Page 10 - The Flickering Cauldron Magazine - June 2022
P. 10
The Magic of Midsummer
For millennia our ancestors steadfastly studied the sky both day and night.
We will never know how many years it took them to record the new Moons; the Sun rises and sets and just how high in the sky the Sun rose each day and to work out the repetition of these events that form the lunar year. And they did it without compasses, calculators, or computers!.
Now we have the benefit of technology. We know that the timing of the June solstice is not based on a specific calendar date or time.
It all depends on when the Sun climbs to its northernmost point from the equator. So, therefore, the solstice won't necessarily always occur on the same day. Currently, it can occur on either the 20th, 21st, or 22nd of June.
For now, in 2022, it will be at 10:12 on the 21st of
June.
The ancient Celts of our lands were very much aware of this turning point of the year and referred to it as ‘Alban Hefin’ which we believe would have roughly meant ‘Summer Light’.
However, the celebration of Litha brought mixed blessings.
10 | The Flickering Cauldron® Magazine - The Magic of Midsummer
