Solstice of
Water and Fire
The summer solstice is a funny thing—in the Northern Hemisphere it occurs at the point of shift from the mutable air energy of Gemini to the cardinal water energy of Cancer. This could explain why in many areas summer heat is slow to develop since the vital, nurturing energy of Cancer begins the season of strongest growth but then transfers into the fixed fire sign of Leo which solidifies the intensity of heat. In the Southern Hemisphere however, the summer solstice occurs during the transfer of power from the mutable fire sign of Sagittarius to the cardinal earth sign of Capricorn leading to the fixed air sign of Aquarius at the center of the season which creates a vastly different seasonal dynamic.
In either hemisphere, though the season of summer is primarily associated with the element of fire, each element can make itself known in powerful ways: hurricanes, heavy rains, and turbulent winds, to mudslides and seemingly endless heat waves. Luckily, a lot of the more extreme manifestations of summer’s power are irregular occurrences; the bulk of summertime energy is tied to the promotion of growth. Most of the crops grow to their fullest during this phase in time for the harvest in autumn, so even though some of the weather may be harsh (I know that for me, the +100º F heat waves get old fast), the season is still a vital part of the year’s cycle.
Magic of the Sea
Despite the dominant awareness of summertime in relation to the land, the sea and its beautiful wonders are also very much a part of the summer season both as a popular vacation destination and as a major component of weather patterns. Even if we can’t go to the seashore and touch the warm sand or let the waves crash against our legs, we can still call upon the energy and magical inhabitants of the ocean for use in our magic and to build greater spiritual connection to this mystical realm. Fortunately, there are options for creating these magical calls; channels to draw in the energy and the ingredients to aid in this work can all be found at the supermarket.
Probably the most easily recognizable magical figure linked to the sea is the mermaid. From the nereids, the Greek sea nymphs; the ancient Irish merrows or liban; the Japanese ningyo; or any of the myriad sea sprites and faeries that make their home deep in the waters of the seas according to legend and folklore, the tales of magical undersea beings are almost universal. Calling to the faeries of the waters is a wonderful way to expand your spirituality, awareness of emotions, ecology, the ocean, and the water element. Beyond these reasons, mermaid energy can help you in magic relating to love, protection during water travel, and divination.
To Call the Mermaid
Mermaids are mystical beings whose energy can come through almost any type of water, saltwater being the strongest form.
On a low table, set the cauldron in the center with water inside it and put the candle far enough behind it so that its light will not be reflected on the water. Light the candle and gaze into the water. Relax your mind and think of the ocean. Try to mentally conjure the sound of the crashing waves, the call of the sea gulls, and the smell of the ocean mist; fill yourself with the energy of the waters. Call to the mermaids. Pour the hazelnut and grape seed oils into the water and visualize that doing so will create a magical watery window into their realm. Communicate with them. Reach out with your emotions and ask that they come to you. When you feel as though contact has been established, you can then ask for their assistance. It is best to try and establish an alliance; a strong working partnership where both sides give and take rather than seeking them as a novelty or magical accessory. Ask what they would like in return for their help and thank them for their presence. Bid them farewell and end the ritual. Extinguish the candle and pour out the water. Clean and dry the cauldron right away so it does not rust.
The Power of the Dragons
Though there are dragons that are aligned with different elements, they are historically associated with fire. Since the more dominant themes of summer are heat and fire, it is these dragon forms I focus on here. Dragons are incredible intelligent beasts: wise, strong, ancient, and commanding. Their power is legendary; so many tales exist of a dragon acting as primal adversary, ancient guardian, or source of sovereign authority. If the dragon favors you, vast riches can be yours, and woe to those who would try to harm you.
To Call a Dragon
Remember that dragon energy is untamed and cannot be forced, owned, or commanded; it can only be invited in appropriately. To begin, make sure you have silenced your phone and will be undisturbed for a short period. If you have a figure or image of a dragon, keep it on hand to help in the visualization. Surround yourself in an energetic circle in order to create the proper magical environment. When you are ready, close your eyes and mentally visualize a land of dragons. See a mystical realm existing as a plane higher and lighter than our own in the upper atmosphere encircling the planet.
When this visualization is strong, call out to a dragon companion and see one making itself known. Envision this dragon coming toward you and speak to it. Tell it honestly what you desire. Ask for an alliance and a positive relationship with the dragon realm and this particular dragon especially. Inquire what the dragon would like from you in exchange for their assistance and commit to memory what they say. Alliances are two-way streets; we must give as much to the relationship as we seek from it. Thank the dragon for this contact and ask how they wish to be contacted in the future. Bid them farewell and visualize yourself returning to your own realm and open your eyes.
After this working, you may or may not feel the dragon’s presence in your immediate environment. With continued contact, their presence will become more apparent and the connection strengthened. They can become powerful guardians and allies.
