Well, we’ve made it through lockdown to Midsummer and the longest day…the Universe may have shut down travel around the globe, but at least it gave us decent weather, up until now, to endure it. Never have so many been so happy to exercise outdoors, which for many people, was their only escape! Walking was a joy in the warm weather, especially for us here, as we have 3 beaches, one of which is hidden away and only accessible at low tide or over the golf course. As the golf course was closed, many of us enjoyed a new walk to the secret sands…and made the most of it because, now Scotland is in phase 1, the golf course has re-opened and we are back to being banned with our dogs, but it was a delight while it lasted, silver lining and all that!
Now we get to meet with our family and friends, just 2 households with maximum of 8 in one group…works for me! The utter joy of seeing the boys and my little bambino again highlighted the importance of family and the ability and need for humans to socialise!! Hopefully, we will use this as a lesson for life and treasure those close to us. It is people that matter, not stuff, and here in Scotland, it was the first thing to be released! When asked, the people of Scotland could continue without shopping for shoes or getting their nails done, but just wanted to see their kids, their parents, their grandchildren and their closest friends. Lesson from Covid-19 folks…people matter!!
So here we are at the longest day. Normally at this time we would be looking forward to school holidays and sun and fun at the beach, whether here or abroad. However, kids have been away from school for weeks, partners are either working from home or still furloughed, flights are now discouraged and, at time of going to press, we still have ‘no staying away from home overnight’, so life still has plenty of limitations!!
On the silver lining note, people have learned how to cook more often, more adventurously and use what was in the kitchen rather than discard or waste food, kids have learned to bake, and probably for most, diet and exercise have been of quality and more thought, rather than freezer/microwave food and no time for exercise! Hopefully, we can all build on our new way of life and not revert back to daily pre-made food or takeaways, which is a more expensive and less healthy way to live. People have eaten together like they used to. Meals have been prepared by the family, rather than everything left up to mums or whoever is home first!!
On the down side, I have noticed that, at first, everyone was concerned about their immune system, and buying Witches Gold, Eucalyptus, Litsea and tea tree oils to clean and fight the virus plus Thyme and Echinacea for the immune system. Vitamin C, D and zinc were also flying off the shelf as people looked to keep their body, family and home as healthy and virus free as possible. I couldn’t keep up and was even more delighted to be allowed to stay open for the ‘Physical health and Emotional well-being’ part of my shop… who’d have thought??
Then I noticed things began to change…and now people were looking for tinctures of Valerian, St John’s Wort, Lime flower and Milk Thistle, and oils of Bergamot, Ylang-Ylang, Geranium, Lavender and Clary Sage. It was now not their immune system that they were primarily concerned with, but their mental health was now being affected too. People wanted happy, loving crystals like Citrine, Rose quartz, Peridot, Moonstone and Larimar to wear rather than defensive, healing stones like fluorite, smoky quartz and garnet! It was and still is an interesting twist, as people fight more for their emotional well-being and less about their physical health. Strange times but it is what it is and self-care has definitely become a priority during this on-going battle!
But now we are at the longest day…thank goodness the Corona Virus attacked in the spring…better we had the growing light and the sunnier weather to fill us with hope during the battle. But now we are at the longest day. This would normally be one of the busiest times of the year for shops like mine, located in a tourist seaside village. But this area is hardest hit. I have been very fortunate that a part of my business allowed me to stay open, even if just 12 hours a week. I may not be taking anywhere near my usual takings, but I am still able to trade in some way. Other businesses are not so lucky, and we must all plan for what will be the new normal and how to take business forward. I look at my little store that has maybe 5/6 customers per shift max, and look back to pre-lockdown with people queueing out the door and the fun-filled hustle and bustle that often goes on in my shop, and wonder if I will ever see it like that again! We will all have to make changes and Midsummer is the time to plan where we all go from here on the long run upto the shortest day!!
Back to Midsummer…
The longest day is when the Sun is at its strongest, so celebrations usually take place outdoors (think Stonehenge), but as we cannot gather indoors yet, outdoors it must be!! This is a fire ceremony, so I will be having my usual bonfire, weather permitting, out in the garden with my hubby, and I am sure one of the boys will drop by, as it is tradition to sit round our fire drinking wine and beer and enjoying the company. Tradition says stay awake till sunrise but I am getting too long in the tooth for all that these days!! Typical, as we are all mostly still based at home, Midsummer falls on a Saturday night and is the dark moon, with the New Moon at 7.40am Sunday morning, which is also Father’s Day – a family event indeed! We can use this combo to burn the negative factors in our lives on Midsummer evening, and attract the positive the next day with the New Moon…perfect!! So, what do you do??
