Melchizedek says Hopi are like angels walking among us - The Hopi Nation and Prophecy Part 2 - Grandfather Dan Evehema

Children of God and Keepers of Peace

The Last Message of Dan Evehema

As the most secretive of American Indian nations the Hopi have long been the source of myths, legends and fables to explain away their mysterious ways. Some touch on the truth, some underestimate the truth and some are simply the figment of one's imagination, but none tell the Hopi story as it should be told.



For twenty-two thousand years the Hopi have been the guardians of Mother Earth praying that all peoples of the world would come together as one before the time of the Fourth cycle of civilization comes to an end. We are now approaching the end of days and no longer can the Hopi remain silent about the quest of mankind and our duty to Father Creator and Mother Earth to reject the institutions of civilization and embrace the ancient ways, the path to the light and God.



On my first trip to the Hopi reservation in 1964 I was honored to spend time with Hopi spiritual leader Dan Evehema. Chief Dan Evehema died on January 15, 1999 at the age of 108. He was a spiritual leader, Snake Priest, Society Father and Eldest Elder of the Traditional Hopi Nation -- a culture more than 22,000 years old. Chief Dan was deeply involved in a visit to the United Nations by Hopi Elders. He was the co-author of Hotevilla Shrine of the Covenant and Hopi Survival Kit and co author of Techqua Ikachi, the Traditional Hopi Newsletters. The statement below was his last formal teaching which he was anxious to communicate to as many people as possible. The text is slightly abridged.



Dan Evehema's Final Message to Man!

“We Hopi believe that the human race has passed through three different worlds and life ways since the beginning. At the end of each prior world, human life has been purified or punished by the Great Spirit 'Massauu' due mainly to corruption, greed and turning away from the Great Spirit’s teachings. The last great destruction was the flood which destroyed all but a few faithful ones who asked and received a permission from the Great Spirit to live with Him in this new land. The Great Spirit said, 'It is up to you, if you are willing to live my poor, humble and simple life way. It is hard but if you agree to live according to my teachings and instructions, if you never lose faith in the life I shall give you, you may come and live with me.' The Hopi and all who were saved from the great flood made a sacred covenant with the Great Spirit at that time.”



I am very glad to have this time to send a message to you. We are celebrating a time in our history which is both filled with joy and sadness.

I am very glad that our Hindu brothers have given us this opportunity to share these feelings with you because we know many of you are having the same troubles.

We Hopi believe that the human race has passed through three different worlds and life ways since the beginning. At the end of each prior world, human life has been purified or punished by the Great Spirit "Massauu" due mainly to corruption, greed, and turning away from the Great Spirit's teachings.

The last great destruction was the flood which destroyed all but a few faithful ones who asked and received a permission from the Great Spirit to live with Him in this new land.



The Great Spirit said, "It is up to you, if you are willing to live my poor, humble, and simple life way. It is hard but if you agree to live according to my teachings and instructions, if you never lose faith in the life I shall give you, you may come and live with me."

The Hopi and all who were saved from the great flood made a sacred covenant with the Great Spirit at that time. We Hopi made an oath that we will never turn away from Him. For us the Creator's laws never change or break down. To the Hopi the Great Spirit is all powerful.



He appeared to the first people as a man and talked with them in the beginning of this creation world. He taught us how to live, to worship, where to go and what food to carry, gave us seeds to plant and harvest. He gave us a set of sacred stone tablets into which He breathed all teachings in order to safeguard his land and life.

In these stone tablets were made, instructions and prophecies and warnings. This was done with the help of a Spider woman and Her two grandsons. They were wise and powerful helpers of the Great Spirit.

Before the Great Spirit went into hiding, He and Spider woman put before the leaders of the different groups of people many colors and sizes of corn for them to choose their food in this world. The Hopi was the last to pick and then choose their food in this world. The Hopi then chose the smallest ear of corn.

Then Massauu said, "You have shown me you are wise and humble. For this reason you will be called Hopi (people of peace) and I will place in your authority all land and life to guard, protect, and hold trust for Me until I return to you in later days for I am the First and the Last."



This why when a Hopi is ordained into the higher religious order, the earth and all living things are placed upon his hands. He becomes a parent to all life on earth. He is entitled to advise and correct his children in whatever peaceful way he can. So we can never give up knowing that our message of peace will reach our children. Then it is together with the other spiritual leaders the destiny of our future children is placed.

We are instructed to hold this world in balance within the land and the many universes with special prayers and ritual which continue to this day.



It was to the Spider woman's two grandsons the sacred stone tablets were given. These two brothers were then instructed to carry them to a place the Great Spirit had instructed them. The older brother was to go immediately to the east, to the rising sun and upon reaching his destination was instructed to immediately start to look for his younger brother who shall remain in the land of the Great Spirit.

The Older brothers mission when he returned was to help his younger brother (Hopi) bring about peace, brotherhood and everlasting life on his return. Hopi, the younger brother, was instructed to cover all land and mark it well with footprints and sacred markings to claim this land for the Creator and peace on earth.

We established our ceremonials and sacred shrines to hold this world in balance in accordance with our first promise to the Creator. This is how our migration story goes, until we meet the Creator at Old Oribe (place that solidifies) over 1000 years ago.

