Many years ago when I was in England with my wife, we visited Salisbury for St John the Baptist’s feast (June 24). We took the short trip to Stonehendge to see the ancient monument. But when we drove up, I said, “What the heck. This looks like Phish concert!” There were hippies everywhere, smoking joints, wearing robes, playing jamband music. “Is Stonehenge always like this?”
And then I remembered, the Feast of St John the Baptist’s Nativity (June 24) was instituted to “cover” the pagan festival of the summer solstice. The fact that I was in the area for St John the Baptist and the hippies were there for the summer solstice were not unrelated events.
Anyway, they were back again this year for the solstice. Lots of weird stuff. Divining rods and geodes with “energy”.
Something to remember, Christ is born on the winter solstice, when days begin to increase. John the Baptist was born on the summer solstice, when the days begin to decrease – thus fulfilling the words of John the Baptist: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Happy belated St John the Baptist Feast!
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