Believe it or not, we are already at Midsummer, the midpoint of the Earth’s cycle around the Sun. Merry festivities to all who observe the Summer Solstice (aka Lithia, Midsummer, Alban Hefin, etc.!) This celebrated event is highlighted in our lives by experiencing, yet again, the longest day and shortest night of the year. And so, the Wheel turns!

As my Spiritual family and I celebrate Alban Hefin this June 20, we will remember the battle between the Oak and Holly Kings. The Oak King, our sacrificial King, who’s strength reigns during the light half of the year, providing us with sustenance, receives a mighty blow during the battle, and begins his demise. This coincides with the reduction of our solar light each day ahead until Yule (Dec 20-23), when our beloved Oak King makes his glorious return (aka Jesus was a sacrificial King, just sayin’.) In Ritual and Feast, we pay homage to the Oak King’s sacrifice and the return of the Holly King as well as the Goddess’ compassion, love, and gratitude towards the Oak King’s plight. We also pay our respect to the Goddess’ blossoming womb, which hints at the Oak King’s imminent return at Winter Solstice.

This mythological battle reflects not only the natural cycles of our solar light but the struggle between light and dark in our lives. All too often, that which happens externally happens within us as well. We oftentimes struggle to maintain balance in our personal and professional lives or with our emotions in relationship situations or even just our thoughts and behaviors. We struggle to maintain balance in all aspects of our lives. This is Life in action.

Ultimately, we have the will to choose to bring more light in our lives through compassion, love, and gratitude towards our self, others, and all the Divine’s creations or we can choose darkness where we dwell in the opposite of light. The ideal choice is to balance these polarizing aspects of ourselves, as agreed upon by various Spiritual traditions both Eastern and Western influenced. The Oak and Holly Kings balance each other in this play of our sun’s journey. The Goddess’ role in this story indicates that we will have struggles in our lives. However, balancing the positive and negative aspects, such as the Goddess’ sadness about the Oak King’s fatal blow and her joy to know in her womb he lives again, assures us that, with love, compassion, gratitude and alignment to the natural cycles of our human journey on this planet, we can overcome all struggles and find balance. The union of the Goddess’ and the Oak King’s love, as represented by Her fruitful womb, infers that we can balance these facets of ourselves and embrace the darkness and find abundance and Light in our lives.

So this Alban Heifen, I will welcome the solar rays from above to warm my face and invigorate my Spirit to give forth love, gratitude and compassion for all the abundance in my life, such as family, friends, animals, nature, the earth and sea, elements, a warm bed and roof over my head, food and water, a path to offer service to others, wisdom and, most importantly, my relationship with the Divine and Spirit. I hope you will also take a moment to enjoy the Sun’s warmth on the Summer Solstice this year. I hope you, too, will feel this balance in your lives, and for a moment experience the bliss of its harmony. To All of you out there, many blessings for a loving, festive Midsummer. 

 Blessed be.

Summer Solstice Prayer

Oh, Solar King of the most high! You ignite our spirit with your radiant glare as the warmth of your rays illicit warm-hearted thoughts of happy moments, leading to days of love and delight! We honor you for the glorious harvest you provided us this year, and what is still left to come! May you feel and know the gratitude and devotion in our hearts for all your blessings bestowed upon us. May you feel and know our compassion, strength, and love as you face the sacrifices ahead while caring for us and all your creations. Oh, Solar King of the most high! Blessed be.

•Rev. Candace Ouillette Gaumond, HPS

  Spiritology by Candace