Summer Solstice

I think it appropriate here to talk about how confusing it can be, thinking of June 20 -21 as the begining of Summer. The weather reporters are making such a big deal out of it being the begining of Summer all the time and it's really not.

In Scandinavia they celebrate Medsommersdag...mid summers day. It is the Middle of Summer. The pagan calender considered May Day, the mid point between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice as the begining of Summer. As an agricultural concept (most pagan traditions are based on agricultural timing), May Eve was the burning off of the fields. Things should be growing and in full swing by the Summer Solstice. It is time to celebrate the hard work we have done for 1/4 of the growing season now.

We light bonfires, pull runes, stay up all night and dance...

We travel. The allthing happens in June. We can take a break from the work and go to the public meeting of all the clans, create new partnerships and do some trading.

Then, it's back on task by mid July so that the first harvest celebration, August 2nd which starts the Autumn season, is successful.

Fall runs from August 2 to October 31...then, you guessed it, October 31 is the first day of Winter. That is why old songs refer to Winter Solstice as Mid-Winter's day.

It's hard to live in this "modern" culture...so off the cycle. I guess it irritates me more this year than others for some reason.

I pull a rune for midSommersdag...UR!!
Ah, the fire of creation.
Ur is the wild ox, crazy passionate, artistic and sexual. That's why I am irritated by the ignorance of the accepted and unquestioned paradigms being promoted by this culture. I know better, sure, but I FEEL it more.

Ur is a great way to apex my Summer's work which is mostly Huldre related!

Also, the rune book is in its final edits. Wow! Yeay!!

Have a great rest of the Summer...I will write again in July.

RunaKari