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foreign
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[Music]
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s welcome back to Moon medicine yoga
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with me Allison and today we're talking
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about the summer solstice known by many
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other names like litha and in this video
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we'll explore five things to know about
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the summer solstice well really it's
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four things to know about the summer
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solstice plus a little bonus section
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either way if you're interested in
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Solstice history mythology spirituality
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and traditions then you're in the right
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place stick around until after the video
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for some Solstice affirmations to
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inspire your yoga meditation and
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ceremonial practices for this sacred
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time of year before we get started
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please like the video and if you haven't
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yet subscribe for more informational
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videos like this as well as yoga aligned
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with the moon and the season so let's
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get started
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the word Solstice comes from the Latin
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words Soul meaning sun and sistere
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meaning stand still or to stand still
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this video is filled with lots of words
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in other languages I did my very best to
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research pronunciation but if I do
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mispronounce anything just let me know
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and educate all of us in the comments
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below these Latin words refer to the
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fact that during the solstice the Sun
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appears to stand still in the sky before
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reversing Direction and the days start
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to shorten litha or the summer solstice
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is the first day of summer and it's the
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point on the wheel of the Year between
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the spring and Autumn equinoxes and the
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cross-quarter festivals of beltana and
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lunasa the word litha is believed to
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have originated from Old English live or
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lied which means calm or gentle these
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words were likely associated with the
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summer solstice this because it's a time
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when the days are long the weather is
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warm and the crops are growing this
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would have been a time of relative calm
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and abundance as people worked hard in
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the fields throughout the spring and
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could now start to enjoy the fruits of
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their labor Additionally the solstice
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marks a transition point in the year
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when the sun begins its gradual descent
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into darkness so it may have been seen
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as a time of gentle or subtle change as
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well
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over time the word lies or lied evolved
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into Letha which is now used to refer
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specifically to the celebration of the
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summer solstice
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just how long have we been celebrating
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the summer solstice the summer solstice
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has been a cause for celebration for
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thousands of years one of the most
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famous examples of ancient Solstice
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observance is Stonehenge located in the
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United Kingdom
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this mysterious Stone Circle has
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captivated our imaginations for
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centuries because the large stones or
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sarson are precisely arranged to frame
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two particular events in the year the
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sunset at winter solstice and the
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sunrise at summer solstice Stonehenge is
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thought to have been constructed around
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3 000 BCE making it over 5 000 years old
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its precise purpose remains a subject of
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debate but one thing is certain that The
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Monuments Builders possessed a deep
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understanding of celestial alignments
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the movement of the Sun the stars and
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the seasons were likely of great
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importance to this civilization
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Dolmen of Guadalupe aka the Spanish
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Stonehenge is a prehistoric Stone Circle
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that recently emerged due to Drought
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conditions and plummeting water levels
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throughout Spain and Europe experts are
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still studying this circle and its
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possible purposes but the dozens of
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megalithic stones are believed to date
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back to 5000 BCE making it 2 000 years
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older than Stonehenge also in Spain
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archaeologists have recently discovered
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a 5400 year old megalithic tomb in the
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country's southern region
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tomb was designed to funnel light from
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the rising Midsummer Sun into a chamber
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deep within the Bedrock at the site is
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tilted away from the position of the
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sunrise on the solstice at mid-summer so
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the builders deliberately constructed a
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cavity to admit its light the Mayans
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constructed many of their cities like
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Tulum chichenitza and uzmal with the
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solstices and equinoxes in mine several
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Mayan observatories and temples were
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positioned specifically to observe the
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movements of the Sun for example the
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main pyramid at Chichen Itza known as
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the Temple of kukul Khan is constructed
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in such a way that the summer solstice
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Sun casts perfect Shadows on the South
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and West sides so it looks to be split
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in two in present-day New Mexico the
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ancestral puebloan people who were
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expert Sky Watchers carved spiral
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designs into rock to track the seasons
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and record the passage of time one
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remark example of their Celestial wisdom
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can be found at Chaco Canyon known as
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the sun dagger during the solstices and
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equinoxes sunlight and Shadow form the
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image of a dagger piercing through the
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center of a spiral glyph this sacred
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phenomenon held great significance for
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the people of Chaco Canyon who would
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undertake regular pilgrimages to the
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site it serves as a testament to the
