Issue 8: Summer Solstice 2026

The Awen Gazette
Summer Solstice Edition
My Dear Folk of Awen....
Hello & Welcome
to the Summer Solstice edition of
‘The Magical Awen Gazette’...

Hello my Darklings, Wilhelmina Catnip here, Editor in Chief of the one and only Awen Gazette. The glorious season of June and Alban Heflin is upon us, Summer has not only arrived we are half way through!..It is still bunting central here in my little piece of the magical realm. Garlands and brooms akimbo all over the place..ha,ha... I LOVE IT.....Just need to make sure the firedrakes don’t get over excited!

So how are you all as we reach this fabulous month of Solstice, of Blessings, Magical, Promise, Protection and Bounty? I’ve been out gathering my St John’s Wort and Meadowsweet, us old warriors never get out of the habit you know. But do remember to wrap all your weapons, shields and magical tool in the magical herbs of the sun and pass them through the Lughs Fires. Also make your hedgerow headdresses and add the sun Herbs in for your own blessings and protection.

Appease the fae my lovelies at this time of year, else your milk will sour along with your faces and all your wooden spoons will be transformed into useless twizzling sticks... Just saying!

With the dear of Sun at its metaphorical stand still on the 21st at 9.24am, we will be able to take advantage of the extra day light... not so obliging for all you night walkers.. hey ho it will be your turn in six months! But this solstice offers a bit of balance to the external and internal energies of self, so definitely something to look at. Of course the 21st also marks the transition of the Sun from Gemini in to the sign of Cancer. This should allow for any restless energies to find much needed grounding.. Perhaps a bit of time should be set aside for self –care and reflection, with a little less hectic exertion of energy. This is a time to focus on hearth and home and reconnections with roots and ancestors and chosen tribe and community. Use your rituals at this blessed time to focus on nurturing and the life giving energies of the Sun to help, boost and support any personal goals ensuring that they ripen and come to fruition.

May we honour and call on the blessings of the ‘Suns In Splendour’, to Lugh and Belenus, the ‘Shining Ones’; To the God of the Warriors and Master of all crafts and the God of Fires, Light and of Healing her our calls;& We call for the blessings of Aine and Grain, Goddesses of the Summer, of the ripening crops and of luck, bounty and good fortune..... Blessings to One & All...Always think big.. Be brave..& Let’s Go.....Magically Yours

Magically Yours

Wilhelmina Catnip
Precious Pixie Corner

Do you have a problem that you need help with? Magical, Esoteric or personal.. Our very own Vagina Buttercup is here to answer all.....So don’t be shy, you can email, Whatsapp or private message on Facebook Messenger..So over to the wonderful Witch herself...

Due to the uncertain times we live in, the Ministry of Magic has asked that we relay the following. “Vagina Buttercup, is famously known and identifies as a Witch & Druid of this and many other realms. She is a long time resident of a little known & much hidden place called Magpie Bottom and has spent lifetimes working with troubled Witches, Wizards, Druids and all manner of magical folk. The disclaimer here at the Gazette requires that we are open & transparent in ensuring that the reader is aware that they at all times are responsible for their own problems and dilemmas that should/might/will occur as a consequence of existing! Personal responsibility is the name of the game and at all times remains with the Witch, wizard, Druid or other magical folk of concern. Vagina Buttercup is here to support & provide the most excellent guidance and advice. T & C’s apply please remember to always ask permission from your responsible magical adult as we do not condone the use of rose tinted specs when reading or submitting anything for our attention!

Thank you for your understanding.”

“Hello and welcome back to this edition of ‘Precious Pixie Corner. As previously shared with you all, I am Vagina Buttercup and I am thrilled and delighted to have been invited to be the Gazettes Magical Agony Aunt...Such an honour... Lets get straight to it... As I always say a Problem shared is a problem halved...Or occasionally exacerbated....No Need to thank me... You are Welcome!

This month Ive decided to be more generic with the questions focused on. It is Alban Heflin, Summer Solstice after all and I get so many queries about this time of year, the whys and where fore’s & so on, that I thought I might a good idea for this edition to concentrate of answering a few of the reasons, rituals and practices of this magical season...So buckle up my Lovelies, there might just be a more than a few gems to take away from this....

“Dear Vagina Buttercup,

Is usually how this starts and I see no reason to change this because these are just some of the questions that make it across my desk regarding the season and rituals of Summer Solstice. This is a potted version with reference to, as I am sure you will all appreciate, a very large subject. Therefore, it goes without saying, that I am sure I won’t have covered everything, but hopefully there will be just enough to shine a light (excuse the pun) on a most wonderful and important time, that blankets the blue and green spinning wheel that we live upon and are so lucky to call home.. SO let’s get started......