It was at that meeting when he gave to us these prophecies to give to you now at this closing of the Fourth World of destruction and the beginning of the Fifth World of peace. He gave us many prophecies to pass on to you and all have come to pass. This is how we know the timing is now to reveal the last warnings and instructions to mankind.

We were told to settle permanently here in Hopi land where we met the Great Spirit and wait for Older Brother who went east to return to us. When he returns to this land he will place his stone tablets side by side to show all the world that they are our true brothers.

When the road in the sky has been fulfilled and when the inventing of something, in Hopi means, gourd of ashes, a gourd that when drops upon the earth will boil

Everything within a large space and nothing will grow for a very long time.

When the leaders turned to evil ways instead of the Great Spirit we were told there would be many ways this life may be destroyed. If human kind does not heed our prophecy and return to one's original spiritual instructions.

We were told of three helpers who were commissioned by the Great Spirit to help Hopi bring about the peaceful life on earth would appear to help us and we should not change our homes, our ceremonials, our hair, because the true helpers might not recognize us as the true Hopi.

So we have been waiting all these years.

It is known that our True White Brother, when he comes, will be all powerful and will wear a red cap or red cloak. He will be large in population, belong to no religion but his very own. He will bring with him the sacred stone tablets. With him there will be two great ones both very wise and powerful.

One will have a symbol or sign of swastika which represents purity and is Female, a producer of life. The third one or the second one of the two helpers to our True White Brother will have a sign of a symbol of the sun. He, too, will be many people and very wise and powerful. We have in our sacred Kachina ceremonies a gourd rattle which is still in use today with these symbols of these powerful helpers of our True Brother.

It is also prophesied that if these three fail to fulfill their mission then the one from the west will come like a big storm. He will be many, in numbers and unmerciful. When he comes he will cover the land like the red ants and over take this land in one day.

If the three helpers chosen by the Creator fulfill their sacred mission and even if there are only one, two, or three of the true Hopi remaining holding fast to the last ancient teaching and instructions the Great Spirit, Massauu will appear before all and our would will be saved.

The three will lay our a new life plan which leads to everlasting life and peace. The earth will become new as it was from the beginning. Flowers will bloom again, wild game will return to barren lands and there will be abundance of food for all. Those who are saved will share everything equally and they all will recognize Great Spirit and speak one language.

We are now faced with great problems, not only here but throughout the land. Ancient cultures are being annihilated. Our people's lands are being taken from them, leaving them no place to call their own.

Why is this happening?

It is happening because many have given up or manipulated their original spiritual teachings. The way of life which the Great Spirit has given to all its people of the world, whatever your original instructions are not being honored. It is because of this great sickness called greed, which infects every land and country that simple people are losing what they have kept for thousands of years.

Now we are at the very end of our trail.

Many people no longer recognize the true path of the Great Spirit. They have, in fact, no respect for the Great Spirit or for our precious Mother Earth, who gives us all life. We are instructed in our ancient prophecy that this would occur.

We were told that someone would try to go up to the moon: that they would bring something back from the moon; and that after that, nature would show signs of losing its balance. Now we see that coming about.

All over the world there are now many signs that nature is no longer in balance. Floods, drought, earthquakes, and great storms are occurring and causing much suffering. We do not want this to occur in our country and we pray to the Great Spirit to save us from such things. But there are now signs that this very same thing might happen very soon on our own land.

Now we must look upon each other as brothers and sisters. There is no more time for divisions between people. Today I call upon all of us, from right here at home, Hotevilla, where we to are guilty of gossiping and causing divisions even among our own families; out to the entire world where thievery, war, and lying goes on every day. These divisions will not be our salvation. Wars only bring more wars never peace.

Only by joining together in a Spiritual Peace with love in our hearts for one another, love in our hearts for the Great Spirit and Mother Earth, shall we be saved from the terrible Purification Day which is just ahead.

There are many of you in this world who are honest people. We know you spiritually for we are the "Men's Society Grandfathers" who have been charged to pray for you and all life on earth never forgetting anything or any one in our ceremonials.

Our prayer is to have a good happy life, plenty of soft gentle rain for abundant crops. We pray for balance on earth to live in peace and leave a beautiful world to the children yet to come.

We know you have good hearts but good hearts are not enough to help us out with these great problems. In the past some of you have tried to help us Hopis, and we will always be thankful for you efforts. But now we need your help in the worst way.

We want the people of the world to know the truth of our situation. This land which people call the Land of the Freedom celebrates many days reminding people of the world of these things. Yet in well over 200 years the original Americans have not seen a free day.



The Last Message of Dan Eveshema

We are suffering the final insult.

Our people are now losing the one thing which give life and meaning of life -- our ceremonial land, which is being taken away from us. Hotevilla is the last holy consecrated, undisturbed traditional Native American sacred shrine to the Creator. As the prophecy says, this sacred shrine must keep its spiritual pathways open

This village is the spiritual vortex for the Hopi to guide the many awakening Native Americans and other true hearts home to their own unique culture. Hotevilla was established by the last remaining spiritual elders to maintain peace and balance on this continent from the tip of South America up to Alaska. Many of our friends say Hotevilla is a sacred shrine, a national and world treasure and must be preserved. We need your help.

Where is the freedom which you all fight for and sacrifice your children for?

Is it only the Indian people who have lost or are all Americans losing the very thing which you original came here to find?

