It is the summer solstice today in the southern hemisphere, which presumably means that it is the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. "Solstice" is Latin for "sun stands still" (sol "sun" and sistere "to stand"). Summer Solstice is so named because to the naked eye the sun appears stationary in its northern and southern progression.

Happy solsticing to you all.

Summer solstice represents the day of the year when the sun is at its most powerful. Marking the commencement of the disent into winter it was a time for planning for the long cold months that will inevitably follow. Fire is an important aspect to Midsummer celebrations. The balefires, bonfires on hilltops, at crossroads, or any place where people could gather reaches far back into antiquity.

Winter solstice, on the other hand, is even more significant in the solar calendar. It was celebrated with feasts and bonfires for thousands of years. Tomorrow, in the northern hemisphere, the Sun begins again to win the battle that it fights in perpetuity with darkness. This is the time when The Green Man begins to stir. Over the next few months he will exert his influence in the old deciduous forests, emerging triumphant from the battle with winter to lead the celebrations of spring.