Summer Solstice, the Midsummer – a time of the bright heats and quenching rains, of sweet childhood pastimes, and sunset reflections on enjoying the time and mortality we have before we don’t. As the “flipside of Christmas”, this solstice comes not at all like winter, but rather with all the verdant and teeming floral life of summer boughs and garlands.

Midsummer’s Night and all its dreams live in faerie infamy, not only via Shakespearean poetry, but as one of the big three Spirit Nights of the year; the Summer Solstice being a sister-festival of Beltaine, the May, and Samhain, All Hallows. Herb Evening is also a much-celebrated part of the Midsummer festivities – with many botanical materials gathered at dusk of this night so as to capture all the solstice sunlight imbued therein. Many of these sort of observances have found new root in St John’s Eve traditions and also in legends and popular masques of the Green Man.

Join contemporary cunning-man and historian of magic, Dr Alexander Cummins, as we celebrate a few of these sweetnesses of summer in an examination of the folklore and poetry of the Midsummer Solstice.

Dr Cummins' work and services - including consultations and coaching - can be found at www.alexandercummins.com.