We don't share the freedom of the press because what gets into the papers is what the government wants people to believe, not what is really happening. We have no freedom of speech, because we are persecuted by our own people for speaking our beliefs. We are at the final stages now and there is a last force that is about to take away our remaining homeland.

We are still being denied many things including the rite to be Hopis and to make our living in accordance with our religious teachings. The Hopi leaders have warned leaders in the White House and the leaders in the Glass House but they do not listen. So as our prophecy says then it must be up to the people with good pure hearts that will not be afraid to help us to fulfill our destiny in peace for this world.

We now stand at a cross road whether to lead ourselves in everlasting life or total destruction. We believe that human beings spiritual power through prayer is so strong it decides life on earth.

So many people have come to Hopiland to meet with us. Some of you we have met on your lands. Many times people have asked how they can help us. Now I hope and pray that your help will come.

If you have a way to spread the truth, through the newspapers, radio, books, thought meeting with powerful people, tell the truth! Tell them what you know to be true. Tell them what you have seen here; what you have heard us say; what you have seen with your own eyes. In this way, if we do fall, let it be said that we tried, right up to the end, to hold fast to the path of peace as we were originally instructed to do by the Great Spirit.



Should you really succeed, we will all realize our mistakes of the past and return to the true path-living in harmony as brothers and sisters, sharing our mother, the earth with all other living creatures. In this way we could bring about a new world. A world which would be led by the great Spirit and our mother will provide plenty and happiness for all.

God bless you, each one of you and know our prayers for peace meet yours as the sun rises and sets. May the Great Spirit guide you safely into the path of love, peace freedom and God on this Earth Mother. May the holy ancestors of love and light keep you safe in your land and homes. Pray for God to give you something important to do in this great work which lies ahead of us all to bring peace on earth.

We the Hopi still hold the sacred stone tablets and now await the coming of our True White Brother and others seriously ready to work for the Creator's peace on earth.

Be well, my children, and think good thoughts of peace and togetherness. Peace for all life on earth and peace with one another in our homes, families and countries. We are not so different in the Creator's eyes. The same great Father Sun shines his love on each of us daily just as Mother Earth prepares the sustenance for our table, do they not?

We are one after all.

Melchizedek says Hopi are like angels walking among us - The Hopi Nation and Prophecy Part 1 - Grandfather Martin Gashwesoma

Children of God and Keepers of Peace

The Destruction of the Hopi Indian Culture

Tucked away in the high desert of Arizona above the Grand Canyon, once their sacred grounds, live the Hopi Indians, long known as the People of Peace and Children of God. Mysterious, isolated, and the only Indian nation in America to never sign a treaty with the government, never be at war with anyone, never ask the government for help and never to feel regret for all the wrongs that have been cast upon them, there is no indigenous nation on Earth like the Hopi.

Long before the new colonists settling colonial America reached the Hopi in Arizona the Hopi had been discovered by the Spanish Conquistadors who came to the Southwest from Mexico and South America where they spent a century plundering the Aztec and other indigenous tribes whose rich history and cultures have become legendary, like the Olmec, Toltec, Mayan and Aztec nations who prospered over 2,500 years from before the birth of Jesus.

The Spanish, following the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, were shocked by the human sacrifices of these native cultures and drawn to the incredible gold and riches of these ancient cultures so they plundered and conquered their way through Mexico into the areas now part of New Mexico, Arizona and Southern California. Before they were through over 90% of the Indians of Mexico died from diseases introduced by the White man and the wars.

During the same time caravans of Spanish ships returned to Europe laden with the treasures of the ancient kingdoms and as a result Spain was to grow into the most powerful and feared nation in Europe. It was the wealth of Mexican Indians that resulted in building the Spanish Armada, the fleet of warships of Spain that controlled the oceans of the world in the 16th century until Queen Elizabeth of England miraculously defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588.

It was during the century of conquest the Spanish conquistadors reached the Hopi nation in Arizona and were stunned to find a nation living in peace with no desire for war. As a result of the peaceful nature of the Hopi and failing to find an obsession with gold as with the Mexican tribes the Spanish granted the Hopi the only land grant ever given by a foreign government to an American Indian nation granting the Hopi all rights to Arizona, New Mexico, California and other parts of the Southwest.



However, the Hopi knew the act by the Spanish would be overturned by the next wave of White man coming from the East, the English speaking settlers of colonial America. You see the Hopi have an ancient prophecy dating back thousands of years to before the days of the legendary Atlantis, and this prophecy foretold of the coming of the Spanish, followed by the White man from the East, and the eventual destruction of the Hopi nation. To the Hopi the fulfillment of the prophecy was the will of Father Creator, their God who is comparable to the Christian God, and even though the Hopi nation would be reduced from over 100,000 when the Spanish arrived to about 10,000 today, it was the path of evolution they would follow.

Since the coming of the English speaking White man from the east in the 17th century we have stolen their lands, giving huge sections to other Indian nations like the Navajo who were at war with the White man. Missionaries from the Mormon church and others have tried to convert the Hopi to Christianity. By early in the 20th century all the Hopi children were kidnapped by our government and sent to government schools where English was taught instead of their Hopi teachings and the ancient ceremonies and prayers inherent in the Hopi way were banned. All was consistent with the ancient prophecies.

In time the influence of the white man would virtually destroyed the ancient Hopi Indian culture while fulfilling the ancient Hopi prophecies.



