June Solstice-a-Long Day 1: Ancestors and Southern Vigil

On this first night/day we honor our ancestors first, of our blood, our heart, and our spirit, in both the southern and northern hemisphere. Place a symbol of the ancestors in your hearth culture on the altar.

Since the Solstice occurs tomorrow, one could also have a Solstice Eve vigil.  Vigils are popular, but since many of us have to work the next day, they are often not practical.  The custom comes from making sure the sun would rise in the morning, (for the longest night) one would stay awake to keep the yule log burning all night, to ‘lure the sun back.’  Even though not everyone will be able to participate, enough folks usually do that so far, the sun has always come back.  If you don’t have a fireplace or other suitable location for a yule log, a candle dedicated for the purpose will do just fine.

PRACTICE SAFE VIGILING! Do NOT leaving burning candles unattended for any reason, for even a second.  If you feel that you’ll be falling asleep, EXTINGUISH THE CANDLE!! I promise you the sun will rise tomorrow.  Last year I used an LED candle, and will do so again this year.

For exact timing of things, the US Navy gives times of sunrise and sunset for your location on their website, http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.php

For the Southern Hemisphere, some of us locally have followed the schedule below so that we are all hailing the same deities at the same time.  As always, adjust for your time zone and length of the longest night.  If you feel you can’t make it all the way, at least try to hit Sunset, Midnight, and Sunrise.

At each hour, you could say something like “As the longest night draws on, I raise this horn in honor of ____, in gratitude for the year that has passed, and with hope for the year to come.”

Sunset:  – extinguish all but the most necessary of lights, light vigil candle at sunset (outside facing west to bring the sun in), announcing Sunna (or other Solar deity) has entered the hall.  Bring the candle in.

On the first hour:  Disir

Second: Earth mother

Third: Gate Keeper

Fourth: Thor (other thunder deities)

Fifth; Frigga (other home/hearth/maternal goddesses)

Sixth: Odhinn (other chieftains, magicians, scholar, inspiration deities)

Seventh: Freya (other love, magic deities)

Eighth: Skadhi (Other winter deities)

Ninth: Mani (Other moon deities)

Tenth: Eir (other healing deities)

Eleventh: Hel (Other underworld deities)

Twelfth: Tyr (other warrior, chieftain deities)

Thirteenth: Baldr (other deities of light)

Fourteenth: Idunna  (other deities of youth, dawn)

Sunrise: Sunna.  greet Sunna in the east with the candle, extinguishing it.

For the Northern Hemisphere, your vigil begins at Sunrise on the next day, since we are saluting the longest day. You can follow the same pattern as above or make up something that you think works better.  Since it’s during the day and many folks have work obligations, at least try to hit Sunrise, Noon, and Sunset.