A Summer Solstice Ritual – Honoring Fathers

Here in the Northern hemisphere, the Summer Solstice is rapidly approaching. In the part of Northern California that we live, that often means long warm days, filled with trips to the Sonoma coast or rambling walks along the banks of the Russian River. It means watching the hills turn to gold (well brownish gold) and the vines fill with grapes that will be sipped on future summer nights.

Summer Solstice celebrations often coincide with Father’s day and although neither of us care much for the Hallmark holidays, we’ve found a way to blend these two. Here’s a ritual that you can adapt to fit your own needs and traditions. We’ve practiced this particular ritual in a public setting* and privately too, so you can scale it up or down depending on whether you are doing this alone, with a coven, or with a larger community.

Cleanse and decorate your space – Sunflowers are great for this work. According to Scott Cunningham’s “Encylopedia of Magical Herbs”, sunflowers connect us with the sun, the elements of fire, and they have a masculine energy about them; perfect for the height of summer. Using a sunflower to sprinkle blessed water in the ritual area is a lovely way to begin this work. Really though, any yellow or golden flowers will suffice if sunflowers aren’t available in your area. Decorate your altar with yellows, reds, and oranges. Find magical items that bring to mind aspects of “father” however you hold that.

Grounding/becoming present – Feel your feet squarely on the ground. Take notice of your surroundings; is it warm or hot? Turn and face the sun, so you can feel it bathing your body with delicious heat. If you are inside, notice the warmth of the room and face a window. The temperature of the ground below you, the heat you feel on your skin, and sun in the sky are all connected. Take a moment to stand as the connection between them all. Hold this awareness and be present in that knowledge.

Calling the circle/Setting the space -Many traditions have specific guidelines for casting a circle or setting sacred space. It isn’t important how you create the sacred space, just make sure that you do it with great intention. Close or open windows, turn off distractions, create a perimeter to do this magic in. This is magic and what we do in this space affects many spaces. Create your circle in a way that feels good to you.

Calling Elements/Guardians – Different traditions have specific ways of calling in the Guardians and Elements. What’s important here is that you honour them in a ways that feel most appropriate to you. Questions you might ponder to honor the Midsummer holiday are how are the land, sea and sky affected by the summer sun? Where is the sun, or the heat of day to be found in the Air, the Fire, the Water, the Earth and the Center?

Ancestors – For this ritual, let’s think about those people in your life that have “fathered” you. This might be your actual father. It could be another relative that is/was a father figure to you. It could be a teacher or mentor. It might be a cis-gender man, it might not. There are many ways to be a father. Once you have this person, or people, in mind say out loud all of the ways that you recognize their efforts to father you; if you feel called you could also take time to write these things down as an honoring. Offer gratitude for the lessons they’ve taught you, even if those lessons were not easy. Think of all of the ways this father has tried and succeeded in fathering you. Think of all the ways this father has tried and failed to father you.

If you are with a coven or in a public ritual ask the people who identify as fathers to step into the center and hear the gratitude as it’s spoken. If you are alone, perhaps you might have a picture or memento of the father you are working with. Speak the gratitude aloud.

Now think about the fathers of these fathers. Who are your grandfathers? Again, these might be your biological grandfathers or people that you revere as grandfathers. What wisdom have you learned from them? What lore and knowledge have they passed down to you? Acknowledge this wisdom. Recount the stories they have told you.

If you are with a coven or in a public ritual ask the people who identify as grandfathers  to step into the center and let them hear you speak of their wisdom. if you are alone, perhaps you might have a picture or memento of the grandfather you are honouring. Speak this wisdom out loud.

Conjure in your mind’s eye those great grandfathers you know of, or are fortunate enough to have met. Who are these great-grandfathers? What was the world like in their time? If they are still with you, what joys would they share about their long lives? What secrets would they whisper in your ear about how to live life? Laugh and smile as you remember their secrets and joys.

If you are with a coven or in a public ritual ask the people who identify as great-grandfathers to step into the center and see you smile and laugh as you remember the joy they have brought to your life. If you are alone, perhaps you might have a picture or memento of this great-grandfather you are honouring. Speak what you remember about their joy out loud.

If you have great-great grandfathers or magical ancestors that you want to acknowledge, keep following these steps until you have honoured all those that have fathered you in some way.

Gods – Do you have a god that you are devoted to? Is there a deity that holds father magic for you? Honor this god by speaking their name, pouring their favourite libations, telling their stories or singing praise songs to them.

If you are with a coven or in a public ritual call your gods into the center or to a place of high honor in your ritual space and let the gods hear you speak of their deeds. If you are alone, perhaps you might have a picture or memento of the god(s) you are honoring. Speak their names and regale them. Spend time in devotion to their spirit.

Spend time with all of these fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers, and gods. Talk with them, feed them, listen to them, honor them, thank them.

Closing the ritual – When the feasting and the honoring is done, return to the circle or ritual space. Feel the Solstice sun all about you. In the ways that are most appropriate for you, thank your fathers one more time. Thank the Elements and/or Guardians you called into the space. Thank each other (or yourself) for stepping into and supporting this magic and open your circle or ritual space.

May the sun shine warm on you this day. May the good work of your fathers continue through you and on to those that come after you.

Be blessed and Happy Solstice!

* Both of us have been part of a ritual group that did a public ritual several years ago that used a similar format. Much respect to our dear friends and co-conspirators at North Bay Reclaiming. Gwion first learned this type of ritual in the mid 1990s while working with the Temenos group. Another version of this ritual was passed to Gwion during his time studying with his beloved Rinpoche.

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