The Summer Solstice, Litha, Midsummer.  Whatever you call it, we have reached the height of the sun’s power and we have come to the midway point of the year.  While we often see the year divided into four seasons, in many ancient cultures the year was divided in half, honoring the summer and winter seasons alone.  Today being the day that the sun reaches it’s apex, we have a special opportunity to take some of the power of the sun and draw it into our lives to help burn away things that no longer serve us while adding fuel to the things we wish to see grow in our loves.

Tarot spells and working with tarot cards in magick is really quite simple.  The cards serve as a focal point for meditation and for raising and directing energy.  While this can be a really elaborate process, using multiple cards and many different magickal techniques, I’ll present to you a very simple way to use the Sun card specifically for honoring Midsummer and drawing in the power of the sun for growth in the coming months.  All you need for this is:

– The Sun card from either your favorite deck or from a deck set aside just for magick
– An orange or yellow candle
– Incense of a solar or fiery nature (cinnamon, frankincense, orange, sandalwood, dragon’s blood…personally I like using a mix of amber, cinnamon and frankincense for this type of work)
– Essential oil or solar blend oil (similar to the herbs above) to anoint your candle if you wish

If you decide to anoint your candle with oil, take a few drops of oil in the palm of your hand and rub the oil into the candle from wick to center and then from base to center.  This motion helps with drawing energy toward you, which is what you’ll be doing with this spell.  Place the candle in an appropriate holder.

Take your Sun card and place it on your work space.  Place the candle holder with your candle at the top of the card.  Place your incense next to the card on the left (movement from left to right is the movement of bringing things towards us; the use of the incense to card our wishes and desires helps to draw those things into us and into our energy space).

Light your candle and incense.

Gaze at The Sun card with the candle light illuminating the image.  Think about what the card means to you and some of the symbolism that is present in The Sun card.  Draw up the energy of joy, happiness, youth, growth, and brightness.  Feel this energy by recalling an event in your life that gave you the most clear and perfect feeling of joy and happiness you have ever experienced.  This could be the birth of a child, your wedding day, the first time you went away on a special vacation; anything that makes you feel that sense of youthful joy and excitement.  Hold that feeling while thinking of something in your life that you wish to give that energy to.  Maybe you have a creative project that you’d like to see grow and bring you that kind of feeling at completion.  Maybe you have a problem in your life that needs this sort of energy to drive you to find a solution.  Imagine that feeling of pure joy surrounding you in that situation.  See that project completed and feeling that feeling of celebration; see this troubling problem in your life resolved and feeling a sense of relief and happiness.

Now examine The Sun card deeply.  Image that you are the child on the while horse, riding happily into the warm sun, surrounded by the scent of sunflowers and greenery.  Whatever the image is on your card, place yourself as the character in that card or, if you card doesn’t have a character, place yourself within the card in a place that allows you to gain the full perspective of the Sun.  How does the card feel to you?  Can you feel the sun on your skin, the joy in the air?  Draw that into yourself, taking whatever kind of time you need to fully connect with the card and the energy of the sun.

When you’re ready come out of the card meditation and imagine all that energy that you have gathered as a large, bright yellow ball of energy, your own personal “sun”, at the center of your body, at the solar plexus.  See that ball of energy rise up through your body, out through the crown chakra (through the top of your head) and out into the Universe.  Envision it flying off into the atmosphere, heading to your desire, and pouring out it’s energy into it, helping you reach your goal with grace, swiftness and ease.

Let the incense and candle burn out.  When you’re finished you can leave the card out on your work space or place it in another special place in your home as a reminder until you see your goal come to fruition or you can take your card and place it back into your deck.

Remember that all magick requires work in the “real world”.  Once you have cast this simple spell be sure that you take the practice steps needed to make your dreams come true.  If you cast the spell for a job, make sure you get out and go to interviews.  If you worked to help with a relationship, make sure you communicate with the people or persons involved.  Make sure that you do what you need to on your own and the energy that you created and sent out through your spell will make the process easier and bring your goals to you faster.

Happy Solstice!