John Matthews, Foreword by Caitlin Matthews.

144 Pages | First Quest Edition 2002 | Hardcover, incl. Illustrations | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835608158.

The sun is universally acknowledged as the source of all life, fertility, and good fortune, and so has been worshipped by all cultures across the earth. The Summer Solstice brings together myth and legend and offers new and old ways of celebrating the turning of the seasons.

Here we find a celebration of the customs and ceremonies of May Day, Midsummer and Harvest, as observed the world over. The deep and timeless themes underlying the characters of the Lord and Lady of the Summer are explored. Learn how the May Day revels were celebrated; discover the history of the Maypole and the myths behind the Midsummer games. And read how the establishment of the May King and Queen symbolized the struggle between Summer and Winter. Understand the significance of Midsummer’s Eve and the fairy people, and enjoy the ancient story of the death and resurrection of the corn Goddesses and Gods, passed on at Midsummer when ripening corn became the life-enhancing drink of Initiates and dancers.

Resplendent with full-color illustrations, each chapter includes songs, activities, recipes and meditations to help readers relate to the natural world in a meaningful and fun way. In a spirit of revelry, Matthews also provides full instructions for how to produce a Midsummer feast and a Harvest home fete. Families and folklore enthusiasts alike will enjoy this informative and entertaining sourcebook!

From Chapter 2 – ‘Gods and Heroes of Summer (p. 62):

A Midsummer Blessing at Stonehenge

” Though the thin rain lash the broad plain
And the sword-blade’s rimmed with mist,
Shake the bright light from the short night
Kiss the hele-stone in ancient tryst.

Thought the long tracks know no glad step
And the circle go unblessed,
From their long homes may the old ones
Welcome travelers upon their quest.

Though the keepers great no reaper,
And the grasses grow high,
May the Corn King dance his crop sign
In the barley, wheat and rye.

Though remembrance be a semblance
And the land thrums with wrong,
May the hele-stone be the leal throne
Where the sun awakens song.

Chorus:

Sun-stone’s kiss, Midsummer’s pleasure,
Welcome all and some.
At the hele-stone sing and gather,
Every blessed one. “

• Caitlin Matthews.

By Caitlin Matthews.

430 Pages | First Quest Edition 2001, third printing 2009 | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835608015.

Sophia, or ‘Wisdom’ in Greek, has been revered in many forms throughout history. From the Dark Goddess of ancient Anatolia; to her Egyptian, Greek, Celtic, and Cabalistic manifestations; to her current forms as Mary and the orthodox St. Sophia. In the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, Sophia sits with God until the creation. Then She falls into matter and becomes manifest in every atom, permeating all things ‘like the sparks that run through charcoal’, as Matthews says. While God is out there,” the Goddess is in here: the mother-wit of practical inspiration and compassion at the heart’s core.

‘ Anyone interested in the feminine face of God throughout the ages will find Sophia an illuminating experience. Caitlin Matthews’ scholarship connects us to past, present, and future in the very depths of our femininity. ‘  – Marion Woodman, Jungian analyst and author of Bone: Dying into Life.

From Chapter 1 – ‘The Black Goddess’ (p. 6):

 ” The Black Goddess lies at the heart of spiritual knowledge, which is why her image continually appears within many traditions as the Veiled Goddess, the Black Virgin, the Outcast Daughter, the Wailing Widom, the Dark Woman of Knowledge. Our own search for the Goddess is one, that is begun in darkness and unknowing. Ours is the knowing ignorance of the child in the mother’s womb: we have to be born, and we are frightened of the extra womb dimension. Once out of that womb, we begin to be terrified about our origins. But one of the prophecies of Sophia is: ‘I will give thee the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places. ‘ Those treasures of the Divine Feminine liep deep within us, waiting to be discovered . . . “