Almost sunset, A butterfly basking on the high hedge -- The longest day.
Are we all sun-seekers, like this butterfly, a Holly Blue, Celastrina argiolus? It is so good to feel the sun especially at the beginning of the day, but of course on this the longest day of the year and if you are lucky enough, the sun may still be giving warmth and light well into the evening.
The hedgerows that have been left to themselves are full of life, playing their part in the wheel of the year. Abundance is everywhere in the natural world and that gift is also ours to give to others.
As the wheel of the year turns today we are entering a different period when the darkness begins to grow. Whilst we celebrate the light of the sun we will also see the increasing energy of the dark cycle, a period for inner growth as the wheel moves towards Lammas at the beginning of August.
I have been slowly making a set of Ogham sticks (see my last post) and I have just completed another two, representing the symbols for oak and holly. In the Celtic Tree Ogham, oak is the seventh tree representing the letter D and holly is the eighth tree representing the letter T. The qualities of both trees are significant: oak representing longevity and strength, whilst holly represents stillness and protection (these are just some of the qualities attributed to these trees).
Again, my thanks Glennie Kindred for her blessings on my journey:
A Different View 
Thank you, Ashley, for a poetic view of the longest day!
Joanna
Dear Joanna, thank you! I hope you are no longer standing on one leg! 🌹💌💓🙏
No, my cat, Felicity, and I are now relaxing and talking about the druids at Stonehenge. Happy days!
Joanna
🐈😸
Thank you!
Joanna x
Thank you, Ashley, for poetic words and special pictures filled with sun, light and warmth – and mystery.
Marina, thank you, wishing you a happy healthy summer 💌🌹🙋♂️
Very nice article on the longest day and great photo! I have to admit, I didn’t even know what ogham sticks were 🙂
Thank you, Friedrich, for your visit and comments. Wishing you a happy summer solstice 🙏
On the hill of summer again, Ashley. How much we anticipate it, and how much we wish we had longer to enjoy it, indeed to pause it and enjoy these midsummer days for ever. But then we’re over the other side and descending slowly into the valley of shorter days, and longer nights.
Michael, thank you for your visit. I must read J A Baker’s The Hill of Summer again; a fabulous description of summer 🙏
Beautiful set of Ogham sticks, Ashley and the photo of the butterfly enjoying the longest day.
Happy Summer Solstice, my friend.
Let us enjoy the Sun standing still before it moves towards darker days.
🔆👌🙏
Dear Marina, thank you for your lovely comments. Standing still for a few minutes on this special day is a perfect response as the sun moves imperceptibly through this moment in the wheel of the year 🌞💓🙋♂️
Very special day indeed!
🔆🙏🔆
Happy Midsummer to you and Carol!!! https://www.flickr.com/photos/140386565@N02/52985239215/in/photostream/ Hope the day is beautiful and that you two can get outside and enjoy the day…a very special day. I enjoyed your Midsummer hokku as well as the image of the beautiful butterfly. I like your post very much, especially the information about your Ogham sticks. Nice photo of the oak and holly sticks!!
Keep moving, Ed
Hi Edo-san, thank you for your lovely comments. My attempts at bonsai haven’t worked but some small projects of green woodworking seem to be more in my grasp. I am amazed that I managed to take a good photo of a butterfly! 🙏🙋♂️
An apt post the day! Well shared!!
Thank you, Indira. Happy Summer Solstice 🌞🌹🙋♂️
Happy Summer Solstice. I love the longest day and always look forward to it.
I love your poem, and the picture with it. I see more butterflies around but have trouble taking a picture of it 😊
Have a wonderful day!
Dear Ute, they just won’t sit still! However, this one was obviously too busy soaking up the rays to be bothered by me! 🌹🙋♂️
Hi Ashley, Happy Solstice!
Happy Summer Solstice, Mark. I hope those rains have stopped! 🙋♂️
Gorgeous butterfly. 🦋🍃 Happy Summer Solstice! 🌞✨
Dear Gail, the Holly Blue butterfly is one of my favourites and is no bigger than my thumb. Happy Summer Solstice 🌞💌🙋♂️
Again, Great Capture! 👀🍃🦋
Ashley, I revel in sunshine, but extreme summer temperatures here in Southern California now pose a health risk. Happy Summer Solstice! May the blessings of the oak and holly guide our steps.
Rosaliene, I think the climate is a huge issue for all humanity! Working on the Ogham sticks has been a wonderful learning experience and there are still a few more to complete. Happy Summer Solstice! 🌞🙋♂️
What a beautifully written post to usher in summer! I love the Ogham sticks and the pictures are stunning. I enjoy summer because we spend a lot more time outdoors. 🌞🌷😊
Dear Jennifer, thank you for your lovely comments. I still have a few more Ogham sticks to make; it’s a great way to learn about the trees and their wood. At this time of year being outside is our greatest joy and for about a month we’ve had some really lovely sunny weather which has just been a bonus. Happy Summer Solstice. 🌞🌹🙋♂️
Solstices always make me think of you, Ashley. I just adore your love for the Earth & all its intricacies! 🌞
Dear Lisa, thank you! This year especially, I have opened my heart to Mother Earth as I celebrate every day, this life with her and the universe. Your lovely comments make me happy to know that I am able to connect with you, so many miles away. 🤗🌹🙋♂️
Likewise, my friend. 🌞
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post 😊 You have a slightly poetic way of writing which is so beautiful to read. I wasn’t aware the sun was still up in the evening on the longest day before, nor have I ever seen such a pretty butterfly. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you or your lovely comments 🌹🙋♂️
Your Ogham sticks are very lovely! Thank you for such a beautiful post.
The Ogham sticks are an ongoing project with a few woods still to find. Thank you Bridgette for your lovely comments. 🌹🙋♂️
Bellísima mariposa, preciosas hojas y muy bonita fotografía!!! Un abrazo enorme.
Gracias, querida Bárbara, me encantan las mariposas y trato de atraer más a mi pequeño jardín. Un abrazo cálido.🤗🌹🙋♂️ (Hoping Google translate is saying what I mean 😊)
It was so interesting reading your post, I love everything about it!
Thank you, Morag, for your lovely comments. The summer solstice seems a long time ago as we now move towards Lammas at the beginning of August. 🌹🙋♂️
Yes that is so true, I still remember it like yesterday husband’s sad response, thinking about the days getting shorter but I love the idea of the nights getting longer.. And almost hibernating 😉although I know these long days are absolutely gorgeous… Not something we experienced in South Africa. I look forward to your post on Lammas 🌷🙏