Festival of st john, the
Festival of the archangel uriel
June 24th 2018
The Festival of St John takes place on 24 June, under the guardianship of the Archangel Uriel, who presides over summer. Christian tradition generally mentions only three Archangels: Gabriel, Raphael and Michael who preside over the three cardinal festivals – the winter solstice (Gabriel), the spring equinox (Raphael) and the autumn equinox (Michael). Why is Uriel not mentioned? Uriel is an Archangel of light, his name signifies ‘God is my light’.
At the Festival of St John, which takes place when the sun enters the constellation of Cancer, bonfires are lit at night in the countryside, for it is the celebration of fire, of the warmth that ripens the fruit and all things. During summer, everything is on fire. This is also the fire of love, of physical, sensual love, this formidable energy that simmers in the veins of all creatures. The Festival of St John must therefore remind disciples that in order to master the fire of their passions, they must learn to work with the fire of divine love to escape the fire of destructive passions.