Halfway there!

Almost everyone I know breathed a sigh of relief when 2020 was finally over. While the fact that it was 2021 didn’t magically change anything overnight (well, aside from the calendar), a lot of people felt that it was a much-needed new beginning and that better times were ahead.

Now that we’ve hit the halfway point for the year, how are you doing? Have you thought about where you were (mentally, spiritually, materially) in January and how you’ve progressed in your goals? Are you showing yourself some love and kindness this year? So many things are coming together this month: our new kit is focused on self-love, it’s Pride month, all my plants are in the ground, my family has reached some significant personal milestones, and my corner of the world is starting to open again as Covid rates drop. I genuinely feel like celebrating right now. As we approach Midsummer Day, it truly feels that this is a celebration of the triumph of the sun over darkness.

June 20 is Midsummer Day, the longest day of the year, when summer is at its peak, nights are short, and the sun gods are ascendant. Some ways to celebrate:

• Set up your altar outdoors to soak up as much light as possible. If that’s not possible, try to place it near a window where the sun can reach. Incorporate symbols of opposition, honoring the balance between fire and water that are a long-standing part of many Midsummer folk practices.
• Recharge your tools with sunlight, including a cache of water for rituals.
• Have a Midsummer bonfire; use the ashes in an amulet, a working, or to enrich your garden.
• Take a trip to the beach and incorporate aspects from it in your practice this summer (perhaps adding a pebble to your Midsummer fire or collecting shells if it’s allowed).
• There’s a reason so many weddings happen in June! It’s a time for love magic or handfasting.

Wherever you are in your personal journey, I hope this month feels like a high point for you!