It was 55 years ago when two of my fraternity brothers at the University of Arizona in Tucson, native Navajo, first introduced me to the ancient Hopi in Northern Arizona, a reservation surrounded by the Navajo where the Hopi were sent to die out. The three mesas they occupied had no agriculture for food, little water and no resources. All of the Hopi lands that were rich with natural resources like the Colorado River, the source of water and electricity for California, and the rich copper and uranium deposits, were confiscated from the Hopi without cause, legal proceedings or dignity.

Still the Hopi remained at peace knowing the troubles they were to face. It was all according to the ancient prophecy.

Many times since I have returned to the reservation to meet with the elders and study the ancient Hopi way. I was accepted as a pure heart or "one heart" by the elders and they have shared more and more of their secrets over the years. It is a rich and highly spiritual legacy far more demanding than the Christian culture I knew as the Hopi were required to spend about 224 days a year performing religious ceremonies to honor Father Creator (God) and Mother Earth (The Holy Mother Mary).



The ancient Hopi prophecies are preserved by petroglyphs carved into the canyon walls by the Hopi thousands of years ago, and contained on four sacred tablets that have been handed down throughout time. It is the story of the five cycles of civilization of mankind, we are now in the 4th cycle of civilization, from the beginning through the end of time. I have seen the canyon prophecies and sacred bundles and talked of their meaning with the elders over the years.



These prophecies foresaw the coming of the “Bahanna”, or white man, and how the influence of these people would eventually lead to the destruction of the Hopi traditional culture, and with it an end to the current cycle of civilization as we know it. As of today, according to Grandfather Martin Gashwesoma, keeper of the sacred stone tablets and spiritual leader of the Hopi nation, less than 5% of the surviving Hopi still practice their ancient cultural beliefs.

PROPHECY OF THE WHITE MAN

The coming of the Hopi’s lost white brother was long awaited by the people as it was foretold in the Hopi prophecies. It was a prophecy that would not be fulfilled until the year of 1540. At that time the famous Spanish explorer, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, dispatched a party of soldiers and a Franciscan friar named Juan de Padilla to explore Indian villages in the area that is now Arizona. Nearly 43 years later the Spanish returned, and in 1598 the Spanish requested the submission of the Hopi to the King of Spain.

After requiring the submission of the villages to the King, the Spanish began sending missionaries to convert the Hopi to Christianity and many were converted. By 1674 several churches had been build in the villages. The next step was to require the Hopi to stop performing their ceremonies and follow those of the church. Shortly after came droughts, the destruction of the Hopi crops, and famine. A small group of Hopi secretly preserved the Hopi ceremonies by continuing them in the mountains.



By 1680 the Hopi finally refused further persecution and drove the Spaniards away. It was not until 1700 that Padre Juan Garaycoechea came to the Hopi and again tried to convert them to Christianity. And once again the Hopi drove them away. It would be nearly a century before the white man would harm them again.

One prophecy foretells of the time after the war between the United States and Mexico that resulted in the US taking control of the Hopi lands. The US government then failed to uphold promises to the Hopi to protect them in 1852 from attacks by the Navajo Indians. When the Navajos were defeated by the US in 1864, much of the Hopi land was given to the Navajo without the consent of the Hopi.



Yet another prophecy told of when the traditional ways of the Hopi would be threatened by the Bahanna, which happened beginning in 1887 with the opening of the first public school on the Hopi reservation. By the early 1900’s the US began the imprisonment of Hopi parents who refused to send their Indian children to the schools. The banning of all traditional rituals and ceremonies soon followed.



CONCLUSION

The mysterious Hopi nation has long been a source of speculation and myth. They are the only Indian nation in America that has never been at war against other Indians or the white man. They are the only Indian nation that has refused to sign a treaty with the United States government. They have never requested assistance in terms of food, housing or medical aid from the US government.

They grow their own food in the harshest desert under the worst conditions, and have been self-sufficient for over 800 years. They spend 224 days a year performing religious ceremonies, and recognize both a single God (Creator) figure, a Jesus figure and the Holy Mother Mary (Mother Earth). Hopi Traditionals refuse to allow Mother Earth to be harmed in any way, including refusing to allow any disruption in the earth from sewer pipes, water lines, mineral mining and anything else to be taken or buried in the earth.

Long called the People of Peace and Children of God, it is ironic that among the people the Hopi wanted to protect, the Bahanna, they were the very ones who have done the most to destroy this ancient culture. A course of history that was foretold in the ancient Hopi prophecies.

For further truths about the Hopi see:

Frank Waters, Book of the Hopi, New York: Penguin Books, 1963.

Sandy Johnson, The Book of Elders, San Francisco: Harper, 1994.

Hopi Elders. “The Techqua Ikachi” file, 44 newsletters explaining Hopi prophecy

http://www.jnanadana.org/hopi/techqua_ikachi_i.html
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Summer solstice - Why do crowds gather at Stonehenge on June 21, the longest (and often hottest) day of the year - Celtic Magic

By Telegraph Reporters 

21 JUNE 2017 • 11:59PM

What is the summer solstice exactly?

There are two solstices each year - one in the winter and one in the summer. The summer solstice occurs when the when the tilt of Earth's axis is most inclined towards the sun and is directly above the Tropic of Cancer.