1: What is Summer Solstice?
There are several answers to this, the actual, the physical and the spiritual. So firstly Solstice represents the midpoint of the year and by definition is known as Mid-Summer. The point/date of solstice varies from year to year, but usually falls between 21st-24th June , from there after the sun rises and over the day, it makes its accent and reaches its zenith, of course to the human eye looks stationary in the sky. This means it reaches the highest and same point in the sky for the following three days and radiates, weather permitting, the strongest and longest amount of heat and daylight. The Sun seems to stay at the same point in the sky getting no higher or lower, over the following days, but this is an optical illusion obviously, but none the less....

The Summer solstice represents the longest day and the shortest night. Physically, we might have more energy because of the light and wonderful amount of Vit D provided by the sun. It literally makes us happy! We will perhaps feast, socialise and celebrate more, taking on more nourishment, in preparation of the toil of harvest yet to come. All of this whilst recognising that this is a time of plenty of coming together and celebrating the turning of the wheel that will take us gently over the coming months into ‘Summers End’ (Autumn) and the next chapter of the year’s cycle.

Spiritually we will feel the earth’s energies shift and the invisible lines between realms blur so that we can, if we are very lucky, see, connect and communicate with the fairies/the Fae/ The Fair Folk and just as we draw down the energies of the full moon to energise and awaken us, so we draw down the Sun in Splendour because we want to be sure that the sun returns knowing that it now begins its slow decent over the coming weeks and months into winter.

So it will not surprise you I am sure, that ever since that night I’ve not seen an increase of my wealth, in fact I’ve not seen a single extra penny, but my house is currently being picketed by a chowder of over 27-30 stray cats. & let me be clear here, they are not just sitting there they’ve now started formal rotation. Three of them are permanently staring through my back window with unblinking intensity and I’m pretty sure the big ginger tom has being trying to pick the lock on my back door. To make things worse, my familiar is a crow called Trevor and he is absolutely fuming at me, refusing to come down of my wardrobe in the bedroom, whilst screeching at the top of his lungs, “intruders”.

So PLEASE can you help me to get rid of my abundance of Felines without offending the Bastet devotees in the neighbourhood? PS.. Also how do I get a crow to accept a formal apology?

Living in Hope

Cursed with Cat-Titude

Ohhhhh my, what a too do!..... I should tell you that I did laugh, very loudly when I read your letter, after all, bless you, stupidity, inexperience and lack of proper spell prep, have all come in to play here, but at the same time....well easy mistake to make and none of us are immune to that one my Dear let me tell you.

I can remember when a dear, dear friend of mine, not to mention the most experienced of witches, the Mighty Frig Froske, banished my nephew by mistaking Hemlock for parsley when prepping the Sunday lunch on time, I accept we had a few glasses of the old home brew mead...But there it was we turned around and there he was gone.. Oh how we laughed.. It’s a rites of passage don’t you know..

Of course one of the first things that should be address is your requesting of ‘abundance’ from the Universe. How specific were you? Did you just say i wish to call in abundance? If you didn’t specify the actual abundance that you wanted in your wording the Universe picked something for you. I mean to say.. it’s all in the wording Deary. The Universe was teaching you a lesson to that effect I think and having a laugh in the process..

However, fear not there are things that can be don’t to rectify this situation. Firstly you need to do what we will call, ‘a Reverse-Nip cleanse’. You need to neutralise the smell of Catnip. Mop and wipe down everything with a seriously strong infusion made with Lemon Balm and vinegar.. Cats really hate it and should more than signal to them that the party is over.

Now we get to the Bastet clause... You really do not want to incur the divine wrath of a slighted Goddess, especial a Cat Mother.. NOOooooo... So make sure you leave a VERY tasty, high quality, no expense spared, tuna offering at the boundary of your property. As you place the offering down, Clearly say the following “ I thank the Great Cat for her visit, but my halls are full and my milk is sour”... This is a polite no misunderstanding for times up and of your rejection, but for deities.

We are now at the tricksy bit... Your beloved familiar Trevor..Crows are notoriously known for their sulking and stubbornness. But they do love a bit of the old silver bling. So in this instance I advise that you make a small shiny offering, a thimble or something similar. Place it on his favourite perch and bow slightly to show your apology and deference.. Not to deep a bow or he will assume you are no his familiar and not the other way around. However, do not make eye contact as you do this as he needs to feel that he has won this particular argument.

