Mything Links: Summer Solstice 1999 Greeting

summer greetings

"Eve, the Gardener"
Joanna Colbert

She lived in a summery garden -- and she wasn't afraid of snakes. She thought for herself. She knew how to grow plants, tend trees, and feed her husband from summer's best fruits. Her skills were misunderstood.

Now we're being given another chance to celebrate her wisdom
and to help her care for the Earth,
who birthed her.....and us.

May we use the time wisely.

Warmly,

Kathleen

Summer Solstice arrives Monday noontime, 21 June 1999 at 12:49pm (PDT),
Monday afternoon, 3:49pm (EDT)
and Monday evening, 21 June 1999 at 7:49pm (GMT)

Summer Solstice 1999: World Peace & Prayer Day

If you click on the above link, you'll find information on this Native American-sponsored summer solstice day for World Peace and Prayer. The site looks at this year's worldwide celebration in Costa Rica; Native American prophecies; the story of White Buffalo Woman; a statement on the conflict in Yugoslavia; children's activities; and many other excellent related issues. (Note: some pages are linked specifically to summer solstice, but many are not -- they're valid year round.)

http://indy4.fdl.cc.mn.us/~isk/stars/starmenu.html

This site, linked to the foregoing, but not easy to find, is on "Aboriginal Star Knowledge: Native American Astronomy." It's an engrossing site on stars, time, solstices, equinoxes, Medicine Wheels, and a wide range of rich indigenous lore related to the heavens.
OTHER SUMMER LINKS

http://paganwiccan.about.com/library/weekly/aa061799.htm

From Frances Donovan at about.com comes this sensible little essay on Litha, or Summer Solstice.

http://paganwiccan.about.com/msublitha.htm?pid=2818&cob=home

Here you'll find six Litha, or Summer Solstice, links from Frances Donovan (see above) on myth, lore, history, and rituals (also a surprisingly evocative Flamewolf poem).

http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/arts/sumwords.htm

This is a wonderful collection of quotes, "The Elders Speak: About Summer," ranging from Jane Austen to Thoreau to Ray Bradbury.

Lammas or Lughnasa
This early August harvest celebration now has its own page

Music: "Sumer is icumen in," courtesy of Curtis Clark of the Renaissance Internet Band.

Lyrics to this music (c. 1250 A.D.):

Summer is a-coming in,
Loudly sing, cuckoo!
Groweth seed and bloweth mead [i.e., meadow]
And springeth wood anew.
Sing, cuckoo!
Sing, cuckoo! Sing, cuckoo! Sing, cuckoo!

Created 8 June 1999, 3-7am; due to my computer's crash, unable to post until 18 June 1999.
My grateful thanks to my technical advisor, William Weeks, for getting me back on-line.

Updated: 19 July 1999 with music's lyrics + "Other Summer Links" section
"The Elders Speak" page of quotes added 5 August 1999
Separate Lammas link added 3 September 1999.