Midsummer fire…
I light a bonfire at Midsummer for fun and relaxation, but this year we need to get our lives back on track. Before Midsummer, you need to prepare 2 circles. In days gone by in the Nordic countries, these would have been wheels to which they wrapped in straw, set on fire and rolled down the hills, but we are NOT going to do that, as is illegal. To roll away from you is to take away misfortune, and towards you is for luck. To make your own Wheel of Fortune, make a circle of copper wire, a wooden craft hoop, a fallen branch, a flower arranging circle or a dreamcatcher just prepare 2 circles from whatever you can find in the house or garden, 1st to burn and 2nd to keep!
Wrap the 1st in dark ribbon/wool, and the 2nd in red ribbon/wool for strength. The 1st is for the dark moon of Midsummer. Write things that you need to leave your life in scroll form and attack to the circle to burn in the Midsummer bonfire or in an outside container, allowing both Fire, the element of transformation, and the dark mistress of the Moon to take them away. The 2nd, we will tie things on it for luck: hang symbols such as acorns, nuts, pentagram, dried flowers, a pouch of seeds filled with hopes, a Sun/Phoenix, or a written scroll with a wish, even a rainbow crystal! Use your imagination to fill with things to attract luck, joy & abundance into your life for hanging in your home after the New Moon at 7.40am. Bless in incense, then hang where you can spin it whenever you pass to get your good luck moving and send messages to the Universe for what you need/desire in your life.
Midsummer herb – St John’s wort
People have been turning to St John’s wort to fight the emotional upheaval of our current situation & even I have been taking it! I also collect the fresh herb from my garden every Midsummer, bless it over the fire and hang over my front door to bring sunshine into my home and shop for the next year and keep the bad stuff away. Add dried St John’s wort to Midsummer incense, along with lavender and heather or make a pouch and hang for protection and happiness. If you have it in your garden, you can also infuse it in Olive oil to make a lotion…internally it works on the nervous system but externally, the oil helps with nerve pain, so is a useful addition to the family 1st aid kit!
Midsummer Sunshine with oils of Melissa & Bergamot
Melissa is Oil of Lemon Balm, a plant that’ll grow in any garden and once established, is hard to get rid of. Its scent is a burst of citrus, but the oil is difficult to obtain from the plant, but magickally is uplifting joy. If you are emotionally very sensitive or don’t work well under limitations, this crisis will be having an emotional toll upon you! That is where we call on oils of Melissa and Bergamot, known as my ‘Sunshine’ mix in the shop! Bergamot is relaxing but uplifting, calming any anxiety and relieving depressive thoughts. Melissa is helpful if full of anxious foreboding and worry and when these are combined…well, what can I say? In my house, it restores that feeling of utter calm and tranquility and in times of anxiety, inhaled from a tissue, it is simply supportive sunshine!
Get your sunny Citrine on…
There are lots of crystals helpful during this time, but I find the most helpful ones are connected to Fire, the Element of transformation, and especially the pairing of Citrine (Sun) and Peridot (Volcano)! Yellow is the colour of clarity, abundance, sunshine and happiness, whilst green is well-being, balance and harmony as well as money. Yellow stones attract what you most desire, while green crystals have the power to stimulate new ideas and bring about change. Carry or wear one or a mix of these two colours, but especially sunny Citrine and Peridot, to get things moving forward in your life, attract positive change and success, and help increase optimism, happiness and joy!
Moon Times…
New Moon: Sun 21 June @ 07.40 hrs Full Moon: Sun 5 July @ 05.30 hrs
New Moon: Mon 20 July @ 18.33 hrs
Now for ‘The Green Witch Covid-19 protocol’…
I have remained open during this crisis 3 days a week to make up orders for despatch for those living away or isolating, but also for locals to ‘click/collect’ too. Over the last couple weeks, there’s been an increase in people dropping in, so here’s my formula for those using my shop till something like normality resumes:
Hopefully, we will all stay well and safe, good luck to you all and we’ll see you on the other side if not before!
Sunny midsummer blessings to you all from Chris (alias the Green Witch)
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