FROM THE SECRET CIRCLE ARCHIVES:
Greetings, Secret Circle! Today is June 1st, 2023, 20 days before the Summer Solstice. The sun is shining on The Witch City, and the Secret Circle steps into the light.
Last month we practiced initiation, and contemplated the meaning of the word witch. We escorted ourselves into a new phase of our practice, and gathered virtually as a coven to meet and support each other.
This month we’re exploring the power of illumination; the light of the Sun, and the glowy moments that make us want to cast a spell or design a ritual. In her cornerstone guide Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom, Rachel Pollack explains the symbolism of the Sun tarot card: “The Sun’s divinatory meanings are as simple and direct as the wondrous child in the picture. The card signifies joy, happiness, and a great sense of the beauty of life. In its deepest sense it means looking at the world in a wholly new way, seeing all life united in joy and light. The sunstruck person feels a sense of wisdom, of seeing everything with total clarity.”
The Summer Solstice, the longest sunlit day of the year, is the perfect time to celebrate the fun parts of our practice.
We get an interesting FAQ from folks in the store: “How do I know what type of witch I am?” Even from longtime practitioners, “I keep seeing people saying I need to know what type of witch I am, can’t I just be…eclectic?” People get anxious about choosing the label of green witch or kitchen witch or love witch or book witch or tech witch, or astrologer or tarot reader or crystal healer. They insist they’re not much of a plant witch, or they wish that they could be a glamour magician.
The Sun represents individuality, identity, and sovereignty, which are obviously good things. But the Sun can burn, too: when we get too rigid in our definitions of ourselves, too one-track minded, we limit ourselves. It can feel like pressure to be an expert, like if you don’t know something about your chosen area of study you’re back to “baby witch”. It can feel boring, and that’s when we fall into periods of stagnation in our practice, or lulls. When it feels like a chore we have to do rather than a ritual we’re excited to perform. And it’s not our fault; we’re sold this idea that life isn’t meant to be fun and things like religion and spirituality are about suffering, penance, and duty.
Now, this isn’t to say that having a specialty or particular interest in one area of magic or the other isn’t valuable. It’s extremely valuable! It can actually be expansive to narrow down the overwhelming amount of info out there and shed light on what makes your magical senses tingle. It can help to remind yourself: what do I LIKE about witchcraft? Because that is the simple, honest answer to “where do I start?” You start where you want! Every day is a new start.
Anyways, all that to say: don’t stress over being a type of witch, or being an expert in every esoteric subject. We’re just vibing, here in The Secret Circle. The sun is as playful as it is powerful, and so are we!
Quiz: What type of witchcraft should you do TODAY?
Solar magic for every mood
All of these spell suggestions can be for the Summer Solstice, a Sunday, or any time during Leo season. Or ya know, whenever you want. Because duh.
If quizzes aren’t your thing, use these questions as journal prompts! Consider it an open-ended exercise. And if you get your results and think “wait I don’t wanna take a nature walk, I wanna take a bath!” or “you didn’t even mention crystal gridding!” congratulations! You just used your intuition.
What setting are you drawn to today?
A. A luxury spa filled with candles and crystals
B. A lush forest full of flowers and critters
C. A stone temple of shrines to ancestors and deities
D. Your own home, cozy and smelling good
E. Outer space
F. An art museum
What spirits would you like to support you?
A. My inner child
B. Plant and animal familiars
C. Ghosts and gods
D. Ancestors and house spirits
E. Extraterrestrials and celestial bodies
F. Creative ancestors and influencers
What’s your preferred ritual garb in this moment?
A. The worlds softest pjs
B. Something breathable and sturdy that you could climb trees in
C.Hooded robes and ritual adornments
D. An apron and oven mitts
E. A spacesuit or something Zenon-chic
F. A head-turning outfit
What sustenance are you craving?
A. Rest
B. Fresh air
C. Tried and true traditions/esoteric knowledge
D. A home cooked meal
E. An escape from earth
F. The joy of creating something
How do you feel most able to express yourself today?
A. By taking time for yourself
B. By moving your body
C. By satisfying your curiosity
D. By cooking/eating
E. By consulting the stars
F. Through art therapy or looking hawt
Mostly A’s: Self-Care Spells This is your permission from The Sun to chill out! Create a ritual bath or shower with citrus-y products, yellow candles, and upbeat music (Sun Ra comes to mind!) Let yourself sleep in or go to bed early, you’ve been working hard at the harvest (literal or otherwise). Invite a friend over for a Midsommar-style wailing sesh. Indulge your inner child and let yourself play on this annual longest day (remember to re-apply sunblock).
Mostly B’s: Green Magick Greenery is evidence on Earth that The Sun is doing their thing! Gather a bouquet of sunny flowers like carnations, sunflowers, or Dandelions, or go on a nature walk in your neighborhood to celebrate the blooms. Thank them for being so pretty and make an offering of a song, dance, or poem. Go outside at sunrise, noon, or sunset (or all three!) and practice some Sun Salutations. Use the extra hours of sunlight to clean up litter around your community; help the Earth breath and feel the rays.
Mostly C’s: Traditional Ritual You’re feeling connected with The Old Ways, and are maybe up for a study sesh! Summer Solstice traditions include a lot of fire, dancing, and good-natured debauchery. Plan a bonfire or campfire with friends and ask everyone to bring a summery libation. Light a candle in your home as the sun sets and thank the solar deities for lending their light (every culture has at least one Sun Liaison). Look into regional or ancestral solstice traditions (songs, costumes, and folk tales are a great place to start). Tune into the Stonehenge Solstice Sunrise Livestream.
Mostly D’s: Kitchen Witchery What comes after a harvest? A feast! Try out an old family or regional warm weather recipe, like a lemon jello mold or chilled melon soup. Or get experimental, try out some sunny edible flowers like Marigold or Calendula, or see how many colors you can get into one dish. Thank the Sun for growing each beautiful ingredient. Check in with what your body is truly craving (no shame in takeout as a treat!) and infuse it with solar energy by adding Pyrite or Carnelian essence, or serving on a yellow or gold plate. You don’t need a full sink to add intention to your nourishment.
Mostly E’s: Cosmic Conjuring Your head is in the clouds, and that’s a great place for it! The Sun is a star, after all, and influences our actions here on Earth. Pull out the astrology ephemeris and write a fun Summer Solstice/Sunday horoscope for yourself and friends. Most people know their Sun sign, because you only need the date of birth. What house does your sun sign fall in? What do you have going on in your 5th house, which is ruled by the Sun? Or if that’s too much concept and not enough stargazing, find out what time the sun is setting and keep an eye out for the first stars of the evening. Try to channel suns from other solar systems. If you could send a message to outer space today, what would you say and how would you say it?
Mostly F’s: Glamour Magick Glamour magick includes art, fashion, interior design, anything that forms a feast for your creative senses! Take stock of the supplies you already have and draw, sculpt, paint, collage, or digitize some solar-themed art. Make a playlist of songs that make you want to walk in the light, and share it with friends who need a pick-me-up. Wear gold, brass, or copper jewelry, metallics or bright colors, big hair and tall heels (the bigger the hair, the closer to the Sun, to paraphrase Saint Dolly)
