by ROSEMARIE GLANVILLE

Created on: June 10, 2008   Last Updated: June 15, 2008

A look at Wiccan summer solstice rituals

Wicca is a spiritual religion of the Earth. The summer solstice is one of the eight major festivals in the Wiccan year. At these festivals followers come together to celebrate the seasons, sowing, growing, reaping, and the God and Goddess.

If you wish to celebrate at home, you may be interested to know that blessing of wine and cakes is a symbolic form of the Wiccan ritual. The blessing can be followed with a family meal, or love feast. You can perform this regardless of religion or culture, as most agree that sharing of food and drink, is a principal sacrament that joins the participants together as brothers and sisters.

At the time of Summer Solstice, Midsummer's Day, the Sun God's day, 21st-22nd June, is at his longest, brightest and highest. It is this that the Wiccan's honour, and midsummer is possibly the most celebratory of all the festivals. Midsummer is both a fire and water festival. The water being the Goddess aspect, and the fire is the God aspect.

Solstice rituals usually take place outside. The midsummer solstice ritual requires careful preparation. The cauldron with water in it, will be placed in front of the altar, and decorated with flowers.

A spring of heather is placed beside the cauldron, ready for the High Priestess to use to sprinkle water with.

Two crowns will be made, one from holly leaves, and the other from oak leaves. They will then be placed besides the altar.

Two small bonfires will be laid, one half way between the circles centre and the West candle, and one half way between the circles centre, and the East candle.

A blindfold is placed on the altar.

If the High Priestess is to draw lots for the two Kings, rather than nominate them, then several straws need to be placed on the altar, one longer, and one shorter than the rest.

The ritual begins, and the Maiden will fetch the straws from the altar. She will be careful to make sure that no one can see, which are the long or short ones.

The High Priestess will prompt the men to draw lots from the Maidens hand, and show them to her. She will then point to the man who has the longest straw, and the Maiden will crown him the Oak King, The God of the Waxing Year.

The Maiden will crown the man with the shortest straw, the Holly King, the God of the Waning Year.

The High Priestess will lead the Oak King into the centre of the Circle. He will face to the West, with the rest of the group facing inward around him. The High Priest and the High Priestess will stand

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