Today marks the Summer Solstice, also known as the June Solstice, this year coinciding with a full moon.  It also traditionally marks the official beginning of summer.

Maria says we will be up late and out in the pasture, she is a pagan and a Good Witch, we will have a ceremony and ritual in mind. A few years ago, I had never heard of the Summer Solstice – just some background noise – and wasn’t sure what it was.

Now, it is a major holiday at Bedlam Farm, pagans and witches everywhere are excited.

The more I know about the Summer Solstice, the more I like it, the more meaning it has for me. I think the pagans understood what was important in many ways, not just what was good for the economy.

The solstice is celebrated all over the earth, but according to some of my pagan sisters, the solstice is really about vitality and strength, action and movement. It was originally a day to celebrate initiative and fulfillment.  A rejection of stasis and passivity. I will never speak poorly of my life, I will work to nourish and improve it for as long as I can. That is my solstice dedication.

Although I never marked it until recently, this is a holiday that is up my alley. This has more meaning for me that the increasingly corporatized American holidays, which are mostly about buying things and boosting retail profits and giving Wall Street good cheer.

Solstices happen twice a year – in June and December. The June Solstice happens around June 21 when the Sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer. Solstice comes from the Latin words sol, meaning Sun, and sistere, meaning to come to a stop or stand still. On the day of the June Solstice, the Sun reaches its northermost position as seen from the Earth. At that moment its zenith does not move north or south as during most days of the year.

It stands still at the Tropic of Cancer.

The, it reverses direction and starts moving south again.

For meterologists, the summer begins around June 1. For Astronomers and scientists, the June solstice is the real beginning of summer. The arrival of the full moon tonight gives the solstice additional meaning and power. This is a holiday I can grasp and relate to, I am committed to strength and vitality, action and movement, on any day and at any point today.

I will honor my work today to work  hard, be open to change, explore new avenues of personal expression, improve my writing, encourage others to find their zeal and purpose. Later tonight, I will stand out in the pasture with Maria and the animals and mark the glory of life, and pray for the strength and vitality necessary for action and movement.