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Summer Solstice • New Moon Energy ✦ [Silver Chalice Wiccan 'Zine] June 21, 2019 |
Table of ContentsEnergy Fields & Astrology - June/July Energies New Article - Energy on a New Moon Sabbats & Esbats & Other Wiccan Rituals - Litha Quotes - on Reflection & Adaptation
Editor's NoteMerry Meet! Welcome to the Silver Chalice Wicca 'Zine! 
Not that I'm dropping the book, by any means, but after a rousing start I seemed to fall into writer's block
— which is particularly interesting, since I don't believe in writer's block.
Energy Fields & Astrology:
There's been a lot of energy movement lately, between the full moon on Monday June 17th and recent solar flares. If you've been feeling more emotional, experiencing poor-quality sleep, losing track of time or feeling ungrounded, you're not alone. The solstice is Friday June 21st, at 8:54am PDT (11:54am EDT), and has an intense energy around it. It's important to have clarity around this time, as what you process will relate to what happens in your life in the coming months, so being as clear as possible about your future is ideal. You'll need to balance between your own truth and what others around you are creating: be aware of what you're reacting to, and when you're crossing a line about what is not yours.
After the solstice, there is energy of adaptation and change, with getting rid of physical, mental, and emotional clutter. This is a good time for adventures, celebrations, and gatherings.
Coming up on July 2nd is a solar eclipse in Cancer, which will ask you to release what you thought made you secure, so that you can more fully become the creator of your life. This continues until the July 16th lunar
eclipse in Capricorn.
And, amongst all this, Jupiter (the planet of faith and exuberance) has been in Sagttarius since November, and is staying there until December of 2019, which creates a fabulous opportunity to believe in the possibilities of life in a way that you might not believed in for quite a while, or ever thought possible.
Next New Moon: Tuesday July 2nd @ 12:16pm PDT, 3:16pm EDT, and 7:16pm GMT
Sources consulted for this article:
Wicca Students Speak Out:
"I’m delighted and challenged by every aspect of the course. The opportunity to begin this spiritual journey came to me at exactly right place and time prior to Imbolc." - S.N., USA
"This course has changed me in that I have a greater understanding of Wicca and what it means to be Wiccan and not to be afraid of my faith. From completing lessons and assignments, I learned about
myself and that I have more to offer than I thought. I am special and unique and can communicate with Mother Earth, the Goddess Moon. My spirituality is everywhere and part of this entire universe." - Monica Augustyn, USA
"As a result of taking the A Year & A Day course, I found peace, comfort, understanding and a connection with a deeper part of myself. I learned that when I meditate every day, I am more relaxed, centered and able to calmly handle issues when they arise. I liked that there was always assignments and adventures at the end of each lesson to help you connect with what you just learned and you can build on your skills" - Terri E., USA
New Article: Energy on a New MoonLife on Earth is cyclical. Like, for example, on New Moon and Full Moon cycles; the flow of the Seasons, day and night.... And that includes our human processes. It's easy to forget, in this culture of straight lines and linear thought. But this came clear to me (yet again) when I hit a snag in the new book I'm writing. Has something like this ever happened to you? You can't finish a project, and you start berating yourself for that? Well, there might be a very good reason for it that has nothing to do with you. Before we can go anywhere with this, I should explain that when I say I'm writing it, what I actually mean is that I'm tuning in to subtle sources of information and letting them tell me what to put on the paper. This was going swimmingly. In the first 2 weeks, I'd "caught" the first 4 chapters and written them down. And I was very happy with the direction and quality of what was coming through.
Then something happened.
I didn't know why, but suddenly I just... could...
not access that part of me that can Catch / write.
