20/06/2025
From Sundown to Sunup - A Sacred Solstice Night
In the ancient Celtic world, each day began at sundown, not sunrise. A sacred threshold between worlds.
From sundown to sunup, the night was honoured by the Druids as a time of ritual, prophecy, and communion with the Otherworld.
And no night was more powerful than the eve of the Summer Solstice - the turning point of the year.
At sunset, sacred fires were kindled on hilltops. Communities gathered in circle, drumming, chanting, and holding vigil through the longest night, awaiting the return of the light.
It was believed that at this pivotal time in the Wheel of the Year, the sun stood still in the sky, pausing for twelve days.
This stillness marked a mystical suspension of time - a space for deep reflection, healing, and visioning.
Then, on the solstice morning, as the sun began to move again, it symbolised rebirth, renewal, and the return of creative fire.
This rhythm of honouring the night before the light wasn’t unique to the Celts…
In the Biblical tradition, the sacred day begins at sunset:
“And there was evening, and there was morning - the first day.”
Creation itself flowed from darkness into light, a cycle echoed in the structure of holy days and Sabbath time.
In Ancient Egypt, the sun god Ra was said to travel through the underworld each night, facing challenges before being reborn at dawn.
In Greek mythology, the night was ruled by Nyx, goddess of mystery and power - mother of Sleep, Death, and Dreams. The night was a realm of hidden wisdom.
Across cultures and centuries, the night was never seen as empty.
It was a temple, a teacher, a time of becoming.
So as the solstice approaches, may we remember what our ancestors knew:
The true beginning happens in the dark.
Gather at sundown. Light the fire.
Sit with the mystery. Walk through the night.
And rise with the sun, reborn.
