Our Midsummer Crafting - Solstice Wands

Here are the photos from our Midsmmer Solstice Wand crafting project.

As you can see- we had lot of fun!

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This particular project was done by my daughter, my son and their friend, Angela.

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The kids started out by going outside and searching for the perfect branches with which to make their wands from. Somewhere along the way- my son decided that he wanted to make 2 Sabbat projects; and that these 2 would not be Solstice wands. No, he wanted to make a Solstice staff and a spear! (Boys!) The girls stuck to the origional plan with the wands. Look at my sassy little Witchy daughter! She loves hamming it up for the camera...and for you guys.

After the perfect branches were found, I showed the children how to measure them from the tips of their fingers to their elbows (for the wands); and the proper length for a staff (for my son). JD decided that he liked his staff all 'branchy' on the end, so he left it au natural. Then he 'sharpened' the tip of his spear with another stick.

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After that, we set about decorating them. I got out a few different types of embellishments- both natural & manmade; and in the end they all chose to use cheap, but colorful, gift wrapping ribbon. I was a little dissapointed- but then grateful that my good supplies were spared!

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The girls both used curly ribbon to wind along the length of their wands. I explained to them the various symbolism of the color choices- and they picked their colors based on that.

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Jeremiah wanted to keep it simple- and chose a golden bow for his staff, the color of the Sun; and a dark green one for his spear, for the colors of the forest God.

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Unfortunately I did not remember to get any photos of JD getting crafty- because he had me helping him attach the bows. But here are a few pics of the girls hard at work, wrapping their wands.

While the girls were finishing up- Jeremiah & I went outside to test out his staff & spear. He stood proudly with his Solar Staff for a couple of pictures. (Check out his new mohawk. He thinks he is cooler than cool now!)

Then he demonstrated to me how well he could maneuver his spear. He had so much fun playing with that stick! He even had me take a video of him running around the yard in mock combat.

I used that oppourtunity to remind him of the mythic and metaphoric battle between the Oak & Holly Kings- and how our ancestors would celebrate this holiday with the same mock battles, games & other similar sports. He liked that. He took that oppourtunity to teach Mom about the weaponry of the Vikings & Celts. (He loves Deadliest Warrior!) All in all- great fun.

Then the girls finished up their wands & came outside to show them off.

Here is Makayla's...

Our friend Angela's...

A few cute girly poses for the camera.And then it was time to charm the cats! Our furry familiars had been doing their best to get in on the fun- after all- what cat can resist curly ribbon? Certainly not mine!

This top photo is Sadie (the Mama cat- and my baby); and the lower photos are of our smallest kitten, 8 month old Tootsie.
Tootsie had taken off with a few peices of the ribbon while the girls were crafting the wands... and soon after she tired of chasing the ribbon wands- she went back to attacking her own ribbon buddies. (Lazy cat!)

We all had a nice Midsummer's Eve afternoon with this. Then, we had some more Midsummer fun later. I have more photos coming in the next post.

~Danae <(:o)

PS~ I hope that all of my American readers are having a real nice Fourth of July. (And that everyone else is having a lovely weekend as well!)