Hello, I’m Charly, a botanist and lunar lover based in Sheffield. I’m on a mission to adopt a slower pace of life which is more in sync with the energies of the seasons here in the Northern hemisphere. Subscribers enjoy full access to my bi-monthly newsletters. I also offer online courses centred around the Wheel of the Year which you can find out more about here.
Welcome to the forth of this year’s eight free editions of Moontime Musings in line with the Pagan Sabbats of the Wheel of the Year. To receive all my newsletters, subscribe below.
Gosh how are we here already(!) - at the Summer Solstice and halfway through the Gregorian year. As you may already know from reading previous editions of this newsletter, Solstice translates from Latin to sun stands still - a liminal time in the journey of our planet, Earth, around the Sun to pause; reflect on the year thus far; and set some intentions for the second half of 2025.
For some time now, I’ve been wanting to write to you about the difference between the processes of manifesting and intention setting after noticing that these two ideas are often conflated in online spaces. Back at the Winter solstice (21 December 2024) I began my intention setting practice for the year ahead. I followed a beautiful ritual shared by my dear friend, Bea, which involved writing down 13 intentions (or wishes) for the year ahead; and burning all but one, one at a time on each day of Yule - from 21 December to 1 January. Other sources suggest that this ritual has roots in a tradition known as Rauhnächte which coincides with twelfthtide - the 12 days between midnight on Christmas Eve and midnight on twelfth night (5th January). When you’re left with just one intention/wish left, this is yours to bring to life in the year ahead. The rest are released to the universe to come true of their own accord.
The one intention I was left with was to train for a long-distance running or swimming event. When I was writing this down, I was only expecting to complete one of the two options by the end of this year. Yet, I can sit here now and share with you that I have done both. Back in April I completed a half marathon and just over a month ago in mid-May I completed a 3.6km swim across Derwent Water in the Lake District (taking around 1 hour 20 minutes). Why am I telling you this? Well - as you pause with the sun at this special time of year in the Northern Hemisphere, I encourage you to write down your intentions or wishes for the remainder of 2025. There is too much chatter on social media about manifesting simply by thinking of what we want, believing it can happen and then magically our behaviour changing to cause our dreams to come true. I believe that true manifestation requires thoughtful, realistic and committed intention setting, such as that which I’ve experienced in the first half of my 2025. I mapped out my training programmes and put the distances in my calendar in order to realise not one, but both dreams for 2025. So, if you have a dream; a wish or a hope for what will be true for you before the Winter Solstice on 21 December, I encourage you to write it down, then plan out the steps required to make your dream a reality - this is the most effective practice to realise your wishes, hopes and dreams.
Do you agree? I’d love to hear in the comments below or connect with me over on Instagram.
Now onto the usual segment of this newsletter which looks at the festivals in the month ahead:
21 June: Summer Solstice (Litha) 03:42 BST
21 June: Sun moves into Cancer
21 June: Midsommar (Sweden); Juhannus (Finland)
23 June: Sankthans (Norway);
24 June: Jaanipäev (Estonia); Jāņi (Latvia); Joninės (Lithuania); Jonsmessa (Iceland); Feast of St John the Baptist (Christian)
25 June: New Mead Moon in Cancer 11:31 BST
26 June 8-9pm BST: New Mead Moon Women’s Circle (online) - sign up here for an hour of intention setting.
🌄Summer Solstice
This year the Summer Solstice (also known as Litha) fell on 21 June at 03:42 BST when the sun shone directly over the Tropic of Cancer for those of us in the Northern hemisphere. Solstice translates roughly from Latin to sun stands still - one of only 2 times in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere solar year when the sun appears to pause in the sky for a few days - the other being in 6 months time around 20/21 December. The Tropic of Cancer is the highest point in the sky to which the sun climbs throughout the year, giving those of us in the Northern hemisphere the most hours of daylight. In the Southern hemisphere, today is the shortest day of the year and the Winter Solstice.
After the Summer Solstice, the days will sneakily become shorter, and I say sneakily because we will still feel like we’re at the height of summer with warm, sunny days despite the daylight slipping away as we slowly edge into Autumn for weeks ahead. From today until Monday the sun rises at 04:37 BST and sets at 21:38 BST here in Sheffield. It won’t be until 23 June that the subtle shift to shorter days begins with sunrise at 04:38 BST.
🍒Feast of St John the Baptist
Meteorologists consider the Summer Solstice to mark the beginning of Summer. Astrologers do too, considering Cancer season to begin the second season (Summer) in the Astrological Calendar. Astronomers however, consider the first day of Summer to fall on Beltane, the last Cross-Quarter festival back on 1 May. So now, we’re at Midsummer. There’s some confusion around the date of Midsummer with some folks celebrating it on 21 June in line with the Solstice, whereas others mark this occasion a few days later on 24 June. This, in truth, has some Christian origins with the feast day of St John the Baptist falling on 24 June – exactly 6 months before the birth of Christ. In Iceland this day is celebrated as Jonsmessa – a time when selkies were believed to emerge from the sea. If this sort of folklore makes your ears prick up, I highly recommend reading Jean Menzie’s ‘Mermaids, Sirens and Selikes’ for more myths and legends of shapeshifting women.
🦀Cancer season
Coinciding with the Summer Solstice is the beginning of the forth Astrological season of the year as the sun enters the Western Zodiac sign of Cancer (preceded by Aries, Taurus and Gemini). This sign is ruled by the moon and invites us to make a courageous commitment to love – to loving ourselves as much as those who we love.
This is also a time to dive deep into our emotional needs – consider just how much we prioritise our own needs and ask ‘how to I nurture myself’?
Call in all that nurtures you – whether this be practices, people or more-than-human beings, to remind you of your sovereignty and the importance of the divine feminine within all of us.
That’s all from me for this forth free edition of 2025. Please consider sharing this newsletter with anyone who you think would like it. Your reciprocity is greatly appreciated 🙏
The next edition comes out in the week of the the next Full Mead Moon on 10 July 2025 and full access will be for paid subscribers only. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber for less than the price of a good coffee each month (£3.50) or £35 a year.
Thank you for reading and Litha blessings.
Love,
Charly x
p.s. if, like me, you’re yet to make Elderflower Cordial this year, you can find my recipe in this newsletter:
love this Charly!
I honestly can't remember my intention on the moontime musings back in 2024. Alot of creativity my end, delving deep into my artwork, colour study depicted from walking around the Somerset landscape. So happy to join your hillside for some well needed knowledge reminders. Thankyou
Gella 🌻