Grian-stad an-tSamhradh / Summer Solstice
Welcome to the time of Sacred Fire.
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Muireann’s Sacred Fire Teaching
The Summer Solstice is the time of greatest sun, moving into the hottest time of year in the Northern hemisphere. This is the time of the alchemy of transformation &/or the energy/fuel for creating - which is kind of the same thing really. Everything we create and grow transforms and changes us and our lives in some way. This is the time of Sacred Fire.
But first a…
There is evidence of people inhabiting Pretani 900 000, and Eireann 31 000 years ago.
Our Celtic ancestors did not celebrate sun festivals.
Surprise. Our ancestors inherited Brú na Bóinne and Stonehenge and other celestial place markers from the mysterious Neolithic cultures of people that were already inhabiting the Pretani and Eireann islands well before “Celts” arrived. These peoples were absorbed into Celtic cultures and their knowledge became our knowledge - they are us - but there is no mention of celebrating solstices in our known ancient mythologies and cultural tales.
Relevant to Time and Place
The seasonal teachings and ceremonies that I share occur at different times of year than is traditional in the Celtic calendar because Pretani and Eireann are at a different latitude than we are. Turtle Island sees the changing of seasons happen later in the year and we (me and my Spirit Crew) choose to follow the Anishinaabe observance of seasonal changes.
It’s important for us to make teachings and ceremony relevant to our Time and Place and not unconsciously replicate patterns of the past or ancestral habits. We are consciously connecting with Land + Spirit here and now, to connect to and build Spiritual relationship with the Land where we are today. None of us on Turtle Island are rooting into Ireland, Scotland, England or Wales.
We belong to Turtle Island.
(If you’re not living on Turtle Island, work with rooting on your Land.)
The Fullness of Action
The Summer Solstice is the fullness of sun, light, action and doing. This is the time of bringing to fruition the seeds that we planted during the Time of Darkness. During the Winter Solstice, we went inside, into the dark and carried out 3 seeds to plant (or whatever practices you chose to participate in), you went inside to bring out your Soul Sovereignty into the world. Inner guidance is directing your outer world.
Are you on track?
Now is the time of great sacred fire Creative energy. Samhain is ‘putting the world to sleep’. It is a time of grief and gratitude. The Winter Solstice is inner directed attention and listening for the plan that you are setting in motion guided by Spirit. Earrach (Imbolg) is the spring when you plant the seeds of motion.
If you haven’t already noticed, of course all of the cycles of our life are resonant with the cycles of the Earth. It’s beneficial, healthy and good for us to align with the Place where we are and become rooted to the Land that we stand upon.
The Asking (and the giving).
While Muireann was sharing with me about the ‘asking’ nature of Grian-stad an-tSamhrad, a giant fat bumblebee flew in, bonked my chest and moved on.
Muireann explained that Bee came to ask that I plant more early spring flowers. I had intended to do that, (but forgot) and I still should - because asking for what we need means giving what we have.
We have a lot to give and there are an infinite number of ways to give. We don’t have to give like others do - we have our own special gifts and talents and ways of giving.
Give in your way. Give what you have to share. Give in the way that makes you feel happy to be alive.
My favourite way of giving is feeding and watering all the animals in my yard - in as many ways as I can. This is a good way to give.
Give in your good way.
Are you on track? Where have you forgotten your spirit-directed path? Where are you nailing it? This is one of the gifts of the Summer Solstice - the course correcting energy and gratitude for what’s to come.
In this time of full sun, full fire, full force, full energy, we ask ourselves if we are grounded and prepared to make real the dream that Spirit has given us? In the fullness of Sun we ask for the fullness of support, we ask for road clearing, we ask for what we need to finish our Creation and we commit to doing all that we can to stay true to the direction of Spirit.
Immersed in the Celtic Field of Meaning
A weird thing that happened while I was recording for this Teaching and I think it’s important to share.
The Season of Fruit and Fullness
The Summer Solstice marks the beginning of the season of Fruits and Fullness. Strawberries and cherries are the earliest fruit in Ontario and are symbols of the Land’s abundance and the sweetness Spirit promises. The Anishinaabe have a rich relationship with strawberries, and my experience with the start of the fruiting season is with my abundant cherries.
Summer / Niibin / Samhradh
Strawberry / Ode’imin / Suibheag
Cherry / Ookwemin / Sirist
Abundance requires gratitude.
The fruit of the blooms are the result of wisdom and experience. Wisdom fruit takes time and patience and nurturing and support for the energy of Creation to do what They do. Fruits require trust in a process that we don’t consciously understand but participate in, every moment.
How can you support your fruiting? How are you living in trust with a loving universe? How can you nurture the process of Creation in your own life? How can you support the process of Creation for others and for the Land?
What are you resisting? In what ways are you not living in gratitude? This can be a hard one because we’re often getting stuff we don’t want and it’s hard to be grateful for it when shit shows up. That’s where trust comes in - you can’t trust your own small, seemingly separate little self. You can trust in Land + Spirit to bring exactly what you need. Love, trust and belief are the cosmic juice of Creation.
When you believe, you will see. When you trust, what you need arrives. Your expectation of receiving what you need opens the road for what you need to arrive.
Allow all feelings - even the ones that are pissed off about what’s happening. Feel the feelings and let them go. Let the empty space be filled with love and trust in a Creation that knows you and loves you and supports your Soul Sovereignty.
The Sun is the Hawk of the day. The Moon is the Owl of the night. Together they guide the motion of Creation, holding inner and outer vision and action required to bring Spirit dreams into the being of Land.