Simmering Potpourris
This pungent potpourri cleanses the atmosphere and balances the energy in the home so that more loving vibrations are felt.
Spicy Summer Potpourri
Fill a pot half full with water and add the remaining ingredients. Simmer over low heat to release the scent. If you wish, this potpourri can actually be a good marinade/brine for soaking chicken before grilling for a summer meal. In this case, place the desired amount of chicken in a bowl or baking dish (with high sides) and soak the chicken in the marinade; cover in the refrigerator for 6 hours to overnight. Remove from marinade and grill according to preferred method, usually on a hot grill, skin side down for 3 to 5 minutes, then 50 to 60 minutes on a medium-heat grill, turning halfway through cooking time.
Brews
Much of kitchen witchery is about understanding how powerful what we already do is; the simple act of sipping sun tea can be a truly magical act when done with the proper intention. Tea is naturally attuned to prosperity as are the other ingredients in this recipe.
Taste of Summer Prosperity Potion
Slice the orange and place in a gallon jug. Add the tea bags and water. Charge the mixture with your intention. Place in direct sunlight for at least two hours. Strain tea and add the honey. Refrigerate for a few hours until cold. Serve over ice.
Incense
To fully enjoy the summer season, we must be clear of unneeded blockages or problems. This incense is attuned to the power of summer and also helps purify and restore a pleasant balance.
Summer Sizzle Incense
Open the tea bag and pour out the contents into a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Charge the incense to clear away incorrect energy and replace it with love, health, and prosperity.
Oils
Summer is not only the season of the largest amount of heat and light, but also magically speaking the time of the greatest development for abundance and prosperity. Whether we are actively connected to the agriculture cycle or not, all of humanity is inextricably linked to the growth of food, and most of what we eat comes into fullness at this time. The oil formula for the summer solstice given here taps into not only the solar energy of the holiday, but the energy of prosperity and luck as well to help manifest abundance in all forms.
Sunshine Oil
If a peanut allergy is a factor, they can be substituted with a teaspoon of cinnamon. If the smell of sesame oil is too unpleasant (to me it smells burnt), this too can be substituted; safflower or corn oils can be used instead. To prepare, crush the seeds and nuts together and add them to a pot with the oil. Warm over low heat until you begin to smell it in the air and remove from heat. Allow the oil to cool, strain it, and charge it by visualizing the bright noonday sun sending a beam of light down into the oil, infusing it with power.
Sea Sprite Oil
This formula can be used to call upon the power of the mermaid and in any magic related to the sea.
The seaweed wrappers should be easy to find. Whether dulse, nori, kelp, or another form, use what is available. Warm the oil and other ingredients over low heat until you smell the seaweed in the air (an unmistakable scent) and then remove from heat. Once cooled, strain into a bottle and charge it with the intent of sea magic and mermaid power.
Fire Dragon Oil
Attracting the energy and power of dragons is the focus of this oil recipe.
The humble asparagus is distantly related to dragon’s blood, the legendary ingredient related to love, protection, and power. Basil has an excellent attraction power, even to dragon energies, and tarragon is related to their magic as well. The sunflower oil can be substituted with corn oil if need be. Warm the oil and other ingredients over low heat until you can smell the herbs in the air. Remove from heat and charge to be a carrier of dragon magic and attraction then strain and bottle for use.
Charms
Far from being merely a place to buy food, our modern supermarkets (especially those “supercenter” places) have so many extra items like books, toys, kitchen appliances, and sometimes clothing and sunglasses. This last item can be charmed magically to increase protection and clear vision so that danger can be more easily spotted and avoided.
Magical Sunglasses
On an altar table, set the bowl of salt in the north, the incense burner in the east, the candle to the south, and the bowl of water to the west. Hold the sunglasses in your hands and focus on the idea that they will bring protection and clarity to their wearer. Hold the glasses briefly over the incense, the candle, the water, and the salt to absorb the elemental energies and say:
Magical vision, forever ensured,
to wearer of these glasses, protection imbued;
keen, clear sight, shall be absorbed,
and each time worn, the power renewed.
Leave the sunglasses in the middle of the table to continue to absorb the elemental energy until the candle burns out. Wear as desired.
Foods
As children, it is unlikely that any of us ever imagined that roasted marshmallows had any magical potential, but they do. The sugar, gelatin, and egg whites found in many marshmallow recipes relate magically to love, purification, and binding, and the act of roasting adds the element of rejuvenation. Roasting marshmallows blesses them with fire’s power and combining them with chocolate and graham crackers can turn humble s’mores into a magical goldmine of love, prosperity, or abundance.
Magical Wishing Marshmallows
Roast the marshmallows over the stove or a fire and focus upon your magical goal. When the marshmallow is ready combine it with the chocolate in between two graham crackers and eat them to bring the magic within.
Bath Salts
This mixture is overflowing with the energy of summer, plus the power of love, purification, and luck.