It might seem like a day to celebrate, but it actually signals the moment the sun's path stops moving northward in the sky, and the start of days becoming steadily shorter as the slow march towards winter begins.

However, we won't notice the days becoming shorter for a while. The shortest day of the year isn't until Thursday, December 21, known as the winter solstice.

In the southern hemisphere the dates of the two solstices are reversed. The winter solstice occurs on the same day in June and the summer solstice the same day in December.

Summer solstice at Stonehenge, with the sun rising in the distance. CREDIT: PAUL GROVER FOR THE TELEGRAPH

What happens during the winter solstice?

At the winter solstice, the Earth's axis is tilted furthest away from the sun directly over the Tropic of Capricorn bringing only a few hours of daylight.

December 21 will be eight hours and 49 minutes shorter than the June solstice when the sun will set at 16:27 in London.

What does 'solstice' actually mean?

The term 'solstice' derives from the Latin word 'solstitium', meaning 'sun standing still'. Some prefer the more teutonic term 'sunturn' to describe the event.

Astrologers say the sun seems to 'stand still' at the point on the horizon where it appears to rise and set, before moving off in the reverse direction.

Why did people celebrate the summer solstice?

Pagans have always believed the summer solstice - also known as midsummer as it was the midpoint of the growing season - holds a special power.

Midsummer's eve was believed to be a time when the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest and when fairies were thought to be at their most powerful.

The day has inspired festivals and midsummer celebrations involving bonfires, picnics, singing and Maypole dancing over the centuries. Many towns and villages across Britain still celebrate the day. 

One ritual that's now died out was the lighting of fires with the idea that the flames would keep the dark days from approaching.

Thousands of garland-wearing hippies, druids and tourists will stay up all night to watch the sunrise at Stonehenge this year. CREDIT: PAUL GROVER FOR THE TELEGRAPH

Why is Stonehenge so significant?

Thousands of garland-wearing hippies, druids and curious tourists descend on Stonehenge in Avebury, Wiltshire every year to watch the sunrise.

The ancient prehistoric structure has been a place of worship and celebration at the time of summer solstice for thousands of years and is seen by many as a sacred site.

The Pagan monument is famously aligned to the solstices. The rising sun only reaches the middle of the stones one day of the year when it shines on the central altar. 

Despite it's obvious connections to the sun, the exact purpose of the mysterious circle still remains unknown.

Built in three phases between 3,000 B.C. and 1,600 B.C, the huge stones were brought from very long distances - the bluestones from the Preseli Hills more than 150 miles away, and the sarsens probably from the Marlborough Downs, 19 miles to the north.

Where can I celebrate the summer solstice?

Sunrise gatherings will take place at many stone circles across Britain this week. 

Stonehenge is of course the main place to celebrate the solstice. English Heritage, which runs the site, is closing the monument to normal admission today.

It will be slightly quieter at the National Trust's Avebury stone circle, Britain's second greatest prehistoric site, about 20 miles from Stonehenge, and also at the Castlerigg Stone Circle in Cumbria.

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Summer Solstice – June 21 - St. John's Eve - An Ancient Celebration of Life!

Summer Solstice: Legends and Lore about this Magical Day

By Mackenzie Wright

Summer Solstice marks the longest day and shortest night of the year. It's the point at which the days have been consistently growing longer for half a year, and will now begin growing shorter again for the rest of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, it occurs on or about June 21st; in the Southern Hemisphere, it occurs in December.

Putnam at Stonehenge

There are a lot of legends and lore about this day from history that can make for fun stories if you find yourself at a Midsummer bonfire or beach party.

Midsummer Night's Dream

If you're familiar with the Shakespeare play, you know that the bard wrote about the mischievous fairies coming out to play their tricks on human beings on this night. There is a reason that Shakespeare used this date for this story. In fairy legends and folklore, this is supposed to be a night in which the 'veil' between our world and the world of fairy and nature spirits are thin.

There are a lot of legends and lore about this day from history that can make for fun stories if you find yourself at a Midsummer bonfire or beach party.

It's said that if you hope to catch a glimpse of a fairy, this is the best night. You would first have to find a fairy circle-- a circle of stones in which fairies gather. Or, you'd need to create a place that would attract fairies. Ideally, this should be a natural area of your yard.

Leaving out offerings such as shiny things to play with (crystals, glittery balls) as well as food offerings like honey, milk and fruit will also be inviting to these spirits. One thing you should know, though-- fairies are thought to be very tricky, and have even been known to kidnap humans.

Also be wary of other little people, or ‘hidden folk’ on this night; along with fairies, you might run into trolls or evil nature spirits in the midst of this night. I can’t vouch for any of this, but if you do decide to wait up for them, you’ve been warned! Stay safe!

Stonehenge

The ancient Celts were said to celebrate the solstices at the standing stones sites, like Stonehenge. Modern Druids and Celtic reconstructionists continue the tradition of holding ceremonies here to greet the rising sun over the heel stone. It's said by those who've had the opportunity to sit in the circle of stones for meditation or quiet time that energy is quite strong and spiritual experiences are very common.