Finally.... For the Love of the Gods... LABEL YOUR HERBS!!! I have no more to say on that matter you should know better and if you didn't you do now!

And there you have it, thank you all for joining me as together we have traversed poor Cursed with Cat-itude's problem shared moment. As always please do feel free to email me at spiritofawen@btinternet.com with all or any of your questions, queries, and magical problems. I will look forward to hearing from you. Make sure you mark your email FAO V.Buttercup, Precious Pixie corner...

Until next Month

Seasonal Blessings

V.Buttercup.
Threat of The Month!
(Invocation or Evocation....You Decide)

As you will see Normal service has resumed, This Month’s Threat of the Month has come via the dulcet and potty mouth tones of one half of Awens very own terribly Magical & Cosmic ‘The Dangerous Sisters’, but can you tell which one! We would like to take this opportunity to send our most sincere thanks to the one & only ‘Ms VB & Ms CRWF’. (If we thank one, we must thank both... Apparently!)

“Ahhh Tis the Time of Alban Heflin, Of Mid-Summer Magic where Naughty Sprits are abounded and curious Fae will venture closer... SO.. Dont forget to leave offerings or complain about the extra hours of day light, the heat of the day or refuse to wear a flower crown.....Because the Fae will rearrange your furniture every time you close your eyes & an ever moving cloud of midges will engulf your aura!

ALSO... DO NOT.. Tread carelessly upon blessed moss, or disrespect the Oak King who still sits upon the throne for a few nights longer...Else a parliament of Magpies will come on mass and permanently decorate your car!...Not to mention every wooden spoon that thy owns will stubbornly warp until it becomes nothing more than a cauldron’s spare twizzling stick....Just saying....Don’t say you’ve not been Warned...!”

De-Management is watching...

Tittle Tattle Nook
Well welcome to Tittle Tattle Nook... A little place of potential naughtiness...A little gossip corner as a bit of light relief and medicine for the soul.

“We promise to never divulge our sources, nor will we ever say what is fact, truth and what is absolutely made up..Ha,ha... Obviously most will be made up... Or will it???.... Oh come on...really..what did you think we were going to do here?...But just maybe there is a grain of truth & sometimes a lot of truth in everything and anything written... The Choice dear reader is up to you to decide what you want to believe and what you do not... We feel like we need to have one of these disclaimers that somebody reads out ridiculously fast at the end of an advert.. You know the Terms and Conditions etc, etc.. Readers own discretion etc, no magical workers were harmed in the creation of this article etc., you get the picture..So read on dear reader at your own discretion and enjoy!” ,

Welcome once again to this little Nook of loveliness... pull up a comfy chair, or snuggle on the sofa and lets share a few care free moments together as we traverse the nonsensical terrain of Tittle-Tattle.

Hello Folk of Awen.. How are you doing?... How are your Solstice celebrations panning (excuse the pun) out?... Here at the Nook, we are VERY excited for this year’s celebrations, our dear editor Dwale, is beside herself because she has a visiting delegation from the Norse Pantheon visiting her!...NO surprises that Loki will most likely be up to his usually Mid- Summer mischief, rumour has it that a certain Puck fairy, who is preening and crowing about the fact, will be accompanying him as he make his rounds..NONE will be safe from their fun this Solstice, so keep your eyes open and be alert, not everything you will hear and see will be or is.. Shall we say.. Truth or Real!

Alban Heflin is a busy time of year and the Fire Elementals are always flexing their powers at this time.. We here at the Nook have been reliably informed that all of the fire drakes & Dragons have come out in support of the Fire Horses which means this year’s Solstice Fires will be SOOOOO potent that drums, crystals and water will be charged to the highest levels, which can only be a massive bonus for all the healers and those needing the healing... Get charging folks!

In other News we have been told in a newly breaking story, that a recently crowned May King & Queen were not actually spring youths, or in fact in the spring of anything!... No, indeed a source close to the story has told us that once their masks slipped it was found that were both well into their hundred and fiftieth year if they were a day. It was further claimed that they had conjured, rather badly and even farcically, a spell of youth to deliberately and maliciously deprived the young up and coming magical folk of a chance to shine.

The two culprits, who for now will remain nameless, are known within the larger pagan community for shoe horning their way into high profile events and trying to take over. But many who witnessed the event are saying that even for them this was a despicable thing to have done and was not, in the end, if we may be so bold, a very convincing ploy. Astonishingly, the well known Druid responsible for crowning them, claims he didn’t realise and wasn’t part of their rouse, BUT... come on... We here at the Nook KNOW This Arch Druid has form...Nuff Said!

