Celebrating Mid summers day 2014
Mid summers sunset over Slievenamon, county tipperary,
Landscape photography : Nigel Borrington
Mid summers day 2014
Happy Mid summers day !!!
This mornings sunrise over slievenamon county Tipperary was at 04:57am and by the time it sets again on the other side to the west the time will be 21:57 , thats seventeen hours of sun light and the most anyone can witness during the suns movement across the sky during any one year.
Today is also called 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.
Wiccan blessing for Summer
As the sun spirals its longest dance,
Cleanse us
As nature shows bounty and fertility
Bless us
Let all things live with loving intent
And to fulfill their truest destiny
This date has had spiritual significance for thousands of years as humans have been amazed by the great power of the sun. The Celts celebrated with bonfires that would add to the sun’s energy, Christians placed the feast of St John the Baptist towards the end of June and it is also the festival of Li, the Chinese Goddess of light.
Pagans are in awe of the incredible strength of the sun and the divine powers that create life. For Pagans this spoke in the Wheel of the Year is a significant point. The Goddess took over the earth from the horned God at the beginning of spring and she is now at the height of her power and fertility. For some Pagans the Summer Solstice marks the marriage of the God and Goddess and see their union as the force that creates the harvest’s fruits.
This is a time to celebrate growth and life but for Pagans, who see balance in the world and are deeply aware of the ongoing shifting of the seasons it is also time to acknowledge that the sun will now begin to decline once more towards winter.
Lugh (Celtic) god of the summer soltice
Similar to the Roman god Mercury, Lugh was known as a god of both skill and the distribution of talent. He is associated with midsummer because of his role as a harvest god, and during the summer solstice the crops are flourishing, waiting to be plucked from the ground at Lughnasadh.
Nigel Borrington 
Stunning! Midwinter’s Day here in Sydney! : )))
June 21, 2014 at 12:03 pm
Yippee 🙂 🙂
Happy mid winters Anne , your moving back towards summer 🙂 🙂
Have a great day and weekend , hope you both get some good walks in 🙂 🙂
June 21, 2014 at 12:14 pm
Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
It is indeed Mid Summer – for us here in this part of the world anyway – very interesting post. Thanks Nigel.
June 21, 2014 at 12:31 pm
Hello 🙂 🙂
Thank you for the like, comment and re-blog , very pleased you enjoyed 😉 🙂
June 21, 2014 at 1:01 pm
Yes! 🙂 Beautiful images Nigel. Thank you.
June 21, 2014 at 1:15 pm
Hello Sharon 🙂 🙂
Thank you , very pleased you enjoyed the post 🙂 🙂
June 21, 2014 at 1:24 pm
Lovely. Happy Solstice. Lugh is one of my guides…loved seeing you write about him. I so enjoy your posts! Blessings to you!
June 21, 2014 at 1:40 pm
Hello 🙂 🙂
Happy Mid summers day. thank you for your great comments 🙂 🙂
June 21, 2014 at 3:01 pm
Most welcome! 🙂
June 21, 2014 at 9:31 pm
Wonderful. You not only capture the splendour of the sunset, but have chosen the spot perfectly. That dip in the hilltop adds so much to the composition of your photograph.
June 22, 2014 at 6:16 am
Hello Simon 🙂 🙂
Thank you, very pleased you like the image and commented 🙂 🙂 🙂
June 22, 2014 at 9:37 pm
Glad you made it too Nigel ! Sure was beautiful .
June 23, 2014 at 8:16 am
Hello Poppy 🙂 🙂
Yes we had a clear sky for once wonderful to see the sun set on the big day 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thanks Poppy 🙂 🙂
June 23, 2014 at 5:46 pm
Love the blessing!
June 24, 2014 at 9:42 pm