Magical Herbs

The Summer Solstices has long been associated with magic. In ancient times people would harvest wild herbs, plants and flowers at sunrise. This time was seen as capturing the magic of the various plants. People collected fern seeds because they thought it made them invisible. The made wreaths and garland of herbs to hang on the home and front door in order to ward off evil. St. John’s Wort was seen as a particularly magical herb on this day; it was collected to make a cleansing and purification bath, or was dried and carried to repel evil and negativity for the rest of the year.

Even the dew was seen as magical on the Summer Solstice. It was a common practice in Northern Europe for people to collect the morning dew and wash with it in order to assure a good, healthy year for yourself.

If you really want to take advantage of that dew, you can roll around in it naked. Though it may bring you good physical health, watch out for your neighbors. If they catch you, they’ll surely question your mental health.

  

The Sun festivals of ancient Ireland are still known by their old Irish names, Imbolg, Beltine, Lughnasa and Samhain. These Sun festivals are many thousands of years old; they have survived an imperial invasion and occupation for 800 years and the attempted erasure of indigenous consciousness by the catholic church for almost 1500 years. These Sun festivals are the gateway for today's Celtic Men and Women to celebrate with the Celtic Gods – Brigid at Imbolg, Bile at Beltine, Lugh at Lughnasa and Tlachtga at Samhain.

But the advice for anyone seeking connection to the Celtic Gods is to avoid the current catholic calendar of the so-called civilised world to time your ceremony. Pagans and Druids on a Celtic Path use Natural Time as their ancestors did – this means working with the alignments of the oldest temples to the four bright stars in the belt of the Zodiac. The Solstices and Equinoxes do not line up with particular Stars, they are turning points of the day / night balance such as when the Sun’s energy enters the ancient temple at Brú na Boinne (Newgrange) energising the God Dagda after the longest night of the year. The history and correct timing methods are shared below for those who wish to walk a Celtic Path.

Celtic Druid’s Summer Sun Standing 
Solstice is from the Latin and is made up from two words given roughly as: sol = sun and stice = stopped. Celtic Druí do not believe that the Sun stops so we use the old Irish word “Tairisem” which means standing still. In summer this Sun Standing happens in the month of June around the 20th, 21st or 22nd when we honour Éatain Eachraidhe, the White Mare Goddess. This is the highest point of the solar year when the Sun reaches it maximum height in the Sky. The Sun is at its highest at noon and shadows are at their shortest. There are almost 20 hours of daylight and only four hours of darkness if you are in Ireland at this time.

This is not a specifically Gaelic holiday and many Pagan cultures celebrate this time with many festivals known by a range of names - Denmark, Sankt Hans Aften. Wiccan sabbat Litha. Slavonia, St. John's Night. Alban Heruin. Gaul (old France), Feast of Epona, (white mare goddess). Roman Empire, Vestalia. Catholic countries: feast of St. John the Baptist – this was an attempt to shift the natives away for the true date by setting the 24th of June as bone fire night. Hopi Indians and Native Americans celebrate the summer solstice but I don’t know their names for this day. 

Putnam at Hopi Prophecy Stone

Etain, White Mare Celtic Goddess, Crom agus Corra
In Ireland, many people of all ages and religions do some sort of celebration for this day. The resurgence of the old Pagan ways and the need to believe in something truly spiritual for this day has many people visit the ancient sacred sites. We at Ireland’s Druidschool often hold a presence on Tara and we have multiple ceremonies. Our sunrise ceremony is very simple - we just stand or sit in silence facing the horizon where the sun will actually rise. We watch the clouds, the colours and the rising of the false sun and then the actual sun, and then the actual sun merge into the false sun. Magically - this is spirit rising within.

This longest day is sacred to the White Mare Goddess, who was known in Wales as Rhiannon, in France as Epona and here in Ireland She is called Éatain Eachraidhe (sometimes also spelt Edaín). In the recent destruction of the sacred valley in the Royal City of Tara the remains of a high status female (with horse and giant dog found nearby) was kept totally under media wraps. The high status female is wrapped in black plastic and stored in a warehouse in Drogheda. But Her spirit has returned to native consciousness and once again Éatain, the White Mare Goddess, is honoured with ceremony on Tara on the longest day of the year. 

We also watch the Sun rise from Tallaght Hill as the sun aligns with Lambay Volcano, the Pond called Linn Oir and then to the Cairn on the Hill of the Fair Gods. Much is written about this alignment in this website - words cannot describe the thrill of being at a complex of sacred sites that were laid out to work with the energies on this specific day.

We also hold Pilgrimage to Croagh Crom, Ireland's Holy Mountain (aka the Reek). Just south of the holy mountain is a triangular lake called Loughnacorra – this should read – Lough na Corra which translates as the Lake of the Crane Birds. At midday the Sun is reflected from the surface of Lough na Corra onto Croagh Crom and a powerful connection is made. This is the harmony of balance between God and Goddess expressed in the landscape.

Litha Legends and Lore

Myths and Mysteries of the Midsummer Solstice

Litha, or Midsummer, is a celebration that has been observed for centuries, in one form or another. It is no surprise, then, that there are plenty of myths and legends associated with this time of year!

In England, rural villagers built a big bonfire on Midsummer's Eve. This was called "setting the watch," and it was known that the fire would keep evil spirits out of the town. Some farmers would light a fire on their land, and people would wander about, holding torches and lanterns, from one bonfire to another. If you jumped over a bonfire -- presumably without lighting your pants on fire -- you were guaranteed to have good luck for the coming year.