This last story brought a smile to our faces here in our little nook of the world. Dear old Merlin, has resurfaced from his crystal cave, gods know we have need of him... BUT... he has been spotted at a local stone circle sporting a very unorthodox outfit and certainly not one that is normally associated with this grand old sage of all time. On this outing the Dear man chose a very loud, sparkly fluorescent un PC, un Druid fabric of stretch polyester onesy!.. Apparently the attending Druid elders’ were seen clutching their pearls in horror. Merlin, of course, was totally oblivious to them, who was living his best life as he shimmied and danced around the stone circle, flapping his less than customary velvet cloak behind him in a onesy that left, so we are reliably informed, nothing to the imagination... Good for him we say!

So there you have it for this edition, but please do get in touch with your tit bits, your tittle tattle.. I will never divulge a source.. honest...You are completely safe with me...

Email spiritofawen@btinternet.com and please ensure to address your email to Awen Gazette Tittle-Tattle Nook. We will look forward to hearing from you all...

Have a wonderful Beltane and a hearty welcome to the Light of the Earth

Until next time

Blessings from The Nook...
Women’s New Moon online Meet Up
Save the Dates... 8pm on Wednesday 17th June 2026

Welcome to this month’s New Moon update. A big Thank You to those of you who made the last online moot, it was so lovely to see your faces. It was felt really good to talk all things Beltane, traditions, rituals and folk law etc..So big thank you for sharing. I really look forward to our next meet which will focus on all things Sumer Solstice..

This will be a much shorter segment than usual, you will see that I’ve kept the changed day to a Weds for our next meet up. It was originally on the Friday, but I think we all agree that Fridays aren’t always the easiest of days for a variety of reasons. So for the next few months I will switch the days around to see if that helps. So for this coming month we will the opportunity to meet up on Wednesday 17th June at 8pm

I also would like to ask your all for your thought on topics/subjects you would like to include or focus on each month. For our next meet up I am happy to talk about the traditions of Summer Solstice as I understand them and were practiced in my family, but please do bring your own stories and traditions and I look forward to hearing them and sharing mine.

The full moon in June, sometimes call a ’Strawberry Moon’ will be on the 30th with the New moon having fallen on the 15th. With Mercury moving, which the ‘Farmer’s Almanac’ have called ‘a sliding’ into Cancer, which happens on the 1st and remaining there until the 9th Aug, we are into a time of potentially more conflict between our battling logic and emotions. So we need to steady ourselves and not get too carried away, particularly with how we might be feeling these days and especially as Mercury will go retrograde again on 29th June...BIG GROAN... So not easy!

So just to repeat what I always say, in case people missed it, please do feel free to let me know if you have a specific topic you would like to bring up for discussion, or perhaps you might want to giving a short talk/ sharing your magic, know-how and experience etc. I think this would be a wonderful opportunity for us to learn more about each other and celebrate the extraordinary women that make up our number. So if you have any suggestions please do let me know.

Again I think it is important to reiterate that it is my hope that the New Moon group will grow in numbers and confidence whereby we can create a sacred space where we will be able to talk craft, ritual, seasonal and of course all thing moon. I hope it will become a place of sharing, laughter and being.

Please don’t worry if you missed us last month, we hope to see you on the 17th June. Feel free to be sitting in your PJs, curlers in, wig on in my case..ha,ha, you think I jest!...Anyway bring your lovely selves, wear whatever you want and drink what every you like, we will be just happy to see your smiling faces.

The sessions will be last approximately 45mins -1hr and all who are interested will need to WhatsApp me so that you can be added to the group. I really hope you will be able to join me for what I hope will become something quite special. If you would like to volunteer to give a short talk please do let me know.

So don’t forget to press the link if you are interested and I look forward to adding you to the group and seeing you all on the 17th at 8pm.. I promise I won’t forget, I’ve set an alarm... ha,ha !

Michelle xx

Alban Heflin
A Time of Purification, Bounty, Blessings, Gatherings & Celebration
Longest Day & Shortest Night...
Samhain Ancestors

The Month of June heralds the midway point of the year and of summer. The Fire festival of Alban Heflin is a celebration of promise and planning. It is a festival of preparations, blessings and bounty and protection. The Sun and Fire Gods are at their most potent, the Sun in Splendour is high in the sky and the Magical forces are potent and strong...

*Gather your wild St John’s Wort and Meadowsweet and wrap around your weapons of choice, your shields and magical items.. Pass through the flames for protection, blessings and charging.

