Litha/Midsummer - Summer Solstice

Litha/Midsummer - Summer Solstice - June 21

I have to admit, I’m not a big fan of Summer. My husband often jokes that sunlight makes me burst into flames. Ha, ha. Though he isn’t far from the truth, besides burning easily, I was a heat casualty as a teenager, and my internal thermostat has never been the same. Tip: make sure you bring sufficient amounts of water if you ever decide backpack the Appalachian Trail in the heat of summer. 

But here we are, the earth is spinning and it is the summer solstice, also known as Litha or Midsummer. This is a holiday high on testosterone, a holiday about the virile god. The Goddess is pregnant and the god is at his zenith. Sun worshiping and fire dominates this holiday. And though it is the longest day of the year, as well as a celebration of light, there is still some darkness to be found.

I’m visiting The Wheel of the Year (as they occur in the Northern Hemisphere), the eight seasonal festivals or pagan holidays, also called Sabbats. A lot of rituals, symbols, and folklore revolve around these pagan holidays, and several of the elements, symbols, and themes can be used in Gothic storytelling. Hopefully, you’ll find some inspiration.

Here are some of the dark themes, symbols and story elements conjured by the Summer Solstice, aka Litha or Midsummer.

Themes:

War

Famine and drought

Forest fires

Anything involving Fairies

Knights fighting Dragons

Magic

Greed over golden treasures

Dragons guarding treasures

Being burnt at the stake

Symbols:

Fire and Bonfires

            Trial by Fire

            Forges

Blacksmithing

Welding

                        Tempering steel and iron

Armor

Swords and weapons

Protection [bon fires were kept burning through the night to ward off evil spirits and the ashes kept in the home for protection throughout the year]

            War – Cannons and firearms; “the heat of battle”

A spit over an open fire  [Grills]

Lemons

Bitter

Acidic

Cleansing

Gold

            Greed

Bells [people wear bells to ward off fairies and evil spirits]

Horses

Steed

Mustang

Horse Shoes

Bees

Honey

Cactus

Earth circles

Fairy circles

Places:

Deserts

Forests

Beaches

Weather:

Sunny

Hot

Extreme Heat

Arid

Mythology, Folklore, and Fairytales:

Apollo(sun god), Ra(sun god), Midas (king cursed with the golden touch), Aries(represents fire, god of war), Pan, Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream [fun fact: Shakespeare mentions the pagan holidays in three of his plays all of them are regarding the summer solstice]; The Oak King – God of light, hands over, or loses his battle to the Holly King –God of darkness; At summer solstice, the ancient Mesopotamians held a six day funeral for the god of plants, Tammuz. Their mourning ushered in the god of war and pestilence, Nergal, for what they called the “dead season”; the christian St. John’s Day also falls on this day.

How do you feel about Summer? Did these spark other related images or motifs? If so, share them in the comments and I’ll add them.

As always, stay beautifully haunted!

♥ Shadow

If you are interested in exploring this holiday further, check out the reading recommendation.

Reading Recommendation: Midsummer: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for Litha by Deborah Blake 

Beltane - May Day

Beltane, May Day - April 30 - May 1

Beltane or May Day, to me, is one of the sexiest days of the year, conjuring images of unabashed promiscuity, the wild abandonment of going a-maying in the woods, lustful dances to drums around a bonfire. This holiday is all about fertility, the union of the God and Goddess.

I’m visiting The Wheel of the Year (as they occur in the Northern Hemisphere), the eight seasonal festivals or pagan holidays, also called Sabbats. A lot of rituals, symbols, and folklore revolve around these pagan holidays, and several of the elements, symbols, and themes can be used in gothic storytelling. Hopefully, you’ll find some inspiration.

Here are some of the themes, symbols and story elements conjured by Beltane, that you might want to explore.

Themes:

Hedonism

Challenging societal mores

Lust

Marriage and Betrothal

Chastity vs Promiscuity

Adultery

Fertility

Blessed Children – (Merry-Be-Gots)

Conceiving out of wedlock

Eternal beauty

Morning dew would be collected on Beltane morning to wash in for beauty.