Citrus Summer Bath Salt
Mix the Epsom salt, sea salt, and baking soda in a bowl to combine. Add the extracts, stir, and pour into a jar. Holding your hands over it, charge the bath salts with purification and blessing energies. Put the lid on the jar. Use as desired.
Holiday: Midsummer
Aside from celebrating the power of the season and the divine powers beyond, this time of year is excellent for magic. The summer solstice holiday is one of peak magical power. Most spells cast now have an extra boost of power, a special added “oomph” that helps them manifest in more satisfying ways. Whether you choose to add specific spells into the Midsummer celebration or decide to simply honor the energetic shift and enjoy the holiday, the longest day of the year can bless you with warmth and abundance.
Ritual
The rites of Midsummer are frequently focused on honoring the goddess of the earth. Thanks are given for her granting abundance; she is celebrated as queen of faery and sovereign of the land. The archetypal earth goddess (speaking in nondenominational terms) is seen as the creative power of nature’s bounty, and the archetypal earth (and/or sun) god is seen as both the catalyst and embodiment of the created bounty. He is considered at the peak of his power, which is tied to both that of the sun and the crops. As the season continues and moves toward harvest, he is seen as waning in power and preparing to travel through the gates of death. The goddess is seen as eternal, changing her form but always maintaining her authority, and the god is seen as bound directly to the cycles of life in our world. 14
This holiday celebrates life, abundance, strength, light, joy, and the fullness of nature’s gifts coming to fruition. Given the warm temperatures and sunny days, midsummer is one of the ideal sabbats to hold outdoors. If close neighbors are a concern, what to all outward appearances is a simple backyard dinner around a firepit, can actually be a powerful sabbat ritual that doesn’t draw too much attention or suspicion. Indoors, this ritual can be fully embellished and just as powerful as if it were outdoors.
The Dragon and the Mermaid of Midsummer
This rite connects to not only the qualities of abundance, the faery kingdom, and the sun, but also to the primary elements at play during this season: fire and water.
On a low table, place the unlit red candle that has been anointed with Fire Dragon oil as well as the lit white candle (which is being used solely for illumination). This table becomes the fire dragon altar. To the west of this altar, set the cauldron on the ground (or another low table) and fill it with water and a float a few drops of Sea Sprite oil on the surface; this becomes the mermaid water altar/focal point. Facing north, you now have a water altar on the left and a fire altar on the right in a similar manner to the twin bonfires sometimes seen at Beltane or the summer solstice. Moving to the quarters; set the plate of blueberries at the north point. To the east, place the dish of mushrooms; the pineapple goes at the southern point, and the peaches sit in the west. These are part of the bounty of summer and each are aligned to the element in their particular quadrant: earth, air, fire, and water, respectively.
Anoint your right wrist with Fire Dragon oil and your left wrist with Sea Sprite oil. As you begin the ritual, close your eyes and envision a large orb of light encircling your working area to just beyond where the fruits are placed. After this energetic circle is placed, light the red candle and say:
Here I light the dragon candle
to invoke its ancient power.
Fiery guardian of the land,
help me to create the vision I see.
Balance the heat and light for growth,
letting abundance now come forth.
Turn your attention to the cauldron and sprinkle a little bit of the sea salt into the water as you call to the spirit of the mermaid, saying:
Protector of the seas, guardian of the waters;
I call the mermaid from the depths.
Great water spirit, hear my plea,
quench the thirst of the land
and keep the balance toward prosperity.
Addressing both the guardians with gratitude say:
Sacred fire and water,
held in trust by dragon and mermaid,
balance the power that all may prosper
and protect us that we may live unafraid.
To conclude the ritual, thank the guardians for their blessings in your own words and say, “The strength of the sun is at its peak and the earth is warmed by this power, the land shall be rich with wonderful bounty. My thanks to the otherworld for these gifts, blessed be.” The candle can be extinguished and the water can be poured upon the land. The fruits can be eaten as part of the sabbat feast.
If you are celebrating outdoors, a fire pit can stand in for the candle and a large bucket of water (which to all outward appearances could be for dousing the fire) can substitute for a cauldron. The fruit can still be placed in the directions even if only around the fire, and the magical oil can be added to the fire before it is lit. The words can be thought instead of spoken and the sabbat still enjoyed.
Witchy Ways
Because this time of year gets so hot and travel increases so much, it can be difficult to keep food cold on long trips. Ice packs can be helpful but are annoying to lug around after they have fully thawed. A great dual-purpose item to keep things cool is to freeze those little juice boxes and stick a few of them into your cooler along with the rest of the food. That way, your picnic lunch or travel snacks will stay cool. And when the juice boxes have thawed, instead of having extra plastic to haul around, you have something to drink.
Midsummer Shopping List
14 Janet and Stewart Farrar, The Witches’ Bible Compleat (New York: Magickal Childe, 1984), 94–95.