Wicca is a modern pagan religion that worships a variety of divine deities. These deities can be seen as both immanent and transcendent, meaning they are present in the world around us and also exist beyond our physical realm. There are many different deities in Wicca, each with their own unique attributes and associations. One of the most well-known deities in Wicca is the Triple Goddess. The Triple Goddess is often seen as representing the stages of a woman's life - the maiden, the mother, and the crone. She is associated with femininity, fertility, and wisdom.
- Place birch twigs next to your cottage door to guarantee fertility. Let your mind seed new creative ideas that will help you achieve a meaningful and an inspiring rest of the year.
- Light a midsummer bonfire to expel the evil spirits. Let the fire drive off the negative thoughts troubling your mind and holding back your happiness.
- Hide few stinging nettles and juniper twigs to your birch bath whisk. Tapping your skin with a midsummer whisk in the warmth of a Finnish sauna accelerates the metabolism and helps harmful substances escape your body. If you don’t have the permission of the landowner to collect birch barks you can use fireweeds or try our Birch leaf product which gives a godly scent plus a detoxifying effect to your cleansing rituals.
- Peek naked into a well to see your future spouse. You’ll also see a reflection of yourself – you, who is the most important person in your life and the person responsible for actually achieving your goals and meeting nice people that will help you along the way. Scream into the well: I deserve only the best!
- At midsummer night, wonder in the nature near swamps, bogs or marshes. You might see a magical virvatuli (Eng. will-o’-the-whisp, jack-o'-lantern, friar's lantern, hinkypunk, hobby lantern). The virvatuli is an atmospheric ghost light that reminds of a flickering lamp. It’s seen at night and it’s said to fade when approached. The scientists have yet failed to explain what causes this enchanting phenomenon. No one has even managed to film this miraculous sight. Here is one good reason to sign the petition to save our swamps – to solve the mystery behind this eerie anomality. Protecting swamps decreases also the effects of the climate change; swamps are even bigger carbon storages than forests!
- The old beliefs tell us that ferns blossom only at midsummer night. Pick the flower fast and you’ll obtain magical powers. With these new capabilities you can enter outside your comfort zone, gain self-confidence and learn new things.
- Forage seven wild flowers, climb over seven fences and place the flowers under your pillow for the night. You’ll see a dream of your future mate. You’ll also dream of yourself achieving your biggest ambitions and confronting your fears.
- At the dawn of the midsummer, wallow naked in a lady’s mantle meadow. This sacred ritual brings luck to your love life. The lady’s mantle’s family name Alchemilla stems from the word alchemy and refers to a medieval belief that suggests that water droplets forming on the lady’s mantle leaves could turn base metals to gold. Alchemists believed that these drops had a mysterious and magical powers which could not only transform common metals into gold but also aid in regaining eternal youth. This rolling ritual will give your skin a natural glow and relieve you from anxiety and ‘what others think of me’ scheme of thoughts.
The midnight sun is what makes the folk of Finland open up and it s also the key power making the wild herbs and berries used in our products true superfoods with loads of antioxidants, polyphenols and vitamins. In this post we will share some of the magical elements of Finnish Midsummer to give you a little insight into one of Finland s most popular festivals and how you could recreate some of the fun yourself.
She is associated with femininity, fertility, and wisdom. Many Wiccans connect with the Triple Goddess during rituals and ceremonies, seeking her guidance and blessings. Another important deity in Wicca is the Horned God, also known as the God of the Hunt.
The Magic of Midsummer
Although Midsummer in Finland, or Juhannus as it is known in Finnish, does share some qualities with its Nordic neighbours. The Finnish ‘nightless’ nights provide an unforgettable backdrop to the summery festival, and nature in Finland is at its lushest bloom around that time.
Most people are familiar with the concept of Midsummer, the celebration of summer solstice that is observed around the world, however Finnish Midsummer carries its own magic and memorable traditions. And not a maypole in sight!
In this post we will share some of the magical elements of Finnish Midsummer to give you a little insight into one of Finland’s most popular festivals and how you could recreate some of the fun yourself.
Midsummer in Finland is celebrated on the Saturday between the 20th and 26th of June. Midsummer used to be a celebration of Ukko, the ancient Finnish god of weather and harvest, to ensure a robust harvest season.
Today the celebrations and very short night-time hours means that parties are an essential part of the holiday! Since the beginning of the tradition, it was believed that the louder the celebrations were, the further evil spirits would stay, and the drunker the people, the better the harvest. Different spells and magic were considered a pivotal part of Midsummer early on, and some remain popular to this day.
Where do you go for Midsummer?
Finns will leave their towns and cities and retreat to their summer cottages. More than half a million summer cottages exist in Finland (bear in mind that there are only 5.5 million Finns) so getting into nature to enjoy the magical bright evenings in the forest or a midnight (skinny) dip in the lake is a must.
Families spend the festival enjoying saunas, games and special summer dishes at their cabins; it’s the perfect start the longer summer holidays ahead.
So what are Finnish Midsummer traditions?
Magic rituals
One of the oldest traditions of Finnish Midsummer is juhannustaika , magic rituals. It is believed that Midsummer to be a particularly potent one, and most of the rituals performed on Midsummer are centered around the idea of finding the perfect partner.