Symbols:

Fire and Bonfires

Passion

Trial by fire

Purification

Rebirth - Destruction of the old

Bees

Messengers to the other world

Wisdom

Pollination (hints at promiscuity)

“Tell the bees” when someone dies, the bees will spread the message.

Butterflies

Transformation

The soul - the ability to fly between this world and the hereafter.

Luna Moth – not technically a butterfly, but mistaken for them often enough, and associated with the moon and intuition.

Phallic symbols

      Knives and Swords

      Antlers

Womb symbols

      Flower wreaths and crown

      Chalice - I can't help but think of poisoned wine.

Spring water and morning dew - The Fountain of Youth.

Flowers and Gardening

Places:

Forests and pastures.

Weather:

Misty

Dew

Mythology and Fairytales:

Cernunnos, Pan, Aphrodite, Maid Marion (Robin Hood), Guinevere (Arthurian), Tess of d’Urbervilles (Literary reference to May Day)

What impressions to do you get when you think of May Day? Have you found references to May Day in other books?

♥  Shadow.

Reading Recommendation: Beltane: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for May Day by Melanie Marquis

Ostara - Spring Equinox

Ostara - Spring Equinox - March 20-21

The ancient mysteries of paganism and witchcraft have been used in many a gothic story. A lot of rituals, symbols, and folklore revolve around the pagan holidays, also called Sabbats.

Samhain or Halloween is the holiday typically focused on as being gothic. But, there is a treasure trove of elements, symbols, and themes from other Sabbats that could also be associated. So, I thought I would take you through the eight seasonal festivals of The Wheel of the Year (as they occur in the Northern Hemisphere). Hopefully, you’ll find some inspiration.

Ostara is celebrated on the spring equinox and gets its name from the goddess Eostre, the goddess of dawn or light. You probably noticed it sounds very much like Easter, and that is because Easter was derived from this pagan festival, and therefore a lot of the symbols are same.

Here are some of the Ostara themes, symbols and story elements that I found to be gothic or felt may be useful in a gothic story.

Themes:

v  The spring (vernal) equinox is a day of equal light and dark, one that represents balance.

Ø  light versus dark, good versus evil, feminine versus masculine. The woman in white and the woman in black also comes to mind.

v  The Church versus the Old ways.

v  Rebirth

Ø  Resurrection

Ø  Life over death

Ø  The soul

v  Fertility

Ø  Maiden vs. Old maid

Ø  Devil’s spawn

Ø  Pacts with the devil for the firstborn or an unborn child/soul

Ø  Conception used for deception

Ø  Virgins

Symbols:

v  Egg

Ø  Fertility

Ø  Metamorphis

Ø  Imperial Faberge Eggs

§  I couldn’t help but think of these eggs; their opulence and wealth, the tragic end of the Romanov Dynasty, revolution, the Bolsheviks, Tsars and Empresses, Imperial Russia, Rasputin. They were also created during the Victorian-Edwardian era, so they definitely could be an element if you are writing a Victorian or Historical Gothic. It’s worth a look, anyway.

v  The Hare, which is related to the moon

v  Rabbits

Ø  Fertility

Ø  Prosperity

Ø  Their dying scream

Ø  Rabbit holes

§  Journey to the Underworld

§  To Wonderland

v  Spring flowers

Ø  the lily, a funeral favorite, symbolizing the departed soul

§  innocence

§  related to the Virgin Mary

Ø  the daffodil symbolizes rebirth

v  Lambs

Ø  Sacrifice

Ø  Innocence

v  Snakes (also dragons)

v  Milk and Honey

Ø  Prosperity

§  wealth and greed

Places:

v  Rural settings, meadows and fields.

v  Ancient ruins, Stonehenge comes to mind.

Weather:

v  Rain

Mythology and Fairytales:

v  Persephone and Hades

I’d love to hear your thoughts on spring. Have you discovered any other gothic elements associated with this time of year?

Reading Recommendation: Ostara: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for the Spring Equinox by Kerri Connor