After your Litha fire has burned out and the ashes gone cold, use them to make a protective amulet. You can do this by carrying them in a small pouch, or kneading them into some soft clay and forming a talisman. In some traditions of Wicca, it is believed that the Midsummer ashes will protect you from misfortune. You can also sow the ashes from your bonfire into your garden, and your crops will be bountiful for the rest of the summer growing season.

It is believed in parts of England that if you stay up all night on Midsummer's Eve, sitting in the middle of a stone circle, you will see the Fae. But be careful - carry a bit of rue in your pocket to keep them from harassing you, or turn your jacket inside out to confuse them. If you have to escape the Fae, follow a ley line, and it will lead you to safety.

Residents of some areas of Ireland say that if you have something you wish to happen, you "give it to the pebble." Carry a stone in your hand as you circle the Litha bonfire, and whisper your request to the stone -- "heal my mother" or "help me be more courageous", for example. After your third turn around the fire, toss the stone into the flames.

Astrologically, the sun is entering Cancer, which is a water sign. Midsummer is not only a time of fire magic, but of water as well. Now is a good time to work magic involving sacred streams and holy wells. If you visit one, be sure to go just before sunrise on Litha, and approach the water from the east, with the rising sun. Circle the well or spring three times, walking deosil, and then make an offering of silver coins or pins.

Sunwheels were used to celebrate Midsummer in some early Pagan cultures. A wheel -- or sometimes a really big ball of straw -- was lit on fire and rolled down a hill into a river. The burned remnants were taken to the local temple and put on display. In Wales, it was believed that if the fire went out before the wheel hit the water, a good crop was guaranteed for the season.

In Egypt, the Midsummer season was associated with the flooding of the Nile River delta. In South America, paper boats are filled with flowers, and then set on fire. They are then sailed down the river, carrying prayers to the gods. In some traditions of modern Paganism, you can get rid of problems by writing them on a piece of paper and dropping them into a moving body of water on Litha.

William Shakespeare associated Midsummer with witchcraft in at least three of his plays. A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth, and The Tempest all contain references to magic on the night of the summer solstice.

SCOTTISH CUSTOMS AND HOLIDAYS

A Midsummer Celebration

Summer Solstice - Litha

"The young maid stole through the cottage door,
And blushed as she sought the Plant of pow'r;--
Thou silver glow-worm, O lend me thy light,
I must gather the mystic St. John's wort tonight,
The wonderful herb, whose leaf will decide
If the coming year shall make me a bride."

In addition to the four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic year, there are four lesser holidays as well: the two solstices, and the two equinoxes. In folklore, these are referred to as the four 'quarter-days' of the year, and modern Witches call them the four 'Lesser Sabbats', or the four 'Low Holidays'. The Summer Solstice is one of them.

Technically, a solstice is an astronomical point and, due to the procession to the equinox, the date may vary by a few days depending on the year. The summer solstice occurs when the sun reaches the Tropic of Cancer, and we experience the longest day and the shortest night of the year. Astrologers know this as the date on which the sun enters the sign of Cancer.

However, since most European peasants were not accomplished at reading an ephemeris or did not live close enough to Salisbury Plain to trot over to Stonehenge and sight down its main avenue, they celebrated the event on a fixed calendar date, June 24th. The slight forward displacement of the traditional date is the result of multitudinous calendrical changes down through the ages. It is analogous to the winter solstice celebration, which is astronomically on or about December 21st, but is celebrated on the traditional date of December 25th, Yule, later adopted by the Christians.

Again, it must be remembered that the Celts reckoned their days from sundown to sundown, so the June 24th festivities actually begin on the previous sundown (our June 23rd). This was Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Eve. Which brings up another point: our modern calendars are quite misguided in suggesting that 'summer begins' on the solstice. According to the old folk calendar, summer BEGINS on May Day and ends on Lammas (August 1st), with the summer solstice, midway between the two, marking MID-summer. This makes more logical sense than suggesting that summer begins on the day when the sun's power begins to wane and the days grow shorter.

Although our Pagan ancestors probably preferred June 24th (and indeed most European folk festivals today use this date), the sensibility of modern Witches seems to prefer the actual solstice point, beginning the celebration on its eve, or the sunset immediately preceding the solstice point. Again, it gives modern Pagans a range of dates to choose from with, hopefully, a weekend embedded in it.

Just as the Pagan mid-winter celebration of Yule was adopted by Christians as Christmas (December 25th), so too the Pagan mid-summer celebration was adopted by them as the feast of John the Baptist (June 24th). Occurring 180 degrees apart on the wheel of the year, the mid-winter celebration commemorates the birth of Jesus, while the mid-summer celebration commemorates the birth of John, the prophet who was born six months before Jesus in order to announce his arrival.

Although modern Witches often refer to the holiday by the rather generic name of Midsummer's Eve, it is more probable that our Pagan ancestors of a few hundred years ago actually used the Christian name for the holiday, St. John's Eve. This is evident from the wealth of folklore that surrounds the summer solstice (i.e. that it is a night especially sacred to the faerie folk) but which is inevitably ascribed to 'St. John's Eve', with no mention of the sun's position. It could also be argued that a Coven's claim to antiquity might be judged by what name it gives the holidays. (Incidentally, the name 'Litha' for the holiday is a modern usage, possibly based on a Saxon word that means the opposite of Yule. Still, there is little historical justification for its use in this context.) But weren't our Pagan ancestors offended by the use of the name of a Christian saint for a pre-Christian holiday?

