Midsummer Time

Today I'll let another speak of this thing called a midsummer's eve. From my mythological expert friend, Cathy:

"The Celts celebrated Midsummer's Eve (June 24) as a time of magic, both good and bad; a time when the faerie folk once again come through the veils between the worlds to dance with us mortals. But most of all, we acknowledge Summer Solstice as a time for lovers, for at the moment of the sacred marriage of Heaven and Earth, when the Sun fertilizes the Earth
with His heat, and She becomes pregnant with Life. But there is a cost to all of this, for the Summer King must fight for his Flower Bride with the Winter King, and although the Summer King overcomes the darkness and cold of the Winter King, yet will the darkness finally overcome him once the summer is over."

Or this, from "Billy Shakes," you can guess the play -



The cowslips tall her pensioners be:
In their gold coats spots you see;
Those be rubies, fairy favours,
In those freckles live their savours:
I must go seek some dewdrops here
And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.


...The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve;
Lovers, to bed; 'tis almost fairy time.



So go be mirthful, friends.