Summer Solstice

Dear Readers,

In the turn of the  year, we are in Saint John’s Tide or the time of Summer Solstice.

To celebrate, Christine Natale shares with us another of her beautiful fairy stories The Return of the Sun King in celebration of Mid-summer or Saint John’s tide.

Over on her blog, Straw into Gold, Christine offers a historical and deeply meaningful look at Saint John’s Tide in her piece, Saint John’s Tide: Too Christian for Pagans, Too Pagan for Christians”. This article if full of ideas for magical celebration and fun for children and adults alike at Mid-Summer, including games, fairy dust and a bonfire. And it brings an anthroposophical (or Waldorf) perspective to the festival.

Summer Solstice is an ancient holiday. The word solstice is derived from Latin meaning sun (sol)  and to stand still (sistere)  for the time in which the sun appears to stand still moving neither north nor south for several days. Then the sun is now beginning its journey south while the earth is just beginning to heat up and begin to bring forth the life that awakened at spring.

Often we focus on the moment or day of the solstice, yet in festival life, a feast or fete is really a process lasting several days or several weeks, as in Christmas Tide or Saint John’s Tide. It’s a time of year.

One aspect of festival celebration that I am particularly fond of is the seasonal food and coming together with friends and family to enjoy it, especially outdoors. This week I was inspired to try cedar plank grilling and I cannot believe I have been missing this simple and delicious technique for grilling salmon!

This post over at Simple Bites is what inspired me to try cedar plank grilling, thank you Kristin Doyle! I added thyme, cumin, raspberry jam and lemon zest rather than italian herbs. No matter what you put on the fish, it will taste delicious!

We are busy cooking and baking with strawberries and rhubarb and will share our favorites with you soon.

Here’s one simple dish with fresh, local strawberries along with a simple hand and thigh clapping nursery rhyme.

You may not know that Christine Natale has a lovely book of Fairy Takes that she has written, available to purchase, in both paperback and down loadable form, so those of you with Kindle or I Book readers can access it too. It is a collection of fifteen stories, organized by season and it will take you through the year with rich stories for children. It is available here at Lulu.

Up on the blog we have a give away from Janet Allison and news of her upcoming Boys Alive Event! Sign up to participate and have a chance to win her book, Boys Alive!

Celebrate summer and savor its goodness with your loved ones!

Warmly,

Lisa