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Welcome to our June newsletter! Whatever your flavour of witchcraft or paganism, June tends to be one of the most anticipated months in an esoteric calendar; due, of course, to the Summer Solstice and its historical importance in the yearly cycle. The Summer Solstice itself is actually the precise point every year in the Earth’s orbit at which the North Pole is at its maximum tilt towards the sun, thus marking the longest day/shortest night of the year in the Northern hemisphere. The solstice shifts between 20th-22nd June - this year, it occurs at 22.43 (BST) on Saturday 20th June. Astronomically (rather than meteorologically) speaking, it also marks the first day of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of Winter in the Southern Hemisphere.
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The days following the Summer solstice are also known as Midsummer due, in part, to their historical importance in the farming calendar of many countries in the Northern Hemisphere. A number of celebrations have taken place throughout Europe and beyond for centuries, and continue to this day.
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This pre-Christian tradition was adapted into the Church as a feast day for John the Baptist; however, many pagans still celebrate in their own way and here in England the festival is known as Litha. This name comes from The Reckoning of Time, written by the monk Bede in 725, which contains a great deal of information on Anglo Saxon Pagan practices, including the names for the months.
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Litha celebrations usually continue for a full day or more and, as part of your Solstice/Litha celebrations, you may wish to take full advantage of the extremely powerful and unique energies at the time of Solstice and, weather permitting, conduct a ritual outside. To this end, our Litha candle this year has been designed specifically with a sultry evening celebration in mind. The candle comprises of an exquisite bouquet of carnation, frangipani, magnolia, patchouli, yang ylang and other carefully selected oils runs through layers of pink and purple wax. Each candle is finished with clematis, pink jasmine and carnelian (small) or sunstone (large 11cm glass) and imbued with our Magickal Intent.
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Our soywax candles are vegan friendly. There is no artificial fragrance in this oil blend; we use only the finest essential oils and absolutes and intuit all our oil blends. We also grow, pick and dry our own flowers and herbs. These Goddess-inspired candles really are unique!
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Small : £3.00 Large : £10.00
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If you wish to work with a specifically Feminine energy over the midsummer period or at any point over the coming months, we’re sure you’ll be delighted to hear that we have another divine addition to our Deities range; namely, Lilith. As Adam’s first wife, cast out of the Garden of Eden for refusing to adopt a submissive role, She has received rather bad press for various reasons. Here at The Annex, we believe She deserves a special place in our range, particularly in terms of empowering the divine Feminine. We have also found her useful for Shadow work; however, as with all the Deities, we merely make suggestions based upon our experience and encourage you to embark upon a deeply personal journey with the Deity or Deities who have chosen to speak to you at a particular time.
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Full details of our Lilith range can be found HERE
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However you choose to celebrate, a meditative state is arguably one of the most important parts of any ritual, as well as informing and enriching your daily life and having a number of benefits for the physical body. Many people do say they find meditation difficult, however. If you’re someone who has struggled with meditation, and has been put off regular practice as a result, we invite you to check out the article detailed here, packed with tips and encouragement.
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Meditation
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