Pagan Community Notes: Week of June 19, 2025

Juneteenth

WASHINGTON— Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, is the newest federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. But it has been celebrated by states and communities for many years. Juneteenth has been celebrated by African Americans since the late 1800s.

EARTH (pretty much everywhere) – Today, in the Northern Hemisphere, we honor the abundant light. In the Southern Hemisphere, we welcome the promise of the sun’s return. The June solstice marks this celestial shift. In 2025, the solstice arrives on Friday, June 20, 2025, at 10:42 pm EDT (02:42 UTC). Here at The Wild Hunt headquarters in Miami, Florida—just north of the Tropic of Cancer, the northernmost point the sun reaches on Earth—we celebrate this turning point with our global Pagan community.

The solstice occurs because Earth is tilted at approximately 23.5 degrees on its axis—a result of a cosmic collision billions of years ago. That axial tilt gives us the seasons and the sacred rhythm of equinoxes and solstices, moments that speak to both our scientific curiosity and spiritual insight.

In the north, today is the longest day of the year. The sun’s energy is at its peak. In the far south, it is the shortest—a time of deep stillness. And both are equally worthy of reverence.

In places like Prudhoe Bay, Alaska (70° N latitude), the sun has not set since mid-May. It will continue to shine 24 hours a day until September 19, when the first night after summer briefly returns. In Reykjavik, Iceland (64°08′ N), there will be twilight but no full night until early September.

Meanwhile, the South Pole remains in polar night, having not seen daylight since May 11. It will glimpse twilight again on August 1. Further north in Ushuaia, Argentina (54° S), one of the southernmost cities in the world, there will be just seven hours and 12 minutes of daylight today. In Wellington, New Zealand (41°17′ S)—the southernmost national capital—there will be 9 hours and 11 minutes of sun. And our friends in Cape Town, South Africa (33°55′ S), daylight will stretch to about 9 hours and 54 minutes, reflecting the more temperate location in the Southern Hemisphere’s winter.

June solstice graphic

Across cultures and traditions, the solstice is sacred.

English Heritage reminds us that Stonehenge was constructed in alignment with the solstices. This year’s celebration at the ancient monument runs from 7 p.m. Friday, June 20, to 8 a.m. Saturday, June 21. Details are available on their website.

In many Pagan paths, this time of year represents the zenith of the solar or masculine divinity. In Celtic-influenced traditions, it is the moment the Oak King stands at the height of his power in the Northern Hemisphere, only to begin his waning, while the Holly King begins his rise in the south.

For some, the solstice is a moment of joy and gratitude. In the north, we are reminded that even as light reigns, the turning has begun, and the days will now grow shorter. In the south, the darkness begins to lift—a reminder that no night lasts forever. In both hemispheres, the solstice teaches balance, transition, and awe.

The Summer Solstice is also known as Litha in some Pagan traditions, and as Midsummer in others. In Sweden, Midsommar is a beloved national holiday, celebrated alongside the Christian Feast of St. John. Since 1952, it has been observed on the Saturday between June 20 and 26—this year falling on Saturday, June 21. Celebrations begin on Midsummer’s Eve with dancing, floral wreaths, and feasting.

In Spain, especially in Celt-Iberian regions, it’s a time for harvesting herbs and taking ritual baths in the sea—acts believed to bring fertility and protection. In his reflective piece Salt, Tears or the Sea, TWH managing editor, Manny Tejeda y Moreno, shared personal solstice traditions shaped by his diverse heritage:

“For us in Florida, though, when celebrating midsummer, there were three things you were supposed to do over the course of the day and into the night besides eat the ajiaco. The first of these was to jump over a small fire at least once. A small burning log was separated from the fires for us to jump over for the kids. The second thing was to bring herbs like basil, rosemary and oregano to wash in the surf. They were then bundled together and hung to dry at home, forming little salt crystals all over them. They were to be used during the next few days for both culinary and spiritual purposes. The third thing we were supposed to do is to stand with your back to the ocean and fall backwards into it seven times.”

Our weekend editor, Eric O. Scott, offered his midsummer reverie from his time in Iceland, where light lingers deep into the night. In his essay The Candle, he reflects:

“MIDSUMMER, I carve into the wax. If I were more clever, I would have thought to look up phrases in Icelandic for this purpose before I left for Tjörnin, but it was too late for that now. I had to settle for English words, in letters that predated either of the languages that currently make up my world, the language of my birth (the language of power, comfort, ignorance, colonialism) and the language of this land (the language of frustration, error, isolation, faith.) ICELAND, MIDSUMMER 2014 I carve, along with three other words, and I set the candle to burning, to release my spell into the night.”

From all of us at The Wild Hunt, thank you for your time, your encouragement, and all the ways—social, financial, magickal, and spiritual—you support this work.

Whether you are honoring Midsummer, Yule, or simply the science and spirit behind Earth’s orbit, we wish you Solstice blessings. May the light guide you, the dark teach you, and your path ahead be filled with joy.

Southern California Divination Conference Returns for 2025: A Gathering of Mystics, Practitioners, Spiritual Healers, and Seekers in the Heart of Southern California