Flower gardens are blooming, bees are buzzing, people are coming out and about more and Summer has begun. Fire up the barbecue, turn on the sprinkler, and enjoy the heat of Summer.
Litha is the longest day of the year and shortest night of the year. This year it is observed on June 21, 2022 in the Northern Hemisphere. The Earth is heavy with fertility and fulfillment and it’s a time of joy and celebration. Litha is also known as Midsummer or Summer Solstice. The Sun is at its strongest peak. Litha is about the power of the Sun. It’s that time of year where crops are growing heartily and the Earth has warmed. We can spend long, sunny afternoons outdoors and get back in touch with nature under the long daylight hours.
Before we welcome the dark side of the year, we acknowledge the peak of the solar year.
Litha is a great time to connect with our natural world on a deeper, more meaningful level. Here are some correspondences to Litha:
The Sun
Fire
Fertility & Childbirth
Abundance, Power, Manifestation
Nature, Forests, Flowers
Colors: gold, green, orange, red, white and yellow.
Herbs and plants: mugwort, vervain, chamomile, lily, oak, lavender, fern, thyme, daisy, honeysuckle, sunflowers, daisies, marigolds, black-eyed susans
Animals: birds, bees, butterflies. You may find certain animals and insects that are more active at this time! Observe and honor them.
Crystals: emerald, aventurine, jade, citrine, topaz, amber, or tiger’s eye. Try some that are the colors that we discussed, or that correspond with abundance and power.
Where Litha Came From
Many cultures used this time to celebrate the Earth's abundance and the Sun. Many different cultures have honored Gods and Goddesses of the Sun. Let’s look at some of the traditions and deities of the Summer Solstice.
Litha is believed to be an ancient Germanic word for the months of June and July. The Anglo-Saxons brought Litha with them to the British Isles when they settled in the 5th and 6th centuries. The word has a few potential translations like “gentle” or “calm”. A boar was typically sacrificed to the God Freyr, just like in Yule. This was to show gratitude for the community’s health and prosperity. Get-togethers were held around fires.
Early Europeans took a symbolistic approach to their festivals. They would light large wheels and rolled them down the hill. At the bottom of the hill, the wheel would roll into some body of water. The wheel was representative of the Sun and as the wheel turned downhill and extinguished at the end, it represented that it was now the darker part of the year.
The Celts also celebrated Litha, but didn’t consider it a major holy holiday. It was still a time to celebrate, with planting season just passing and wanting to call in a great harvest. It was essential to appease the solar Gods in some way. They would have hilltop bonfires and dancing. Many people would jump over the bonfires for good luck. The Celts also used this time to recognize the Goddess Aine, the Goddess of love, summer, sovereignty, and fertility.
Worship played a big role in Litha festivities. Trees near wells and fountains were decorated with colored cloth. The Oak King has been significant at Litha. He represents strength, courage and endurance. The Celtic name for Oak is ‘Duir’ which means doorway. We’re crossing the threshold to the second part of the year.
Some traditions believe in the battle of light and dark, where the Oak King and Holly King fight for control. During each Solstice, they battle for power and the balance shifts. The Oak King, who represents daylight, rules from the Winter Solstice to Litha. During this time, the day steadily gets longer. During Litha, when the Holly King wins, the days get darker until Yule.
In Native American spirituality the Sun Dance is an important part of ritual.
Summer Solstice is associated with festivals such as Vestalia in ancient Rome. The Romans used this time to celebrate Juno, the wife of Jupiter. She was recognized as the Goddess of women, childbirth, and fertility.
The deities you might find worshiped at Litha are: Freya, Flora, Aine, Habondia, Lugh, Green Man, Bast, Brigit, Pan. Essentially, deities associated with the Earth, the Sun, fertility, hearth, the woodlands, animals, and the fae are all really great deities to recognize and worship at this time.
Celebrating Litha Now
For most modern-day Pagans, Litha is a day of inner power and brightness. Fire rituals and barbecues are a common way to celebrate. This holiday celebrates Earth’s abundance and personal power.
