Yesterday was the Summer Solstice, which is the longest day of the year and one of the eight holidays that I celebrate throughout the year. This day marks the ‘official’ transition into summer and a shift from days that become longer and longer through the spring into days from here on out will grow shorter and shorter for the next six months.
This holiday is often called Midsummer or Litha, although I usually just refer to it as the Summer Solstice. On my path, it celebrates the turning point of summer, where the build-up of creative energy from the spring crests into a time of abundance as we travel into the depths of summer in much the same way that the growing energies of the full moon crest before beginning to wane each month.
Like with new moons and full moons, I usually do a spread to check in with myself and give myself some direction for the next couple of months on each solstice, equinox, and other Sabbats. This spread is an adaptation of my Self Care Saturday spread, so there are sure to be some similarities in how it is read. The focus of this spread, though, is not about Self Care, but rather about progress and my path. The time period is also longer, reaching through the next handful of weeks until the celebration of the First Harvest (aka, Lughnasadh, Lammas, Lughnasa, Lugh) on August 1st.
NOTATION: I did not finish interpreting this spread here on the blog. I got some of what I needed from it at the time of the reading, but I just never got around to writing it all down. Regardless, I want to place this on the blog to make sure I have a record of it to look back on.
Theme of the Season – Summer Solstice, Waxing Gibbous, Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion) – Break down each card individually, then…
When looking at these three cards together, the theme that I see here is
Earth – Nine of Cups – I’m feeling very secure emotionally I’m really enjoying a quiet time with less stress in the area of the home and health and finances.
Air – King of Swords – Focus on taking ownership of your thoughts and directing them where they need to go. Now is a good time for strategizing and solidifying your knowledge and ambitions.
Water – Six of Cups atop Ten of Wands – Watch out for feelings of overburden in the area of familial responsibilities.
Fire – The Devil – Don’t retreat from those overburden feelings by turning to work and trying to bury yourself, as is your usual habit of dealing with things that are unpleasant. Now is not a time to be burning yourself out with these things.
Waning – The Dusk Child atop The Priestess –
Waxing – Offering –
Take Away –
Twisting the Leaf 