SILVER BRANCH 

GOLDEN HORN

I've never had strong feelings about Midsummer. In a modern setting, it often carries forward traditions that were celebrated at Beltaine. In some countries, for instance, they dance the maypole at Midsummer.

Shelley, and excellent student in the dedicant program asked be about Midsummer, so I did some reasearch.

This is what I found, mostly from Alexi Kondratiev in "TheApple Branch," but most of this was verified by other reasearch. Midsummer is kind of odd in modern times. A lot of Midsummer trads are actually Beltaine traditions moved forward, as I mentioned.. But there are some differences. Of course it is the solstice. The Celts devided the year into Samios (summer) and Giamos (winter) The Celts had almost a Yin and Yang concept where at the hight of a situation, it contained the seeds of the opposite. So, Midsummer is the solstice, it is the longest day of the year, but also the height of summer. After the solstice the days get shorter. Though, its the height of summer, but it has the seed of the death of summer in it.

Since it is a liminal day, it is a day when the worlds colide. The spirits can come through much as they can on Samhain. This is why we have the world of fairie among its associations, such as "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by Shakespeare.

 It is not quite the first harvest, which is Lughnasa, but it is the time when medicinal herbs are collected. Bonfires are associated with Midsummer, because it is the sun's warmth brought to earth and preserved to carry us through. We take the energy of the sun at this time when it is at the height of its strength and bring it to earth in the form of a bonfire. By interacting with the fire, we keep the sun in our hearts as its strength begins to wain.