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    As the solar light symbolically is said to die as it approaches the winter solstice, so the physical world may be termed the winter solstice of spirit. Reaching the winter solstice, the sun appears to stand still for three days and then, rolling away the stone of winter, begins it's triumphal march north towards the summer solstice. The condition of ignorance may be likened to the winter solstice of philosophy; spiritual understanding to the summer solstice.

The herb of St. John
    Like midwinter, the summer solstice was long ago incorporated into the Christian calendar, in this case as the feast of St. John the Baptist. The Church did this in order to abolish pagan celebrations. As John was the forerunner and prophet of Jesus, so does midsummer foretell the eventual arrival of the turn of midwinter.

    With this day and the season of summer the herb associated with them is St. John's wort or mugwort. It was gathered in France and other places during this time of year and made into garlands or girdles (St. John was supposed to have worn a girdle of mugwort in the wilderness). St. John's wort is ruled by the sun. It's flowers are bright yellow which symbolizes the sun.

    Midsummer's Eve was a time for divining the future, especially for young girls who were interested in marriage. In Denmark at midsummer two sprigs of St. John's wort were set between the roof rafters of a house, and if they grew together there would be marriage.

St. John's Day
     In ancient times, this day was an occasion to pay homage to water, fire and plants. It was also a time to cleanse one's soul as well as celebrate the summer solstice. Over time, this holiday lost most of it's sacred and spiritual identity, and only the various festive elements remained. Traditionally, people collected in scenic spots such as hilltops or by rivers to feast and honor men named John (Jonas). A large bonfire and wheel hub on a post were set on fire. It was believed that the wider the area that was illuminated by this fire, the healthier and more bountiful the coming harvest would be. Young people gathered grasses with which they predicted their future. Girls also wore wreaths then later set them afloat on nearby rivers and lakes to find out if they would marry the following year. Unmarried young men and women sang, danced and jumped over the remains of the bonfire until dawn. St. John's Day dew was believed to have very magical healing properties. The dew was also used for darker purposes. People believed village sorceresses used it with ill intentions, for example to prevent a cow from giving milk.

Rituals
    In Tsarist Russia, midsummer was observed by creating an effigy in straw and calling this being Kupalo or Kostroma. People dressed this straw man in women's clothes and decorated it with a necklace and a crown of flowers. Next a tree was cut, decorated with ribbons and placed in a favorable location. The tree was named Marena (winter, death), and close by was placed the straw man and a table with food and drink. A bonfire was then lit, over which young men and women would leap; holding Kupalo in their arms. The following day the straw man and the tree were both stripped and thrown into a stream.

Symbolism & Transformation
    The purpose of these kind of rituals was the celebration of the summer solstice and the mourning of the sun:
    "...the decline of summer is dated from Midsummer Day, after which the days begin to shorten, and sunsets out on his downward journey? To the darksome hollows where the frosts of winter lie."
--Sir James Frazer

    The ancients probably appreciated the irony that at the peak of light and life, at the summer solstice, there is the seed of death, darkness and decay; while the reverse is true at midwinter and herein lies the motive that gave rise to the disparate motifs of flowers, fires, weddings, and funerals - that accompanied the midsummer festival; it was a celebration of transformation.

    Frazier suggested that "... the flowers, like the fires of midsummer, are thought to transfer to mankind some radiance of the sun's light and heat which invests them for a time with powers above the ordinary for the healing of diseases and the unmasking and baffling of all the evil things that threaten the life of man." At midsummer, in the blooming of a flower, in fire, in sex, in death, energies are released, a moment of transformation arrives and heaven and earth are for a moment reunited. And then life goes on. 

Sources:
Celebrate the Solstice - Richard Heinberg
Ancient Ways - Pauline Campanelli
Secret Teachings of All Ages - Manly P. Hall
Lithuanian Roots - Edited by Rytis Ambrazenivicius