*Communing with the Ancestors - Hasani Claxton*

Today, June 20, 2020, is the Summer Solstice.

The Summer Solstice also known as Litha is the second of the three spirit nights of the year (the other two being Beltane and Samhain). It is a time when the fae enter our realm; granting wishes, making prophecies, feasting and celebrating the warmth and light of Summer. It is a celebration of the power of the Sun and a great many gods and goddesses are celebrated at this time. It is a time to honor strength, self-responsibility, maturity, and the illumination of our world. This day is the moment where the sun stands still and then turns toward the dark half of the year.

I have spent many hours reflecting on the energies of the Solstice and how its radiance can be called forward in service of illuminating every shadow within. How the light of the Sun is literally life-giving, healing, and powerful. As I journeyed around the fae and the Sun, I discovered the beautiful Aziza/n - the little folk of the Dahomey people of West Africa. Some of the Aziza have insect wings such as the beautiful depiction above. They are virtuous plant-tending spirits who pass on plant and herbal medicine knowledge to worthy humans. I visited with them during a journey and the few I witnessed were sweet, shy, and pure. What a gift to connect with these fae near the solstice, and to be introduced to a whole new group of gentle wee folk.

I have been guided to take pause this Litha. In honor of the wider acknowledgment of deep cultural wounding felt the world over, and the nature of change that we are experiencing, Animisma will return for Lughnasadh. For this year, 2020, I invite you to connect with the resplendent illumination that radiates from our home star and ask it to shine its light upon anything within you that has blocked you from seeing and honoring all people exactly as they are.

Every 50 years or so, the summer solstice and a solar eclipse come near to each other and 2020 is one of those years. This is a powerful time. A time for awakening, self-responsibility, and change. The energy offered by this rare event includes the completion of old ways and thought patterns. Today is a cosmically divine day to shed, shed, shed. Shed all that no longer serves you as an offering to the collective. Shed all that is old and rotten on the vine and offer it into the sacred cauldron of transformation so together we can bring forth a future of true freedom for all. The phoenix - the great bird of the Sun - is only birthed through the death rites of fire.

May all be showered in the blessings of the Solstice.
May divine rays of light illuminate your heart and the hearts of humankind.
May the strength of the sun strengthen our collective resolve towards true evolution.
May the spirit of the butterfly guide you on its wing revealing that it is within the constriction of the chrysalis that transformation takes place.
May the power of the phoenix stoke the flames of courage in your heart to acknowledge, claim, and heal the wounds of your ancestors.
May the light of the divine shine upon the lineages of all - past, present, and future.

With gratitude for the divine radiance of the solstice and with love always,
h. x

On Litha & The Summer Solstice

in veneration of the earth