In the Southern Hemisphere, the Poetry of Summer Solstice is particularly ignored because at this Seasonal Moment, mainstream is celebrating Christmas, which is really a Winter Solstice thing appropriated by Christian faith long ago, and now appropriated by the capitalist consumer faith. Frequently even in Southern Hemisphere Pagan circles, where Summer Solstice is celebrated, the mindful consideration of the Moment’s ceremonial expression often gets compromised by distractions of the Christian/Consumer event: that is, the metaphor of Summer Solstice and its part in Earthly and Cosmic Creativity gets missed. I would never have understood the mystical awesome significance of Summer Solstice Poetry if I had compromised it with Christmas/Winter metaphor. I understand why many do compromise it, but I am fortunate that for decades I have not had to, and have been steadfast about my devotion to the Earth holy day: I have been able to attend to this Moment of Her Creativity and have learned so much.

I encourage others to be bold and seize the Moment of Summer Solstice, and its poetic offering to the wholeness of the wheel of Creativity. In the colonised calendar, Summer Solstice does not rate for much celebration, if at all: within a self-abnegating, death denying paradigm/culture, there is little interest in celebrating fullness of being, radiance of the/every self, and the return to the dark sentient source whence we come.

Here are some photos from Summer Solstice ceremony and celebration that speaks of the Poetry of this Season:

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And herewith the Statement of Purpose from the traditional PaGaian ceremony:

This is the time of the Summer Solstice in our Southern Hemisphere – when the light part of the day is longest. In our part of the world, light is in Her fullness, She spreads Her radiance, Her fruits ripen, Her greenery is peaking, the cicadas sing. Yet as Light reaches Her peak, our closest contact with the Sun, She opens completely, and the seed of darkness is born.

As it says in the tradition, this is the season of the rose, blossom and thorn, fragrance and blood. The story of Old tells that on this day Beloved and Lover embrace, in a love so complete, that all dissolves, into the single Song of ecstasy that moves the worlds. Our bliss, fully matured, given over, feeds the Universe and turns the wheel. We join the Beloved and Lover, Earth, Moon and Sun, in the Great Give-Away of our Creativity, our Fullness of Being.

There is an offered Summer Solstice ceremonial script in Chapter 7 of PaGaian Cosmology, which one may use as inspiration for your own appropriate ceremonial expression.

There is a Summer Solstice meditation offered in the series of PaGaian Cosmology Meditations

For a related article: Celebrate Summer Solstice: Decolonise the Mind