The original letter in which Galileo argued against the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church has been rediscovered in London.

Credit: The Royal Society

Via Nature: Discovery of Galileo’s long-lost letter shows he edited his heretical ideas to fool the Inquisition

—

There seems there is nothing new or unknown on this find. I recommend taking a look at his essay (in the form of a letter to the Grand Duchess Christina) written in 1615 (around the time the above letter was also written):

my boy ratatouille livin the good life im happy for him

Chateau de Blancafort, Cher region of the Loire Valley, France

Nærøyfjord, Norway

Morten Müller (1828–1911)

University of Edinburgh

girls with 2 legs and girls with 4 legs

summer

Parmesan Truffle French Fries [1000 × 1500]

My little German sheperd boy Mako, is growing bigger and bigger every day.

Milky Way over Tasman Glacier, New Zealand | by south of home

a) i cannot believe best man nacho let luqui wear White Tennis Sneaks to his own reception b) i cannot believe that marcelo is drunker than my lil mans daniel c) i love our dumb forever wee canteranos so much it hurts my feelings

Midsummer Masterpost

Litha, Midsummer and the Summer Solstice. 

For every witch, pagan and follower of the passing seasons:

One of the four fire festivals of the year, the Summer Solstice is the counterpart to the Winter Solstice and Yule. At this time of year, the power of the sun is at its height. Summer has reached the peak and this is the time to celebrate all of the light and energy that the sun has brought us this season! Everything has bloomed, there is magic in the air and just like how Samhain or Halloween is when the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest, this time of year is when the veil between the magic and the ordinary is at it’s thinnest. The fae and other such magical wonders of the world are thriving and if you’re not careful you might just find yourself swept away from them. It’s common, amongst their celebrations and glee, for the fair folk to pull pranks on humans. There is an old myth that during Midsummer Night’s Eve, all creatures of magic ride across the countryside on enchanted beasts and animals.

For Wiccans:

For you Wiccans, Midsummer is Litha, and essentially the same thing as what has already been mentioned above. You do, however, have some extra lore as God and Goddess worshipers. 

The Sun God, Lord of the Forest, or whatever title you give him, has ruled through all of the summer and is now at the height of his power. Your Lady, the Goddess, is now pregnant and beginning her journey in her mother aspect.

The Oak King and the Holly King go to battle in this sabbat, the Holly King eventually coming out as the victor. As well as being the height of Summer, Litha is also the start of the decline of life. Be mindful of this and appreciate all that surrounds you as it begins to fade. Soon the God will be getting weaker.

For Christian Witches:

Yes, you! I have some good news for you! You can also celebrate the Solstice. I have included a link below pertaining to this. You can either celebrate it purely as a summer solstice or through St John’s Day or combine the two! I heavily implore you to research the history of St John if you are not already aware of it, as he was quite the important figure in early Christianity. It is said that St John was born in preparation for the coming of Jesus.  I also think it’s really important for you Christian witches out there to know that you aren’t ‘stealing’ anything by celebrating along with the rest of us. There is no central pagan belief system that the Summer Solstice belongs to. All we are doing is celebrating the summer.

 A great example of doing just this can be found in Scandinavia. In Sweden, Midsummer is celebrated by Pagans, Christians and Atheists alike and is second in importance only to Christmas. While having a few pagan origins in Sweden too, the modern incarnation is open for all and celebrated by almost every Swede.  I heavily suggest that your research Sweden’s celebrations of Midsummer to gather inspiration. Retreat to nature. Go camping with your loved ones, have a picnic, wear a flower crown and enjoy some drinks in the lovely summer night. Figure out ways of worship you can show that give thanks to God for all of the love and light he has gifted the season. Show appreciation for all that you have and be humble, enjoy the simple pleasures of life!

MY RECOMMENDATIONS

My main recommendation on Midsummer is to embrace the enchantment that magic brings! Harvest your herbs and flowers and put them to good use. This could be a great time to connect with any magical guardians you have. Additionally, if you want to start working with the fae, now is the time to introduce yourself to them. This is also a wonderful time to incorporate singing, dancing, music and poetry into your practice. Many practitioners sing songs to encourage the sun to rise, to give thanks for the season, to feel the magic around them and to weave enchantments into the air. I would suggest doing most of your active magical celebration on Midsummer’s Eve Night (rituals, spells, offerings, etc) and your passive celebration on Midsummer (feasting, taking naps in the sun, reading, etc) but it’s entirely up to you!

I’ve added a list of stuff you can get up to below this. Keep in mind you may need a few days prior to Midsummer to gather some of these ingredients!

ASSOCIATIONS

ABOUT

ACTIVITIES

EDIBLES

MASTERPOSTS