To do this a young woman would pick seven different wildflowers from a field and place them under their pillow to see the face of their chosen one in their dreams.
In another, the girl or woman (boys feel free too) peeks into a well at midnight whilst naked, to see the face of their suitor in the reflection. Green fern is believed to only bloom that night, so if you have any at hand you can expect to be lucky in love.
The bonfire is perhaps the most iconic image of the Finnish Midsummer celebration. When the night finally begins to set late in the Midsummer evening, Finns light a bonfire by the water or on the water (carried by a raft). The bonfire tradition was originally born as an attempt to keep evil spirits at bay.
What would a Finnish celebration be without a sauna? Juhannussauna , the Midsummer sauna, traditionally took place during the day so the bathers would be refreshed for the special nightless Midsummer night and ready to perform magic rituals.
Today, Finns heat up the sauna at any time during the Midsummer weekend. A traditional vihta, made from birch branches and used to beating one’s own back with, is an important part of the Midsummer sauna experience.
Juhannuskoivu , the Midsummer birch, is both a decoration and a belief. Birch tree branches were traditionally cut down and hung on the sides of the front door on Midsummer to keep spirits away and bring fertility and good health to the house.
Today, branches are simply hung and laid on doorsteps to decorate the house with the tree that represents Finnish nature and Midsummer best.
Flower crowns
Flowers play an important part in Midsummer in Finland, from the spells cast with freshly picked wildflowers to the crowns adorning the heads of both children and adults. Like many Finnish Midsummer traditions, the flower crown was originally believed to attract love and good fortune.
The person making the crown was supposed to keep completely quiet during the process and lay the crown by their pillow to ensure they would see the face of their true love in their dreams.
Today, most Finns make and wear the crowns for a much simpler reason: they’re pretty and fun to make.
Celebrating the Finnish Midsummer
Whilst we may not have access to a well or a sauna by a lake, there are some really fun ideas here that you can try wherever you live.
Midsummer in Finland is filled with magic, nature, and good spirit. It represents unwinding, spending time with family and friends, and celebrating the beginning of summer. We think we should all take a little inspiration from this festival… be careful with those bonfires though!
On the summer solstice we show our gratitude by working with the fiery energy of the sun to help propel us through our lives. This is a time of great action. On Litha we have an opportunity to harness this mighty force to burst through blocks, Intentionally charge your body, crystals, and trigger transformation.
He is often depicted as a stag or a hunter and is associated with the wild, nature, and fertility. The Horned God is seen as the consort of the Triple Goddess, representing the masculine energy that balances her feminine energy. Wiccans may invoke the Horned God to help them connect with the natural world and tap into their own primal instincts. In addition to the Triple Goddess and the Horned God, Wiccans may also worship specific deities from various pantheons. These can include gods and goddesses from ancient civilizations such as Greece, Egypt, and Rome. Each deity has their own sphere of influence and can offer guidance and support in specific areas of life. For example, the goddess Aphrodite may be honored for matters of love and beauty, while the god Hermes may be called upon for communication and travel. It is important to note that Wiccans do not consider their deities to be all-powerful or all-knowing. Instead, they see them as part of a larger interconnected web of energies that make up the universe. Wiccans believe in personal responsibility and actively participate in their own spiritual growth and development. They view their relationship with their deities as a partnership, working together to create balance and harmony in their lives and in the world. In conclusion, Wicca is a religion that recognizes and worships a variety of divine deities. The Triple Goddess and the Horned God are central figures in Wiccan worship, representing the balance between feminine and masculine energies. Wiccans also honor various gods and goddesses from different pantheons, seeking their guidance and support in specific areas of life. Wiccans see their deities as part of a larger interconnected web of energies, actively participating in their own spiritual growth and development..
Reviews for "Healing and Transformation: Rituals with Wiccan Divine Deities"
- Jane - 2 stars - "I was really excited to learn about Wiccan divine deities, but unfortunately, this book didn't live up to my expectations. It felt very surface-level and didn't provide enough depth or exploration on each deity. The information provided was basic and could easily be found with a quick internet search. I was hoping for a more comprehensive and insightful guide, but this book fell short."
- Mark - 1 star - "I found 'Wiccan divine deities' to be poorly written and disorganized. The author jumped from one topic to another without any clear structure, making it difficult to follow along. Additionally, there were several grammatical errors and typos throughout the book, which further added to my frustration. Overall, I was highly disappointed and would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a comprehensive guide on Wiccan divine deities."
- Sarah - 2 stars - "As someone who has been practicing Wicca for a few years, I was hoping to deepen my knowledge about divine deities through this book. However, I found it to be quite generic and lacking in fresh insights. The author simply repeated information that can be found in many other Wiccan books, and there was nothing particularly unique or thought-provoking about the content. I would only recommend this book to absolute beginners who have no prior knowledge about Wicca."
- David - 1 star - "I couldn't get past the author's biased perspective in 'Wiccan divine deities'. It felt like the book was trying to push a specific agenda rather than provide unbiased information. I was disappointed by the lack of objectivity and balance in the author's descriptions of the deities. As someone who values intellectual honesty and open-mindedness, I found this book to be a letdown and would not recommend it to others."