No Such Thing As Writer's BlockUnderstand: I don't believe in writer's block. I think it's an easy, catch-all phrase like ADHD or arthritis or any of those diagnoses that don't really tell you what's going on or give you anything constructive to do about it. I've found that when the writing (or other creative process) is blocked, there's a good reason:
Fighting the FlowActually, it didn't occur to me until after my coven's Full Moon ritual. Over the next few days, I started to feel things just slightly begin to open up. That's when it hit me: On a Full Moon is a powerful time for creativity and for magick. But on a New Moon is a great time for channelling or psychic reception. Yet here I was, working against the Energy of the planet, trying to Catch (channel) material when the Full Moon was saying to do other things instead. Suddenly I realised that all I needed to do was wait til the Full Moon Energy waned a little more, and the Flow would start up again. What a relief to quit fighting the Flow!Energy Is Different On a New Moon vs. On Full MoonWe all know that on a Full Moon, we can do the best manifesting and magick. That's because the creative Energy is at a peak then. Did you know that the same is true of the Sun's Energy? It has been shown in Lynne McTaggart's intentions studies that when solar flares are peaking, intentions are measurably more effective. On the other side of the spectrum, on a New Moon and at times of low solar activity, intentions and magick are less potent.On a New Moon, the Energy is most effective for going inward: 
Timing Is EverythingSo maybe when a project falls off after a couple of weeks, we should check the Moon phases. Did we begin on a New Moon? Did we hit the roadblock coming up toward the Full Moon? It may be that instead of castigating ourselves for failing to follow through, we simply need to switch gears and work with the prevailing Energies. And wait for when the time is once again ripe to continue where we left off.This is part of living as a spiritual Wiccan or Witch: working with the Flow of life and the Energies around us — and within us. And being compassionate with ourselves. And embracing whatever is arising in this moment. Our culture, the world as we know it, was built on fighting life and dominating everything... including ourselves. The new spiritual age that is dawning will see us coming back into harmony with life. And here's where it begins. Within ourselves. We may find that much more is accomplished when we cease striving for it. As Zen has it: Sitting still, doing nothing, Spring comes, the grass grows by itself. All we really need to do is get our heads out of the way.Who wouldn't be happy if they could live that way?
Sabbats, Esbats, & Other Wiccan Rituals:
On or about June 21, the Summer Solstice marks the Wiccan Sabbat of Midsummer — also known as Litha (pronounced LITH-ah). The Summer Solstice is the astronomical event when the Earth's pole is poised to begin its tilt away from the Sun. In other words, the days are the longest they're going to get and the nights are the shortest. The name 'Litha' seems to have come from a 7th century book by an English monk, Saint Bede, who listed Litha as an archaic Anglo-Saxon name for June. The word apparently meant 'gentle' or 'navigable,' presumably because the seas tended to be calm in this month, but that seems to sum up the energy of June: peaceful and mild between the storms of winter and the intensity of late summer's harvest. With the struggle for survival in the hardest time of the year well behind us, Midsummer is primarily a festival celebrating 3 qualities:1. Light 2. Growth and fruitfulness 3. Ease, beauty, and fulfillment It's a good time to start a mindfulness practice, since it's enjoyable to be right in the here and now, fully in the body, at this time of year. At this Sabbat, we can Intentionally "ask" the Universe to give us more of this good life by appreciating it and enjoying it while we have the opportunity. There are two other important aspects to this Sabbat: 1. Reaching the peak implies descending down the other side 2. Opening the Gateway between the worlds  Midsummer is a celebration of paradox... celebrating the fullness of life in the face of looming mortality.
You can also do magick/ritual to bring more wonder, miracles, and joy into your life (and thus into the world). Also, this time is good for making amulets for protection. With the Gate to the Divine Realm wide open, another tradition for Midsummer Day is divination or even fortune-telling and prophecy. It's an opportunity to get a glimpse into the year ahead and see what's in store. A Solstice is very much a turning point, so tap into this energy and use it to your advantage.
This information about Litha is from parts of Lesson #21, "Midsummer/Litha: Summer Solstice Sabbat" in A Year & A Day: 53 Weeks to Becoming a Wiccan.
Quotes: "There are three methods to gaining wisdom. The first is reflection, which is the highest. The second is limitation, which is the easiest. The third is experience, which is the bitterest." "I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." "Let the waters settle and you will see the moon and the stars mirrored in your own being."
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