# The Bibliothecary

## Summer Solstice / Midsummer

The Solstice is, you guessed it, another fire festival. These spring and summer holidays especially tend to be fire festivals. The Solstice is the longest day of the year and a celebration of the sun and the peak of summer. This has always thrown me off, as for me, June never seems like the peak of summer. Instead it seems like the very beginning. So knowing the days get shorter from here is not my favorite. But we still have plenty of sunlight ahead and that is what this celebration is for. Much like Beltane before it, this is a holiday that is a celebration of fertility (particularly the peak of the growing season), as well as the connection to the fae. When thinking of the wheel of the year, I like to think of balance. The light half of the year tends to be about fertility and the fae while the dark half of the year is about rest and the dead.

For reading during this season, focus on action - whatever that means for you. Maybe a fast-paced thriller or scifi. Or maybe continue the romance streak you had earlier in the year. Maybe a book with short chapters that is easy to fly through. Or a short book altogether. For non-fiction, the focus should be action as well. Maybe a how-to, or something more action-based than just theory.

Outside of reading, this time of year is about being outside and soaking up as much of the warm weather as possible (even if you hate being hot like I do). Go out and commune with nature. Spend time in a garden if you have one, or have access to one. Go to a local body of water. Make the most out of the extra hours in the day.

## Winter Solstice / Yule

On the other side of the world, you are experiencing the darkest days of the year. From here, the sun will start to come back. Winter Solstice is about the hope of welcoming the sun back. But there's still rest to be had. Now is not the time for a lot of movement or action. It is instead about sitting on the lessons you learned during the rest of the year, and contemplating them. You aren't even to the point that you are planting the next seeds yet. Instead, you are reflecting.

For reading, I recommend something slow, whether that's fiction or non-fiction. Something you can take your time with and absorb. Maybe something you've been putting off for a while. Now is the time.

Outside of reading, this time is all about rest. Don't try to make winter anything that it isn't. You are a mammal. Mammals are supposed to rest. Everything in nature is resting and storing up energy. Indulge in more naps if you need to. Do quieter hobbies or activities. Don't fill up your calendar. There is time for all that action during the rest of the year.

### Northern Hemisphere: Beltane

Beltane is a fire festival halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice, and in the modern definition, it represents the first spoke in the light half of the year. This is when we really start to see it warming up and spring is definitely here, even if the chill is still hanging on in your neck of the woods. Spring flowers like tulips and daffodils have sprouted and the sun continues to shine later into the day. Many people start their gardens right before or right after this time. Like many of the festivals during the spring and summer months, Beltane is primarily a fertility festival.

In various traditions around this time, a May Pole is danced around, which is a phallic symbol, and there are various stories of different gods and goddesses unions being celebrated around this time. But fertility can mean many things. It is primarily about growth, and now is a good time for lighting that creative spark.

For reading this month, because Beltane is the most "passionate" of the wheel of the year holidays, it is a good time to involve some romance in your life. Now, if you want to keep it simple and just read a romance book, great. But if romance isn't really your thing, you can take this whatever way you want. For non-fiction readers, engaging with the history of marriage or even about relationships outside of romantic relationships.

Other than reading, you have a plethora of activities to engage in that coincide with spring. Many of the activities include continuing to be out in nature, getting to know what birds start coming through your area at this time. Pay attention to local plants. Slow down and notice the changing weather. Do things to spark your creativity. The veil is also thinner at this time of year, much like Samhain is on the opposite side of the wheel.

### Southern Hemisphere: Samhain

Ah Samhain - the most classic of the wheel of the year holidays. This time of year is all about releasing, reaping the final harvest, and settling down into winter. The leaves are falling from trees, animals are going into hibernation, and everything is starting to slow down. This time of year is about those final preparations for winter.

Reading wise, this is a good time for finales. Finish up a series, or finally DNF something you've been hanging on to. Maybe unhaul some books that have been taking up space and don't resonate with you anymore.

Outside of reading, now is a good time to get in touch with ancestors and the past. The veil is thin at this time of year, and it is a great time for introspection and ancestor work. Take up (or return to) journaling or a tarot practice. Make plans for how you are going to lean into winter and enjoy it for what it is. Say goodbye to this year's growing season and take those lessons with you.

See you all at the solstice!