Summer Solstice at the Potionary

Celebrating an ancient mid-summer tradition with a sun-jar.

We’re solstice people, Phil and I. Both the summer and winter solstice have always been important, treasured waymarkers in our year. A changing of the guard, a moment of temporary stillness in the constant chaos of the world. A time to feel connected to bygone generations, whilst also finding relevance and meaning in the now.

As mid-summer fast approaches, we ready ourselves to celebrate once more. It’s a time when things literally stop and reverse, beckoning us to celebrate the peak of the light, and the life-giving power of the sun as majickal source of everything.

Being of fair skin and (once!) reddish hair, summer has always seemed a bit of a trial. I’m far from what could be called a ‘sun-worshipper.’ Factor 600, long cool cotton dresses and a wide-brimmed hat for seeking out the blissful cool of the shade for me, please. So why celebrate the sun? The answer lies in the tradition, being a small part of so many different solstice rituals celebrated the world over in an ancient rite practised for generations.

Here in the Potionary, I create a ‘sun jar’, inspired by a simliar ritual in Ursula the white hare witch’s Nordic homelands, where there’s almost constant daylight at this time of the year.

The purpose of the jar is to remind us in the depths of winter that summer will always return, and with it the long evenings, colourful flowers and warmth on your skin, something that can be difficult to imagine on a long, dark winter’s night. It’s a talisman of both times past and those yet to come, a reminder that nature’s vibrant majick merely sleeps below the cold gound, waiting for its moment as the earth spins slowly round the sun once more.

Each winter solstice, I turn to my sun jar, slowly turning the precious reminder of the coming summer in my hands, knowing everything is in its right place, the light will slowly return, little by little, day by day, teasing, encouraging, feeding and creating summer’s many majickal ingredients. This time next year, I will, of course, be turning another jar full of its wonders, too.

There are many different types of summer solstice rituals and celebrations, and it’s up to everyone how they choose (or not) to celebrate.

However, if you did want to make a sun-jar this year you will need:

A clear glass jar.

Some rice or other dried pulses.

Items that mean summer to you (I use shells, crystals, flower petals, a mini picnic, saffron and a golden hare, amoungst other bits and bobs).

A citrine, carnelian or sunstone crystal, or similar.

A white feather to symbolise spiritual light.

Three gold coloured coins for abundance.

A note written to yourself (favourite summer memories to serve as a reminder in darker days). This year, I found a small piece birch bark to write on, but feel free to use whatever you wish.

To make:

Firstly, put a layer of rice in the bottom of the jar, as it helps to soak up moisture as the flower petals dry and is also a symbol of abundance and good health. Next, begin arranging your larger items in the jar. To finish, sprinkle flower petals, herbs etc, amongst them.

Use your imagination to make it special to you and yours; pebbles from trips to the beach, perhaps. A cork from a bottle of wine shared on a warm summer evening…

Once done, carefully place the jar in the light on a windowsill during the solstice day to ‘charge it’ with majickal summer memories.

Finally, keep your jar in a special place in your home as a reminder of brighter days, the wheel of the year, and that everything has its own season, each as special and important as the others.

I wish you all a truly majickal solstice, however you choose to celebrate its majick, and hope the second half of the year brings peace, calm and joy to all.