We are grateful to the sun for the life-bringing warmth and energy needed for abundance on Earth. We are grateful for the fires of the Sun to burn through resistance and the stagnant emotional and mental debris that are the fuel for transformation.
The time of Fire is at the Solstice is the opportunity to realign with the powers of action, doing, accomplishing, energy, Creation, purpose, drive directed by Spirit.
©Lezley Davidson. Imagine. 1999. Watercolour + mixed media on cotton rag. Oshawa, artist’s collection.
Have you forgotten your dream?
Now is the time to reconnect.
It is never too late. It is never the wrong time to be guided by the Great Mystery.
Now is the time to refocus/redirect/realign where we have gotten off track.
Now is the time to ask the Fires of source to support you. Now is the time to ask for the cleansing Fire of Spirit to burn through anything in the way of your Soul Sovereignty and use that resistance as fuel for expansion. Now is the time to ask the Sacred Fires to support you.
Are you walking in Soul Sovereignty?
If you are in connection with Spirit guidance and continue to hold your spirit vision as the guiding light of your life - this is the time of gratitude for the energy and passion and sacred fire you have, and a re-commitment to follow Spirit guidance and act and speak your Soul Sovereignty in the world. Now is the time to direct and pour out the energies, actions and intentions of your vision into the manifestation of rooted Land.
Affirm your dedication to your Soul Sovereignty path progress and Creation. The Sun is the sacred fire that lights the way.
The dark is Spirit as the Great Mystery. The light is Spirit, being in the World.
The Practice
Soooo, there’s kind of a lot going on here because we have to reach back and connect vision and reflection from The Winter Solstice to where we are now. Hopefully you recorded what you learned in some way and have the ability to access those teachings now. If you don’t have access to those teachings, or have joined the community after the Winter Solstice - check in with the Great Spirit before the Summer Solstice to gain a directional focus.
None of these exercises are “only during festival/only during ceremony”. They are exercises for clarity that are used when you need them. Doing them during heightened energy times on Earth just gives them more “oomph”.
Reflection is so important in the spiritual path. We can (and almost certainly will) lose the valuable threads of wisdom given to us while in conscious communication with Spirit; unless we record the teachings somehow AND regularly refer back to what we learned. In communication during ceremony (or anytime we’re in conscious communication with the Great Spirit) we take with us only the loudest, most emotional response and resonate connections. We easily miss the beautiful small seeds that need our attention and affection to take root.
All of the exercises below are suggestions and guides. Nothing is written in stone and you are not expected to do everything. Do only what feels good and right for you.
Grian-stad an-tSamhradh Practice from Muireann:
My Solstice Ceremony Reflection
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reconnect to the wisdom and teachings gained from your Winter Solstice ceremonies.
if you don’t have teachings from “the Dark” - go and do those now.
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Right now I am learning about the Draoi Sacred Groves. The Celtic connection to Trees cannot be overstated. The destruction of these groves is an Ancestral wound that has gone unhealed for a thousand years.
This is from an earlier teaching, but was encouraged by Muireann to be given again - so here you go.
create community with a Tree in your area that you resonate with.
Be silent and allow Them to teach you.
Do not Google symbology until after your conversation. Learn directly from Tree first.
Practice listening.
Touch the bark with love and admiration or sit at the base of the tree amongst Their roots.
Do what you feel guided to aid in clarity and connection.
Ask questions and assume you will eventually understand the answers.
Your "imaginings" are not from you alone - they are one of the paths of communication in the world. Pay attention.
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SAFETY FIRST. We are working with sacred fire. Be respectful and cognizant that this is powerful energy. Have fire extinguishing items close at hand.
Light the Sacred Fire to give thanks and honour.
Give thanks and gratitude to the Sacred Fire (Sun as symbol of Sacred Spirit Fire of alchemical transformation and energy of action in the World of Form.
Light a candle or a bon fire or a bbq or a chiminea or fireplace or firepit or in an ashtray or whatever you have that works for you.
light the fire with sacred intention and words of thanksgiving
burn sage, cedar, sweetgrass, mint, lavendar, citronella or whatever you feel guided and connected with to use.
burning is a prayer to Spirit and a conscious invitation to Spirit to join us here. The alchemy of fire transforms the world of Form into air to call Spirit into conscious communication with us.
Ask the Sacred Fire for support and help only after you have fulfilled thanks and gratitude.
lay down tobacco (on Turtle Island) &/or - lay down the sacred medicines of your own land, and ask Sacred Fire to walk with you in Soul Sovereignty.
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in community or as a solo practitioner, burn the Sacred Fire until the night becomes dark. You are symbolically, metaphysically bringing the Sacred Fire energies into the dark of your world. The Dark is simply unconsciousness.
Burning Sacred Fire into the night is asking for the Fire to burn away whatever is in the way of your fruiting. The Sacred Fire is burned to call in the energy of action and transformation to bring your Spirit Vision to life.
speak your prayers, ask for what you need
listen for what you are asked to give in return.
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The Summer Solstice is a promise of Sacred Fire support for your spiritual journey. Summer Solstice is a time of reconnection to the Sacred Fire energy of Spiriv.
Give heartfelt gratitude to all who attended and participated in Land + in Spirit - to all kin, not just human; plant, tree, land, insect, animal, water, wind… all our relations.
be quiet and listen to what is asked of you to give in return. This will always be something that is simple and available. This is not a quest. This is sharing what you can give to your kin.
give freely, unconditionally, with both hands open.