. Boil for one hour and the add the honey, brown sugar, and barley malt. Stir thirteen times in a clockwise direction and then remove from heat. Strain through a cheesecloth and allow the mead to cool to room temperature. Stir in the brewer's yeast. Cover with a clean towel and let it stand for one day and one night. Strain again, bottle, and then store in a cool place until ready to serve. Midsummer Ritual Mead is an ideal drink to serve at Summer Solstice Sabbats, as well as during all Cakes and Ale Ceremonies and Esbats. Summer Solstice Ritual Potpourri 45 drops lemon or lavender oil 1 cup oak moss 2 cups dried lavender 2 cups dried wisteria 2 cups dried verbena Mix the lemon or lavender oil with the oak moss, and then add the remaining ingredients. Stir the potpourri well and store in a tightly covered ceramic or glass container.   Symbols Sun, Fire, Balefire, Faeries, Mistletoe, Oak trees Colors Green, Gold, Blue, Tan Gods Father Gods, Sun Gods, Puck,Pan, Goddesses Mother Goddesses, Pregnant Goddesses, Sun Goddesses Animals Robins, Wrens, Horses, Cattle Mythical Creatures Faeries, Satyrs, Nymphs, Sprites, Dragon, Firebird, Thunderbird, Manticore Food Summer greens, Summer fruit, Summer Vegetables, Squash Beverages Apple cider ,Mead, Ale, Wines, Teas such as Angelica, Catnip, Indian Hyppo, Sage and Valerian Plants Oak, Mistletoe, St.John`s Wort, Vervain, Lavender, Frankincense, Rose, Fern, Sunflower, summer flowers Oils Basil, Clove, Camphor, Frankincense, Yarrow, Ylang-Ylang Stones and Gems Emerald, Lapis Lazuli, Yiger`s Eye, Diamond, Jade Songs Dalen Gwyr (Green Leave), an ancient fertility song, over time it has become known as GreenSleeves. Time Hour Dusk, Eve Midsummer Rituals