Tuesday, June 21, 2016

solitary solstice


I heard the first cricket of the summer on Solstice Eve and she's been chirping ever since. We always wonder if things like this are happening earlier or later than normal so I try to write them down in a little nature daybook -- under June 19 I'll enter "2016: first cricket-song".  Also, the chickadees fledged and amazingly, house wrens took over their house the next day so that'll go in the book too. I'm glad birds can time-share like that.

Starting with lighting a fire for s'mores with my family on Solstice Eve, I've been enjoying simple rituals each day since and will continue through Midsummer's Day. I'm calling these six days Solitary Solstice as I'm circling on my own for the first time in 25 years. If you have ever wanted to create a spirit ritual but felt you needed to be in a group of people or a special place for it to be successful or meaningful, you are mistaken. I am going to be exploring ways to deepen my solitary practice in the days and weeks ahead.


The Green Woman is the connecting energy between plants and humans -- and she is definitely here. Yesterday she called me to the wild(er) side of our back yard, directly to the patches of lemon balm, Melissa officinalis. I sat on the ground, sank into the green, hummed, sang and pinched enough lemon balm tops to fill a quart jar. I filled the jar again with cold water and topped it with cheesecloth and a screw-on metal ring. I placed it on the altar in the Buddha garden to be infused with the energies of both the full sun and the full moon. Lemon balm water melds the elements of moon (water) and sun (fire) to enhance meditation and is one of my favorite summer rites. The Green Woman is a taskmaster -- she also reminded me that the motherwort flowers are ready for tincturing soon. And the perennials in pots on the front porch needed to be given homes immediately, among other things.

Later I remembered my unfinished moon cloth with stones and a lemon balm leaf and began to rework/simplify it. (The Green Woman needed a rest, I know I did.) I'm thinking it might make a nice patch on a pillow cover or a bag.


Today she guided me to the St. Joan's wort, Hypericum perforatum, in the Buddha garden -- a circular area with entrance paths at the four directions and the Buddha altar in the center. After smudging with white sage and rattling to invoke directional spirits, a circle was cast, a candle lit. I sat on the ground by the St. Joan's wort, accepted and absorbed the heat of the day while bees of every size and color worked Joan's starry yellow flowers. It is mighty hot here but the humming of bees soothed me and my own sweat cooled me. Fire being the essence of transformation is often used to purify or let go of things in rituals. Instead I used it to call in change, igniting my desires written on slips of paper, one by one. I sipped the warm lemon balm water, taking in pure green light. Singing softly, I plucked Joan's yellow stars for an oil of magic and healing. The one thing I know for sure is that plants love to be sung to. More about St. Joan's wort here.


There are three more days until Midsummer's Day on June 24 -- each day presents its own opportunity for a bit of growth and magic. Mostly it's spontaneous but one thing is already in the works -- a faery offering on Midsummer's Eve.

Thanks for visiting and Happy Solstice -- I'd love to know about your Solstice traditions.

xx


5 comments:

  1. Thank you for once again posting the beauty that is your world. It soothes me.

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  2. Thank you for mentioning lemon balm. I am creating our garden in the house my daughter recently purchased for all of us to live in. And I bought some lemon balm a couple of months ago and planted it behind the remains of a weeping birch which had to be removed (it was dead and huge). So now, I will go out and harvest some leaves for my water today. I know I need to drink more water and hopefully this will encourage more hydration. I have been looking for a Buddha for my garden to put him on the stump in the 'round garden' which currently is filled with dwarf tomato plants, melons, and sunflowers.

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  3. That moon cloth is perhaps the one I like the very best of all and reading your post has relaxed and calmed me, let alone you!

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  4. Gosh I love this post, Peggy! I'm going to check on my tiny bit of lemon balm tomorrow in my garden. It is holy hot here, so mornings are my best time to be out. Afternoon is for weaving and hooking in the AC. I just love my moon cloth so much! Your stitching is wonderful, and thanks for letting me know the origin of the cloth for the moon. I have a buddha meditation garden that I'm going to spend more time in. I planted many plants in this spot, but deer have turned it into their own personal restaurant :) Please write about the faery offering!
    xo
    dulcy

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  5. I love seeing a long shot of your Buddha garden and hearing how you have paths from/to the 4 directions. Lovely peaceful, inspiring post...thankyou.

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