Well, to begin with, their theological sensibilities may not have been as finely honed as our own. But secondly and more importantly, St. John himself was often seen as a rather Pagan figure. He was, after all, called 'the Oak King'. His connection to the wilderness (from whence 'the voice cried out') was often emphasized by the rustic nature of his shrines. Many statues show him as a horned figure (as is also the case with Moses). Christian iconographers mumble embarrassed explanations about 'horns of light', while modern Pagans giggle and happily refer to such statues as 'Pan the Baptist'. And to clench matters, many depictions of John actually show him with the lower torso of a satyr, cloven hooves and all! Obviously, this kind of John the Baptist is more properly a Jack in the Green! Also obvious is that behind the medieval conception of St. John lies a distant, shadowy Pagan deity, perhaps the archetypal Wild Man of the Wood, whose face stares down at us through the foliate masks that adorn so much church architecture. Thus medieval Pagans may have had fewer problems adapting than we might suppose.

In England, it was the ancient custom on St. John's Eve to light large bonfires after sundown, which served the double purpose of providing light to the revelers and warding off evil spirits. This was known as 'setting the watch'. People often jumped through the fires for good luck. In addition to these fires, the streets were lined with lanterns, and people carried cressets (pivoted lanterns atop poles) as they wandered from one bonfire to another. These wandering, garland-bedecked bands were called a 'marching watch'. Often they were attended by morris dancers, and traditional players dressed as a unicorn, a dragon, and six hobby-horse riders. Just as May Day was a time to renew the boundary on one's own property, so Midsummer's Eve was a time to ward the boundary of the city.

Customs surrounding St. John's Eve are many and varied. At the very least, most young folk plan to stay up throughout the whole of this shortest night. Certain courageous souls might spend the night keeping watch in the center of a circle of standing stones. To do so would certainly result in either death, madness, or (hopefully) the power of inspiration to become a great poet or bard. (This is, by the way, identical to certain incidents in the first branch of the 'Mabinogion'.) This was also the night when the serpents of the island would roll themselves into a hissing, writhing ball in order to engender the 'glain', also called the 'serpent's egg', 'snake stone', or 'Druid's egg'. Anyone in possession of this hard glass bubble would wield incredible magical powers. Even Merlyn himself (accompanied by his black dog) went in search of it, according to one ancient Welsh story.

Snakes were not the only creatures active on Midsummer's Eve. According to British faery lore, this night was second only to Halloween for its importance to the wee folk, who especially enjoyed a ridling on such a fine summer's night. In order to see them, you had only to gather fern seed at the stroke of midnight and rub it onto your eyelids. But be sure to carry a little bit of rue in your pocket, or you might well be 'pixie-led'. Or, failing the rue, you might simply turn your jacket inside-out, which should keep you from harm's way. But if even this fails, you must seek out one of the 'ley lines', the old straight tracks, and stay upon it to your destination. This will keep you safe from any malevolent power, as will crossing a stream of 'living' (running) water. Other customs included decking the house (especially over the front door) with birch, fennel, St. John's wort, orpin, and white lilies. Five plants were thought to have special magical properties on this night: rue, roses, St. John's wort, vervain and trefoil. Indeed, Midsummer's Eve in Spain is called the 'Night of the Verbena (Vervain)'. St. John's wort was especially honored by young maidens who picked it in the hopes of divining a future lover.

"And the glow-worm came With its silvery flame, And sparkled and shone Through the night of St. John, And soon has the young maid her love-knot tied."

There are also many mythical associations with the summer solstice, not the least of which concerns the seasonal life of the God of the sun. Inasmuch as I believe that I have recently discovered certain associations and correspondences not hitherto realized, I have elected to treat this subject in some depth in another essay. Suffice it to say here, that I disagree with the generally accepted idea that the Sun-God meets his death at the summer solstice. I believe there is good reason to see the Sun-God at his zenith -- his peak of power -- on this day, and that his death at the hands of his rival would not occur for another quarter of a year. Material drawn from the Welsh mythos seems to support this thesis. In Irish mythology, Midsummer is the occasion of the first battle between the Fir Bolgs and the Tuatha De Danaan.

Altogether, Midsummer is a favorite holiday for many Witches in that it is so hospitable to outdoor celebrations. The warm summer night seems to invite it. And if the celebrants are not in fact skyclad, then you may be fairly certain that the long ritual robes of winter have yielded place to short, tunic-style apparel. As with the longer gowns, tradition dictates that one should wear nothing underneath -- the next best thing to skyclad, to be sure. (Incidentally, now you know the REAL answer to the old Scottish joke, 'What is worn underneath the kilt?')

The two chief icons of the holiday are the spear (symbol of the Sun-God in his glory) and the summer cauldron (symbol of the Goddess in her bounty). The precise meaning of these two symbols, which I believe I have recently discovered, will be explored in the essay on the death of Llew. But it is interesting to note here that modern Witches often use these same symbols in the Midsummer rituals. And one occasionally hears the alternative consecration formula, 'As the spear is to the male, so the cauldron is to the female...' With these mythic associations, it is no wonder that Midsummer is such a joyous and magical occasion!
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