Witches Take Flight on Midsummer’s Night

A Time of Magical Doorways and Planetary Alignments

Along with Beltane, Samhain, and the Winter Solstice; Midsummer or the Summer Solstice is a night attributed to faeries, witches and the working of magic.  It is one of the special times a year when the Wild Hunt sets out across the night sky.  Legend connects the solstice or St. John’s Day with the story of John the Baptist and Herodias, who is a figure associated with the goddesses Hera and Diana, and a leader of the retinue of spirits that were said to fly about on this night.  It is a time for connecting with the Otherworld, the Sidhe, and working glamour magic.  Numerous plants that would later be used in magic and alchemy would be collected on the solstice or Midsummer’s Eve; the plants being full of the Sun’s influence for that year.  In the Celtic Ogham calendar this time of the year is represented by the Oak tree, the Duir meaning door.  This connection with doorways and portals is appropriate for this solar alignment, which  also opens a celestial doorway allowing for the entry of powerful solar energies.

In Wiccan mythos it is the beginning of the waning half of the year, the time when the sun begins to diminish in power.  This is represented in the battle between the Oak King and Holly King.  An interesting astrological coincidence is also going to occur this year, in which the planet Jupiter will be visible in the night sky on the night of June 22nd and June 23rd Jupiter will be visible in the southeastern sky in the evening just below the moon.  This is interesting because Jupiter, the planet that rules the Oak tree went into opposition with the Sun back in May.

Bricket Wood Coven, Hertfordshire. Wikipedia Common License.

Saturn Opposition and Full Moon in Capricorn

The next planet to do this will be Saturn, on June 27th just before the full moon.  Saturn the planet of all things dark and arcane will rule the night sky alongside the moon, which will be in Capricorn.  This is also the Sign of the Winter Solstice, making a kind of window connecting the two Solstices for this year.  As the solar Oak King submits, giving power to the shadowy Holly King; Saturn, patron planet of witchcraft rules the night sky.  During the time of the Solstice, the Sun, the Moon and Saturn will be nearly in perfect alignment.

This would be a powerful time for initiatory rituals and rituals of re-dedication.  We can also take advantage of this special planetary combination to empower the plants growing in our witch gardens.  On the nights leading up to the full moon and shortly after, we may take advantage of the energetic portals created in the Earth’s magnetosphere. In a kind of Drawing Down the Moon adaptation, which will not only have the eldritch power of the Strawberry Moon in Capricorn and its association with the Otherworld, but will also filter in the enhanced Saturnian energies.