Summer Solstice/Litha, Fathers Day…The Significance

Summer Solstice At Stonehenge ~ Image: mysticrealms.org/uk 

Hello and Blessed Summer Solstice/Fathers Day to ALL!

Today many of us will be celebrating the beginning of Summer and the life giving force of the sun. 

As well we all remember in some way our fathers and the giving of the spark of life to our very existence. 

Father’s Day

Each year, on the third Sunday of June we celebrate Father’s Day in our culture. This is a day set aside as a memorial to all the fathers in our midst. Interestingly enough it was originally inspired as a literal memorial day to fathers who had passed in a mining accident in West Virginia. So, not unlike Memorial Day in regard to those who paid the ultimate price for our country, the intent initially was to honor those fathers that had passed away. Thankfully though, the day as posthumous homage did not continue to be the norm and today we have a day that we can pay respect to all fathers and not just the ones who have left us. 

Often times though this day does still come w/ a heavy dose of melancholy; of sadness in regard to dad not being around anymore. I have a dear friend who; not unlike myself, lost her dad within the last couple of years. This morning I started my day sending her some uplifting texting reminder her how proud her dad would be/is of her and in that moment I was reminded that I couldn’t call my own dad either. So I continued the uplifting text (in a spirit of sending her some sunshine for her day) to my friend through my own grief laden tears. In that moment I too recognized that my dad would be/is proud of me too. I’ve grown and embraced myself so much deeper than the last time we spoke and I know if I’m happy well…he is too.

Granted some of us, due to the circumstances that surround the reality in our lives, may not necessarily celebrate “dad”. Yet, we do (most of us anyway) make note in some way of the life giving energy that created us; like it or not for the greatest majority of us that included the involvement of an actual male presence. 

Nope, not one of us was immaculately conceived. 

A few of us may have been divinely inspired and there may have even been a few Oh God(s) (and perhaps even a few Oh God No(s); for those of you who would have preferred not to have had a kiddo coming along) thrown in. Either/or it’s highly likely that dear ol’ dad was part of the mix.

So we, as a culture acknowledge Fathers Day.

Summer Solstice/Litha

We also, many of us, celebrate the Summer Solstice/ Litha, the first day of Summer. 

Not unlike Fathers Day (when we acknowledge the life giving spark of conception) we acknowledge the life giving force of the Sun at Litha. Many of us, even if we don’t literally “worship” the sun (although many do), are known as “Sun worshipers”; you know those folks that simply live for their daily dose of Vitamin D and honestly have some deficiency in energy is they don’t get out and enjoy the sun as often as they can. Of course there are also sunbathers who live for the beach and/or a good open field to soak of those life giving rays of golden sun.

About Those Sun Worshipers

The sun has been worshiped for eons; quite literally since the beginning of time. Most (not all) of the religious contexts in reference have are attributed to male deities; fathers as the case would seem. Mithras, Christ, Apollo (and his predecessor Helios), Lugh (whom I will discuss in greater detail in later bloggage) and several others have been considered sun (and yes sometimes "son") gods; and all in their own rite as well considered to be father gods. 

So the point herein is that Summer Solstice and Father's Day are not only close together by design but as well in regard to the simple fact that the worship of the sun predates for long before the veneration of our fathers past and present. Why else would the great American past time of the cookout be so synonymous w/ Fathers day?…it’s all about getting out in the SUN!

Enjoy and get out and BREATHE IN the life giving heat and glorious rays of the father…THE SUN!

So as I close I share w/ you my homage to fathers and the sun for today’s Father's/Summer Solstice Day mashup.

Orpheus ~ To The Sun
(Image: The lyre of Orpheus ~ Eduard Ritter Von Engerth 1818 -1897)




Orpheus, “To The Sun.”

Hear golden Titan, whose eternal eye
With broad survey, illumines all the sky.
Self-born, unwearied in diffusing light,
And to all eyes the mirrour of delight:
Lord of the seasons, with thy fiery car
And leaping coursers, beaming light from far:
With thy right hand the source of morning light,
And with thy left the father of the night.
Agile and vig’rous, venerable Sun,
Fiery and bright around the heav’ns you run.
Foe to the wicked, but the good man’s guide,
O’er all his steps propitious you preside:
With various founding, golden lyre, ’tis mine
To fill the world with harmony divine.

Father of ages, guide of prosp’rous deeds,
The world’s commander, borne by lucid steeds,
Immortal Jove, all-searching, bearing light,
Source of existence, pure and fiery bright
Bearer of fruit, almighty lord of years,
Agil and warm, whom ev’ry pow’r reveres.
Great eye of Nature and the starry skies,
Doom’d with immortal flames to set and rise
Dispensing justice, lover of the stream,
The world’s great despot, and o’er all supreme.
Faithful defender, and the eye of right,
Of steeds the ruler, and of life the light:
With founding whip four fiery steeds you guide,
When in the car of day you glorious ride.
Propitious on these mystic labours shine,
And bless thy suppliants with a life divine