Ritual for Midsummer
©1999 by Mareth SummerWind
For my solitary celebration of Midsummer, I called upon Epona, my matron Goddess, and Her consort, the God Teyrnan. I chose this divine couple because Midsummer is also celebrated in some areas as a Feast of Epona.
Following is the ritual I performed on 22 June 1999. It is not a complete “transcript” but an outline, since I generally tend to do a lot of ad libbing once I am in Circle.
“Epona, blessed Mother, I invite you forth this night in honor of the Summer Solstice. I offer You, as always, my love, my devotion, and my respect. I ask that You bring your gift of feminine fertility to this Circle. Come and be with me as I celebrate this Sabbat.”
“Teyrnan, beloved Consort of Epona, I invite you forth this night in honor of the Summer Solstice. I ask that you bring to this Circle the male principle that makes the fertility of Your Lady possible. Come and be with me as I celebrate this Sabbat.”
“This night, I celebrate the Summer Solstice, the day of greatest light and shortest darkness. This day marks the high point of the Sun’s yearly travel through the Heavens. It is the end of the Waxing half of the year and the beginning of the Waning period. Although the year is now on the wane, there are several months of fertility ahead, as the animals that were born and the crops that have been planted in the spring grow and mature under the warmth of the Sun’s rays. As I celebrate this Solstice, I ask that these things grow abundantly to sustain all of the Gods’ creatures through the dark half of the year.”
I did not to do magick at this Sabbat; that is something which I generally save for Esbats when working as a Solitary. Instead, I chose to do divination.
First, I asked for blessings upon the cards—The Connolly Tarot and the Witches’ Runes by saying, "Bless these cards, that they may impart unto me the wisdom that I will need for the coming months. Allow me to see clearly the obstacles with which I will be faced. Bless me with the ability to counsel wisely when approached by those in need.“
Then, I drew one Tarot card and one Rune card for each month of the Waning half of the Year then silently contemplated their meanings.
This was not actually planned, but—since Jezzebel and Merlyn both decided to come in Circle with me, I asked the blessings of the Gods upon them.
It went approximately like this: “Bless my companions, Jezzebel and Merlyn, that they may be happy, healthy, and protected throughout the months to come. I thank them for the love, companionship, and joy they bring to my life. So mote it be.”
This is another ad lib, of course. I had lit the candles on my needs altar before beginning ritual and I took a moment to ask for blessings to those who need them.
I said something to the effect of: “May the energies within these candles be sent to my sisters and brothers, both known and unknown to me, and to our loved ones. May the needs of all be filled. May we all be aware of the fertility in the land around us. May knowledge be carried to us on the Summer winds. May the Sun’s golden rays bring passion into our lives. May we be granted peace and healing by the waters that surround us. May we all May our burdens be light and our blessings many. So mote it be.”
“Teyrnan, beloved Consort of my Goddess. I thank you for attending my ritual this evening. As I leave this Circle, help me to become more in tune with the masculine energies within and around me. Go if you must, stay if you like. Hail and farewell.
“Epona, blessed Mother, I thank you for attending my ritual this evening. As I leave this Circle, help me to better listen to the words of wisdom you whisper in my ear. Go if you must, stay if you like. Hail and farewell.”
"Forces of (Element), I thank you for your presence and protection throughout this rite. May you go now in peace. Blessed be!"
"The Earth shall crumble my Circle,
the Water shall cause it to fall,
the Fire shall burn what is left in the urn
and the Winds shall scatter it all."
Go to Correspondences for Midsummer
e-Mail Mareth
If you like the graphics on this page, please visit:
