What is the summer solstice?
Solstice, or Litha means a stopping or standing still of the sun.
It is the longest day of the year and
the time when the sun is at its maximum elevation.
Tips from Red Moon Herbs
9 ways you might welcome this first day of summer:
- Plant a tree (maybe a serviceberry tree),
- Have a bonfire with friends,
- Light a candle while you contemplate fulfillment,
- Watch the sunset,
- Do 54 or 108 sun salutations,
- Reinvigorate your New Year's resolution to bring them closer to fruition,
- Connect to Nature and the Sun, maybe by going to the beach, meadow or mountaintop with a good book,
- Connect to your plant allies, maybe St. John's Wort for a fresh topical oil or a mood-enhancing tea, Mugwort to delve deep into summer dreamtime or Yarrow for your first aid kit,
- or any other activity that feels like it celebrates the warmth and life giving properties of the sun!
Secret Spiritual meaning of Stonehedge
The giant megalithic stone circle of Stonehenge aligns most prominently to the summer solstice – with alignments at sunrise, midday, and sunset.
At sunrise on the summer solstice, the sun rose between two Heel Stones outside Stonehenge, and penetrated into its center to the altar stone.
A giant ancient avenue leading from Stonehenge to the nearby River Avon also aligns to the summer solstice sunrise. The ancient stone circle called Bluehenge lies where this avenue and the river meet.
At midday on the summer solstice, the sun shines directly overhead Stonehenge into its center.
Next to Stonehenge there is a large area called the Stonehenge Cursus which is an area of earthen ditches and banks around 3km long and 100-150 meters wide. Within this area are two huge pits around 16 feet across and 3 feet deep that when viewed from the Heel Stone just outside Stonehenge, align to the summer solstice sunrise and sunset.
Yet another ancient site called Durrington Walls lies 2 miles north-east of Stonehenge. It contains a henge called the Southern Circle consisting of six concentric circles that would have been made out of large timber posts. The circle is aligned to the winter solstice sunrise, but like Stonehenge has a paved avenue leading to the River Avon and a post which acted as the Heel Stone, but aligned to the summer solstice sunset rather than sunrise.
It is possible that Stonehenge was part of a sacred landscape in which a number of sites were used ceremoniously during various celestial occasions, but it appears, particularly the summer solstice.
Hello, just wanted to point out that the part on the spiritual meaning of Stonehenge was taken from The Path of the Spiritual Sun book written by Belsebuub and Angela Pritchard: http://belsebuub.com/books/the-path-of-the-spiritual-sun-celebrating-the-solstices-and-equinoxes
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