*Make your flower crowns from seasonal hedgerow flowers and grasses

*Charge your crystals, water and drums under the Solstice moons.

*Don’t forget leave offerings of Milk/Cream, Mead and Silver for the Fair folk and ask for their Blessings and protection.

*Don’t forget to light your Solstice Fire and give offerings of herbs of the sun and don’t forget to feast and make merry before the Sun begins its decent.

Divination Alley
Rune, Tarot & Ogham for the month
This is a general reading of universal energy for the coming month.
Tarot, Rune and Ogham cards
Tarot: Uther: King of Shields

Sooo.. Lets get to it..I Love the King of Shields, because he represents stability and he’s is practical. He knows what matters and he’s not afraid to fight and protect what is important, ie. Family, community & tribe, amongst many other things. However, never let it be said that Uther wasn’t just a little bit ruthless when he set his sights on something, in his case Ugraine Arthurs Mother...Just saying... That sort of ‘focus’, obsession inevitably lead to serious consequences.. Nothing is usually gained without sacrifice, the law of cause and affect generally will have their way.

But what does all of this mean for us this coming Solstice month? Well all things financial and hearth and home will stabilise and feel a lot more settled. None the less don’t take your foot off the peddle just yet. Be prepared to fight for what is yours and what you have worked hard for. Do not allow others to take credit for things they have no rights to, be that your actions, work, words spoken and make sure to shine brightly in the Solstice Sun.

This month is usually a month of celebrations, social gatherings and hopefully better weather, all of this is great and should not be ignored, but the King of Shields encourages a more practical and disciplined approach to all areas of our life. Enjoy what you are doing but don’t burn candles at both ends, balance is the key here. Trust and believe in your ability to succeed in any or all your endeavours, but make sure that whatever you are doing or trying to achieve, that it is all securely rooted with solid foundations. So just remember to be mindful and responsible with your own time, resources and knowledge. Pace yourselves my lovelies!

Rune: Mannaz or Mann: Humanity

How wonderful and how appropriate to have pulled this rune. Mannaz or Mann is the rune that is concerned with humanity, with self and intellect and social order. This is a month of coming together, of celebrating the turning of the wheel as we embrace the magic of Summer Solstice. So this month focus on cooperation, be that in your immediate circle of family and friends or in the wider community and even those where work is concerned.

This is a month to start integrating plans and or connections you have made, because Mann reminds us that we are all connected in some shape or form and we are being given the chance to shape our own destiny and perhaps even the society within which we live. When we read this rune in conjunction with the King of Shields, we are being told to expand, broaden our horizons, move, invest either financially or socially, perhaps even both. Be sensible, protect yourself and do not rush in where fools fear to tread. You have the skills both practical and social, combined with knowledge and understanding to move forward this coming month. So focus on relationships, personal identity with clear communication and positive and grounded expectations and enjoy life and what it has to offer.

Ogham: Phagos - The Beech Tree

Everthing seems to be pointing to connections and links this month. This is the magical month of Alban Helfin, where Solstice fire will burn bright with magic and intent. The Oak king sat in all his splendour as the Sun Gods shine down their blessings. Phagos, the Beech tree, understands this kind of magic and tells us that this is also a month to trust ourselves, and the knowledge, learnt, given and inherited. Old knowledge will be important and connections to the past possible will become relevant again. It is important that we remember and listen to the elders of our communities, so that we do not lose the knowledge or the skills. This is a time of creativity, of mental focus, and of a need to ground and adapt.

With Phagos we have the opportunity this month to read, write, learn, to perhaps become the teachers ourselves to ensure the knowledge is passed to the next generation. Interestingly it is thought by some that the Druids used thin strips Beech wood to write on, creating the first books. So when we read Phagos in line with Mannaz and the King of Shields, it is an impressive month energetically. There is so much movement, both personally and socially that we must ensure that we look after ourselves and those around us. This is a time to be expansive to challenge ourselves and perhaps others around us. Moving location, jobs, communities or even friendship groups, are all well aspected, but be direct, clear on your objectives, make sure your roots are deep and secure allowing you to adapt to new opportunities, surroundings and environments, but remembering to enjoy the connections and reconnections along the way.

The Ancestors are there to connect with, to be inspired by and learn from, but most of all always remember to Love, Laugh, Celebrate and Live this Alban Hafin, This Sumer Solstice and may the blessings of Grainstad and Samharaidh shine on you all my Lovelies and don’t forget... For the Love of the Gods..ENJOY....