Summer thoughts...by Tansy

Summer thoughts...by Tansy Firedragon (Rachel Patterson)

As we ride the wave of energetic and passionate energy that Beltane created and head to the summer solstice – go with the flow and let your creativity and excitement for life run wild.

The sun is strong (hopefully, this is the UK after all…) allow it to ignite your passion, desire and sensuality, let it fire up your potential.  The gardens are full of blooming flowers, buzzing bees and packed with fruits and vegetables, summer is in full swing so break open the beer and chuck a kebab on the BBQ.

And of course on midsummer’s eve don’t forget to watch out for the Fae…

Make the most of the sunshine and the energy that it brings because after the summer solstice the daylight begins to wane.

Traditionally a good time to have a handfasting so if you want to ‘tie the knot’ better ask the question…

Fire magic is good to work with at this time of the year but also water so any workings to do with creativity, passion, love, balance, protection and energy but also healing, purification, emotions and intuition.  And of course faerie and dragon magic.  It is a good time to look inward to see what you need to work with or create to find your own inner balance and peace. 

Build a solstice fire to sit around and celebrate all the good things in your life then once the fire has died down and the ashes are left use some of them to create a protection pouch.

When the weather is warm and the skies are clear take a blanket outside (and maybe some provisions) to lay and watch the stars once it gets dark, don’t forget to make a wish on a bright star.

This time of the year is also perfect for re-dedicating yourself to your path, your faith and to your deities.

Start a new routine (if you don’t do it already) of saluting the sun.  As pagans we often work with the energies of the moon and sometimes the sun gets a bit forgotten.  Each morning when you wake turn to face the East and salute the sun, welcome it into your life and ask for the energetic and passionate energies that it brings to bless your day.

Make a sun wheel using plants and flowers from your garden shaped into a wreath then write your wishes on slips of paper and tie them onto the wreath, you can get your friends to join in with this activity.  Keep passing the wreath around until everyone has added a wish then at the end of the day you can put the wreath on the fire to burn and release all the wishes.

Mandalas are fun to create at any time of the year but when there are plenty of fallen petals and flowers in the garden you have lots of free materials to work with.   Collect flowers, petals, leaves and even any early seeds and use them to create a sunshiney mandala pattern.  As you create the mandala add your hopes, dreams and wishes into it.

And any chance you get, even on trips to the supermarket…wear flowers in your hair!

If you want to work with deities that are associated with these summer months you could investigate Adonis, Aine, Gaia, Aphrodite, Venus, Ceres, Dea Dia, Juno, Apollo, Mater Matua, Neptune, Pales, Vitula, Amaterasu, Aten, Hestia, Horus, Huitzilopochtli, Lugh, Sulis, Sol, Freya, Aditi, Beiwe, Vesta, Flora, Ra, Yemaya, Astarte, Hathor, Ishtar and Habondia.

Totem animal energies that are particularly associated with this time of the year are bear, salamander, eagle, lion, wren, robin, horse, cattle, satyr, dragon, butterfly, frog, toad, peacock and the Faerie world.

Veggies that are in season during June/July are globe artichokes, asparagus, aubergine, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, chard, courgettes, cucumber, fennel, French beans, garlic, kohl rabi, lettuce, onions, pak choi, peas, potatoes, radish, rocket, runner beans, sorrel, spinach, tomatoes, turnips and watercress.

If you fancy a bit of foraging (please make sure you have identified the plants correctly before eating!) you might find broom buds, chickweed, fat hen, hogweed shoots, marsh samphire, nettles, sorrel, horseradish, wild rocket, wild fennel, elderflowers and mushrooms.

If you like working with the energy of crystals then any of the yellow, gold or sunshine coloured crystals will work well and topaz, agate, alexandrite, fluorite, moonstone, pearl, emerald, quartz, garnet, amber and jade.  If you want to give your crystals a sun energy boost leave them out in the sunshine on the summer solstice, I do this with all my yellow, orange and red crystals.  Be careful though as some of the more delicate crystals may fade if left out in direct sunlight for too long.

Making a loose incense or an essential oil blend to help you connect with the sunshine and the abundance of nature, you could use some of the following; St John’s Wort, basil, parsley, mint, thyme, violet, oak, dragon’s blood, fern, vervain, daisy, honeysuckle, myrrh, bay, cinnamon, chamomile, mugwort, rosemary, rose, sunflower and lavender.

Don’t forget your sun hat and sun screen, remember to dance, celebrate and enjoy as many ice creams as you can.

Tansy

Originally published in The Mystik Way magazine

www.rachelpatterson.co.uk