A Litter Free Summer Solstice 2009.

The Summer Solstice Celebrations that I attended was perfect more than what can be said about the celebrations at Stonehenge. I was absolutely disgusted to read and view the mess that was left at Stonehenge. I can not believe that people won’t and don’t clear up after themselves. What about our beautiful countryside.

Take a look                                                                                                                                            

I am absolutely mortified to see all the rubbish and all the plastic that has been left by people who profess to be people who live for the seasons and the elements and Our Mother Nature. Charlatans that’s what I call them.

Okey ! I understand that a record 36.000 people attended the celebrations and I’m presuming that it must have been hard to man them but come on….. I can’t believe that people won’t pick their own rubbish up. Do people just drop things and think fuck it I’m not picking it up ? They must do. I could understand that mentality at a football match or something but not at Stonehenge and what really screws my head up is the fact that Pagan People and followers of alternative lifestyles don’t practice what they preach.

What does the Summer Solstice mean ?

The summer solstice, also known as Midsummer, is the time when the sun appears farthest north of the earth’s equator and occurs approximately June 21st of every year in the northern hemisphere.
The Sun’s Descent

For most people, this day is the first day of summer.  However, earlier cultures and some today still consider May 1st the beginning of summer.  They noticed that the earth begins to tilt the northern hemisphere away from the sun at this time; thus beginning the descent into the darker half of the year.

Modern Pagan Traditions

For many Pagans, it is a celebration of the god aspect at his peak and the earth goddess at her most fertile.  Wiccans call this holiday Litha and honor the dying god theme as the Oak King is overcome by the Holly King.  Many in Norse traditions celebrate the sungoddess Sunna, also known as Sol, as she drives the chariot carrying the sun across the sky.

Solstice Rituals

There are as many ways to celebrate the summer solstice as there are Pagans.  Some use the darkness returning aspect of this holiday as a metaphor to do inward journeying.  As the earth turns to darkness, they look at what needs to settle down in their lives or what issues need introspection.

Rituals can be as simple as sitting in the summer grass contemplating the changing season or as elaborate as a full Wiccan circle casting.  Celebrations are often held outside and include picnics, dancing and bonfires.  Offerings of summer flowers and food can be given to the land and home spirits as well as to the earth and honored deities as gratitude for the fertility, lightness and lusty spirit of the season.

 

Our Celebrations at the Pendle Witch Camp in Trawden Colne Lancashire ran well. The weather stayed dry and the 200 people or so that attended were respectful and kind to each other and to Our Mother Nature. We didn’t rubbish our countryside with litter. No, we just simply put litter in bins and bags and took it home with us to dispose off… Easy. Anyway enough of my rant, I’m happy that I never went to Stonehenge and that I celebrated our Summer Solstice of 2009 with close friends and family and a small gathering of beautiful people.

Would you like to take a look.

 

This is my green and pleasant land. As you all know I’m from this area off the world and find it really soothing when we hold a festival of sorts here. I’m a great lover of Pendle Hill as all of us that are from this area are. We have the story of the Pendle Witches which I won’t go into today and the Pendle area is kinda dominated by that story.

We might all be witches you know but I kinda think of myself to be more fairy than witch if we look through stereotypical glasses. Smiling. I think we’re all very special.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love festivals and small gatherings where my daughter is present – not to keen when she brings her partner as they always end up in a row and he goes home and then I’m all worried for a while. Hey ho ! Some people just aren’t meant to go to festivals together are they even if they are your partner. I was so pleased that she brought along her best friend Jo this time, she was great and has never experienced anything quiet like this aww ! She told us it was her best week-end ever. 

I was so happy that Kerri and Jo were part of this circle and felt all the collective energy that circles of people have to offer.

 

 

Look  no litter anywhere.

 

 

 I love this picture Kerri and the Sunrise of June 21st 2009.

So…. What I’m saying here is can we all just take a look at the picture of our beautiful Stonehenge and the state that it was left in and think on for next year eh !

Love Di.