I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the days are getting longer. It’s finally warming up where I am. Summer is upon us! Well, summer doesn’t officially start until June 21 (in the northern hemisphere). Which is weird, because we tend to call that time “midsummer”. The Summer Solstice marks the longest day of the year. This day is also a faery holiday called Litha. How can you have a beautiful midsummer with faeries? I’m glad you asked!
Timing is Everything
That time between the Vernal Equinox and Summer Solstice (March 21-June 21) is probably my favorite time of the year. What can I say, I just love long days! Litha has always been a bittersweet holiday for me, because it means that we’re spinning closer to harvest time. After Litha, the days will begin to shorten and nature is beginning to ripen for the harvest. That means that the growth season is almost over! But don’t let yourself get caught up in thinking about the future . . . that’s not the way the fae do! I always have to remind myself that worrying about how fast the harvest is coming is not what faeries do. They very much live in the present and celebrate today.
I highly recommend that you try this. Perhaps you could start a gratitude journal? Every day, you should write down at least 5 things you are grateful for; either in that moment or things that happened throughout that day. Pay attention to the good feelings, to the ways in which your life has goodness in it. Faeries do this constantly. If you’re not paying attention to what great things life has to offer, sometimes they can help you to see it (and sometimes in a way that we wouldn’t consider “nice”)! Pay attention to your words too, because your thoughts shape your reality and affect your perspective. If you find yourself always complaining, try to take a step back and see how you can change your wording.
Walk Outside
I will always recommend nature walks, especially in the summer. It can be nice and refreshing to move out of the sun and into the shade of a wooded path, particularly if the breeze is nice. Sometimes it gets really muggy here in Ohio, and sometimes mosquitoes come out in droves. But if you pay more attention to what is growing around you, you might find that you can enjoy a nature walk!
Wild flowers are in bloom right now; coneflower, chickory, and soon queen anne’s lace. You might even find some daisies or black-eyed susans on your walk. Keep your eyes peeled for those little flowers that are the sure signs of faeries. You might even see a butterfly or dragonfly buzz past! Be sure to say hello. That might be a little friend in disguise.
Maintain your garden
The garden that I planted in spring is doing well, albeit growing a bit wild. I’ve been trying to remember to water it every day, but we’ve also been getting a lot of rain. I’m sure that’s why my flowers are doing so well! I don’t have a lot of space, since I live in a second-floor apartment, but my balcony is positively full of plant life. I even put an old, sprouting onion into a pot and it has quadrupled in size! I guess faeries really like onions?!
I do have a lot of sunflowers and safflowers growing . . . due to birds. I like to put out birdseed for the birds that come to my porch. You’d think that, since I live in the city, I wouldn’t see so many birds. I thought for sure all I was going to get was starlings and sparrows. Boy, was I wrong! I’ve seen house finches, gold finches, a chickadee, a mourning dove, and a catbird come to my porch! If you put out birdseed, you never know who might come to visit yours.
Have a beautiful midsummer
Hopefully, you’ve finished your spring cleaning list. (Mine is abandoned and only half-checked off on the fridge . . . oh well.) Even if you haven’t, you can adjust your space. Decorate with flower garlands or fake bird nests. Cover your altar with a yellow cloth and yellow candles to celebrate the long days. If you have a green thumb, you can grow flowers or plants inside your house as well. The more greenery you have in and outside your house, the more faeries will want to come to visit you.
The best way to have a beautiful midsummer is to eat lots of zucchini. Also known as summer squash, this vegetable is super versatile! All you have to do is type in “zucchini recipes” to Google or Pinterest, and you will have a plethora of things to cook. Typically, I slice my zucchini into rounds, dust it with garlic and sprinkle it with cheese, then bake it in the oven for about 10 minutes. But you can make zucchini noodles, zucchini casserole, zucchini bread, and even zucchini lasagne! The possibilities are endless.