Decorate the House and your altar. It’s a great time to clean, cleanse and reorganize your energy and your space.
Here are a few steps to setting up your altar:
Pick an altar cloth. Pick something bright, like yellow, orange or gold!
Place flowers. Use sunflowers, black-eyed Susans, marigolds or other yellow flowers. Better yet, go out into nature and pick wildflowers for decor.
Find symbols of bees and honey. They are sacred to Litha.
Light candles with Litha scents or colors. Orange, cinnamon and spicy aromas are appropriate. Candles are important to represent the sun. Maintain a flame as long as you can to celebrate.
The Sun tarot card is a nice addition if you don't have any sun symbolism.
You can also use flowers to create a flower wreath or crown!
Here are some Tik Toks I found on Flower Crowns & Wreaths.
Found Wild Flowers:
More:
For those who might not have real flower resources or might be allergic to pollen, here is how to do a cheap and cute fake flower crown: Dollar Store Flower Crown
Dried citrus decor.
Oranges are the food of the sun! They represent happiness, love, generosity, energy and more positive things. Lemons are the color of the sun. They absorb negativity and promote happiness.
Here are some Tik Toks on how to do that!
Bonfire & Feasts
Traditionally, people stayed up all night on Midsummer’s Eve to welcome and watch the sunrises. Bonfires were lit on tops of hills and at sacred places to honor the fullness of the Sun. A bonfire represents the Sun at the peak of its strength. Oak would be the chosen wood to burn and aromatic herbs were placed in the fire. People danced and leaped around them. Blazing torches were carried around homes and fields. Coals from the Midsummer fire were scattered on the fields to ensure good harvest.
You can hold a Midsummer Night’s Fire Ritual. Celebrate the season with a big bonfire.
Host a barbecue or feast! Our ancestors celebrated with a feast. Ask others to bring a dish for a pot luck. Fresh fruits and veggies are a great association with this time. Add some freshly picked herbs to your dishes.
Looking for a more low-key idea? A picnic outside is also a great idea.
Honey: Mead & Honey Cakes
Lovely bees are making honey during Litha. Bees are so special and make golden honey, a reflection of the Sun. Honey itself is full of left-giving properties.
Midsummer’s full moon is known as the ‘Honey Moon’ for the mead made from honey. Mead is regarded as a divine solar drink, with magical and life-restoring properties. Drink to celebrate and toast to the life-giving abundance of the Sun.
Honey Cake is a perfect way to celebrate Midsummer, or to give as gifts. While making them, think of the land and blossoms and bees that made the honey you use!
Handfasting
June is a traditional time for weddings, but if you’re Pagan or Wiccan, Handfasting might be even more appropriate at this time. Litha is a wonderful time for weddings! Handfasting was practiced in pre-Christian times in the British Isles. Two hands are tied together to signify a bond being made. It’s where the term ‘Tying the Knot’ came from. In ancient times, these rituals made a bond.
The handfasting ceremony is one that many choose in the palace of traditional weddings. This bonding ritual has been adopted by modern-day pagans, witches, wiccans, atheists and members of the LGBTQ+ community that may not identify with the ideas of a traditional marriage ceremony. Litha speaks to abundance and is a wonderful, energetic time to host a wedding or commitment ceremony!
If you prefer spending your time alone this Summer Solstice, there are plenty of small ways you can celebrate.
Meditate about the light and dark forces in the world or in yourself. Find ways that you can bring more lightness into your life and get in touch with the joyful parts of life. Journal, do yoga, practice self-care or take a walk in nature. Watch the sunrise and set. Just observing the sun is a beautiful way to connect!
Make sure that you take some time to relax and recharge no matter how you choose to celebrate!
Focus on your goals and nurture your intentions. You should see results in the harvest season. Celebrate how far you've come too!
Cast spells of fruition. It’s a great time for spells of healing, success, abundance, love, purification, protection and parenthood. Manifestation is particularly powerful at this time.
Charge your tools in the Sun. Place your tools somewhere they can soak up the Sun on this powerful day. Be careful of charging your crystals in the direct sunlight for too long. It can fade brightly colored crystals.
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