Litha. Midsummer. The Summer Solstice. 

The Wheel of the Year will turn again on June 20th. We will enter a liminal space, where the veil between worlds thins. As Shakespeare reveals in his classic play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, the fairy realm becomes particularly accessible.

But you may not be in the mood for fairy merriment this year.

The summer solstice is represented in the tarot by The Sun, a major arcana card which symbolizes the dispelling of darkness, and the inner light of consciousness. Spiritually, The Sun card indicates a great leap forward; enlightenment.

Let’s elevate our spirits and inner light by ritually celebrating Amaterasu, the radiant Sun Goddess in the Shinto religion. Believed to be the originator of all light, Amaterasu is known for Her compassion, warmth and kindness.

The sun stands still. Magic is afoot. 

In Community and Connection, We Gain Hope and Strength

You are invited!

The House of the Goddess priestesses will be conducting my 

Arrows of Intention ritual on Zoom, 

Saturday, May 8, 2021, at 6:00 pm Pacific Standard Time. 

For the link, please email HouseoftheGoddess@yahoo.com

The ritual will include the creation of personal Intention Arrows. Please prepare with the following items at hand:

• A gift from the goddess (a stone, crystal, or shell)

·      1 dry, sturdy stick or slender branch, about 12 to 18 inches long (or whatever length feels right to you), with a natural or cut point at one end. (See examples of tree correspondences below.)

·      Enough yarn, ribbon, or twine to wrap ¼ to ½ of the stick

·      Scissors

·      Optional: a sharpie, feathers 

Intention Arrows

Tree — Correspondences

When crafting intention arrows, boost your magick by choosing a small branch (preferably deadfall/self-pruned) from a tree whose magical properties align with your intention. Various traditions may differ on tree correspondences. Below are a few examples drawn from Druidism, Shamanism, and Wicca.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Acacia: Wards off evil; protection; psychic abilities. Planet: Sun. Element: Air

Birch: A goddess tree.Tree of new beginnings; ladder to the Sky World; birch cribs bring Goddess protection for babies; endurance, getting in touch with and honor the eternal feminine principle in the universe and within yourself. Act cleanly; avoid distractions. Planet: Venus. Element: Water.

 Bottle Brush (horsetail): Abundance, fertility, love, energy, joy. The name invokes banishing, cleansing, and renewed energies, and in Australia is used to celebrate births. The red color represents life-blood, fire, death and rebirth, doorways and entrance to the underworld. Bottlebrush essences aid in moving through major life changes, brushing out the past and allowing us to move on. (Day, “Bottlebrush,”)

Elder: Exorcism, protection, and healing. Can force the release of evil enchantments or spells; used in wand making. Reminds us to honor the mother principle of the universe, and to work for the betterment of all beings. Element: Water.

Mesquite: Healing. Fuels magical fires. Planet: Moon. Elements: Water.

Oak: Protection, health, money, healing, fertility, luck. Stay centered and grounded in mind, body, and spirit. Seek balance in your life. Planet: Sun. Element: Fire.

Olive: Healing, peace, fertility, potency, protection. Planet: Sun. Element: Fire.

Rowan: Reminds us tostrengthen our personal protection and our spiritual shields. Provides powerful magical protection, and strengthens one’s inner peace and patience. Also, increases psychic powers, healing, power, and success. Several First Nation tribes in America used rowan as a medicine. Planet: Sun. Element: Fire

Walnut: Health, mental powers, wishes.Planet: Sun. Element: Fire. Black Walnut: Powers of mind and breath, astral travel, motivation, weather magick.

Willow: Willow harps were associated with poetic secrets, the province of the Druids, and willows were considered sacred to poems. Several First Nation tribes in America used willow as medicine. Love, love divination, protection, and healing. Planet: Moon. Element: Water.

Sources:

Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herb. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2003.

Day, “Bottlebrush,” Amino blog, May 31, 2017, https://aminoapps.com/c/pagans-witches/page/blog/bottlebrush/1Jzl_oRvf6u0lqkw1r7wBjwvwPzkg4vQ1MK 

Hopman, Ellen Evert. A Druid’s Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine. Rochester, Vermont: Destiny Books, 2008.