Today is the summer solstice.
In Celtic traditions, we used to celebrate 8 festivals during the year: the 2 equinoxes, the 2 solstices and the 4 times in between.
- Samhain (Oct 31st) – This marks the Celtic New Year and is considered the most important festival. It’s a time to honour the dead and the start of the dark half of the year.
- Winter Solstice (Around Dec 21st) – Celebrates the rebirth of the Sun as the days begin growing longer again after the longest night.
- Imbolc (Feb 1st) – An early spring festival associated with the first signs of spring and lactating ewes. Celebrates the returning fertility of the earth.
- Spring Equinox (Around Mar 21st) – Marking the beginning of the fertile spring season when day and night are equal lengths.
- Beltane (May 1st) – A celebration of the full bloom of spring and the fertility of the earth. Traditions include bonfires and May pole dances.
- Summer Solstice (Around June 21st) – Celebrating the longest day of the year and the power of the life-giving sun.
- Lughnasadh (Aug 1st) – The first of the three autumn harvest festivals, marking the beginning of the harvest season.
- Autumn Equinox (Around Sept 21st) – The second harvest festival, signalling the start of autumn when day and night are again equal.
These eight festivals formed the basis of the ancient Celtic calendar system and marked the key points in the agricultural year.
In Celtic traditions, the summer solstice (around June 21st) was one of the most important seasonal festivals celebrated. It marked the longest day of the year and the height of the sun’s power and brightness. The summer solstice was a celebration of the fertility of the earth and the blossoming of nature in full bloom during the summer months. It signified the transition from spring into the bountiful summer season.
Common solstice traditions included lighting huge bonfires, as well as feasting, music, and general merriment.
The summer solstice is a powerful and sacred time that honours the life-giving force of the sun at its peak. Celebrations often have an air of passion, wildness, and connectivity to the fertile cycles of the natural world. It is a joyous fire festival about the vibrancy of summer’s arrival.
It is also a time which makes the days starting to decrease again as we turn towards the darkest part of the year once more.
Summer solstice fires burning bright
Spring returns with warmth and light
Summer blooms in full array
Drummers sounds on longest day.
I’m back from a wonderful drum birthing pilgrimage in Glastonbury. I made a higher heart of avalon drum there, with a hoop made of oak and hide made of Stag. We blessed and bathed in private ceremony in the white spring, crafted out drums in the Avalon room near the goddess temple, and finally took our new drums to the Chalice well and the Tor, presenting them to the directions there. I have recorded this journey with this new drum. May its energy help bring more peace in your heart.
On this day, I am offering you a guided drum journey to meet the spirit of the summer solstice, one where you can ask questions and gain wisdom about the energies of this time of the year. Where you can, maybe, reflect on the balance of dark and light in your life.
Through the pulse of the drum, we reconnect with ancestral wisdom celebrating the summer solstice. This festival reminds us of the eternal cycle – life emerging from winter’s sleep, embodying nature’s regenerative power, and cycles of death and rebirth.
Join this drum journey honouring the summer solstice. Let the rhythms awaken our inner light and power, clearing stagnation as summer’s energy rises. Just set aside 15 min where you can relax sitting or lying down, and enjoy.If you take this journey I would love to hear what you think. Just comment below.