June 23 marks St. John’s Eve also known as Bonfire Night or Oíche Fhéile Eoin in Irish
tradition. This is a time traditionally celebrated in many lands including Ireland, France, Spain etc. featuring the lighting of bonfires on hilltops. This practice, especially common in rural areas, has deep roots in both ancient traditions and later Christian observances.
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St. John’s Eve is June 23 and St John’s day is June 24. Some sources say this date was set around the 4th Century but we did not have the Gregorian Calendar until 1582 so perhaps the date was set around the Solstice and later the date became known as June 23/24?
I checked and around 0001 AD June 24 was the day the Sun entered Cancer. In 201 AD the Solstice Sun entered Cancer on June 23. Before the Gregorian Calendar began in October of 1582 the June Solstice Sun reached 0°Cancer on June 11.
In 1583 after the new calendar was in place the June Solstice Sun entered Cancer on June 22 due to the calendar reset and beginning the year with January 1. In 2025 (442 years later) the June Solstice Sun entered Cancer on June 20 for the western time zones and June 21 for the far eastern time zones.
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Since the beginning of the Gregorian Calendar the first current calendar celebration happened in 1583 on the eve of June 23 when the bonfires were lit and the celebrations began. Technically, this was always the time of year but now there were new calendar days that marked this time of year. This linear calendar was the beginning of separating us from the more cyclical experience of time to a more linear way of experiencing time.
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Ancient cultures didn’t need a calendar like we have now to know when to do these celebrations. More HERE
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The high festival of the Masons is called St. John’s day; but Masons in the spiritual know are aware this sacred festival isn’t really because of St. John but rather because it is around the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere when the Sun is highest in the sky at mid-day.
NOTE: My Grandfather was a Free Mason, my Mother and Grandmother were in the Eastern Star and I was a Rainbow Girl. My experience with this was limited and I know there is a dark side to Masonry that I never saw. My understanding is the origins of Freemasonry are pure and in service to the divinity within each of us. When I come across insights about the dark side of this lineage I realize my opportunity is to hold and therefore reclaim the original intent, the sacred light, the wholeness this lineage was originally designed to support and uphold.
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Even though the Summer Solstice now occurs on June 20 or 21 most years, June 24 continues to be the day these celebrations are held. To be fair, the Sun rises and sets along the horizon in the same place in the sky for many days before and after the exact Solstice and since 1926 to 2070 the Sun is rising and setting on the Galactic Cross near the Galactic Edge, a once in 26,000 years occurrence. This tells us we are living in a significant time that is ending and beginning a Great Galactic year and global reset is underway.
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Customs often outlive the reasons they originated. The practice of lighting the fires on hilltops still takes place on June 24 corresponding to the Sun having reached its highest elevation in the sky at Noon.
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The Fires being lit on hilltops is symbolic of the fiery Sun lighting up the highest point in the sky in its annual seasonal relationship with the Earth. The Sun in essence has reached the hilltop of Sky.
Thanks for this, Cayelin. As you know, 24-6 is my birthday. I had all but forgotten ‘bonfire night’, having been away from the Celtic traditions for long enough that some practices have faded. I agree that the tradition pertains to the Solstice in ancient times and that wisdom is resurfacing now. Much love!
Happy Joyous Magical Birthday tomorrow dear Nalini. I didn’t remember the exact day of your birthday so I am loving that it is on June 24 celebrated with ceremonial bonfires and now I am imagining that is celebrating you and all the amazing wisdom and light you bring to this world❤️🙏🌠❤️🙏🌠❤️🙏🌠