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pivotal role astronomy played in the
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ancient chocoin religion and Society
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these sacred sites tell us that the Sun
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and solstices have been culturally
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significant for thousands of years I've
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only mentioned a few monuments and
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civilizations specifically but there are
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many others all over the world
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because the sun and the rhythms of
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nature were integral to life and
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survival throughout history there are a
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lot of myths and stories related to the
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summer solstice and many of them share
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common themes just to name a few the
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solstice is a time to contemplate light
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versus darkness and the balance of
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forces in nature death and rebirth were
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the natural cycles of life and death
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honoring the Sun the summer solstice is
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the longest day of the year and marks
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the peak of the sun's power the sun is a
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source of light and life and it is seen
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as a deity or symbol of divine power and
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sacred masculinity and lastly community
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and celebration the summer solstice is
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often celebrated as a time of community
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and connection when people come together
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to share in rituals feasts and other
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festivities one example myth is the
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story of Letha when the battle between
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light and dark takes place in this
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battle the oak King the personification
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of light and Summer and the Holly King
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the personification of darkness and
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winter fight for control
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during the summer solstice the oak king
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and the Holly King engage in a mythical
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battle representing the transition of
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power from one to the other
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the Old King bites valiantly But
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ultimately succumbs to the strength of
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the Holly King the Holly King takes over
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ruling until the winter solstice when
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the cycle begins again with the oak
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Kings Resurgence this myth serves as a
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metaphor for the Eternal ebb and flow of
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Life the changing seasons and the
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balance between light and darkness it
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reminds us that no phase is permanent
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and that each season has its own unique
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beauty and purpose the battle between
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the oak king and the Holly King is often
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celebrated during the summer solstice
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with participants embodying and honoring
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the energies of these mythic figures as
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they symbolically enact the transition
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of power
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foreign
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[Music]
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Solstice Traditions from around the
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world often involve fire dancing ritual
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observing Gathering feasting and periods
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of reflection in some European and
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Slavic Traditions a fascinating custom
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involves setting large wheels or barrels
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on fire and rolling them down Hills into
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bodies of water as these fiery Wheels
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roll and air circulates around them the
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Flames grow with light and heat until
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they are plunged into the water it is
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believed that these blazing Wheels
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symbolize the Sun and serve to carry
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away negative energies bringing good
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fortune and warding off evil for the
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coming year another common practice
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during the summer solstice is the
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lighting of bonfires this act represents
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the power of the Sun and is thought to
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bring purification and blessings people
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gather around fires make offerings and
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joyfully dance and jump over them as
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part of the festive cities observing the
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sunrise and the sunset on the solstice
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holds great significance as we discussed
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earlier with certain phenomena occurring
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at sacred sites bee sting is a
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widespread way to celebrate the sun and
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the arrival of Summer grilling or
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cooking over open fires plays homage to
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the life-giving and transformative power
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of the Sun Breads and baked goods can be
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shaped into circular Sun forms and
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adorned with vibrant ingredients
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including Sunny yellow orange and red
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fruits and vegetables is another
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Splendid way to enhance a solstice meal
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if you're planning A Feast for the
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solstice keeping these ideas in mind and
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experimenting with locally sourced
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ingredients can be a wonderful way to
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honor your local environment you might
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also take this opportunity to delve into
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researching your ancestors and their
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traditional Solstice or summer Foods
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[Music]
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and that is it for today I hope you
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enjoyed this journey exploring the
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history myths spirituality and
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traditions of the summer solstice or
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litha if you did give it a thumbs up and
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subscribe for more videos like this as
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well as yoga aligned with the moon and
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the seasons in fact I have a summer
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solstice slow flow coming up for you
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really soon below you'll find links to
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resources about the summer solstice and
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the wheel of the year if you want to
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dive even deeper there are really great
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books about pagan philosophy festivals
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and the Revival of ancient ways which I
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think many of you will find interesting
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stick around for a few summer solstice
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or Letha affirmations coming up next and
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until next time thank you so much for
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being here I will see you again soon on
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the mat and under the moon
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thank you bye bye
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[Music]
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foreign
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[Music]
