Celebrating Litha: The Summer Solstice

The Summer Solstice marks the longest day of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere the Summer Solstice falls on June 20 when the sun reaches its northern most point in the sky. The pagan sabbat for this Wheel of the Year is called Litha or Midsummer. 

Seasonally the harvest planted in the Spring is starting to grow. The Summer Solstice marks the midpoint of the Summer season, though it is also considered the beginning of Summertime.

Greeting the sunrise on morning of Litha is a powerful way to celebrate and give gratitude to the solar energy. The sun gives us the most light on this day. After the days will slowly begin to get shorter and darker as the Wheel of the Years turns toward the Autumn season. 

The element of Fire is powerful for ritual on this sabbat. Explore color and candle magic burning yellow, red, orange, or old candles to represent the sun. A bonfire to celebrate Midsummer is also a celebratory way to connect with fire. Midsummer eve is also a traditional time for bonfires. 

The water element is also connected to Litha, and connecting to water in any way is also healing and purifying. You can visit the beach or a local lake or river. Cleanse your crystals with water then charge them in the sunlight of Summer Solstice. Carnelian, Sunstone, Citrine, Amber, and Tiger’s Eye are some stones connected to this sabbat. 

For connecting to the Divine Feminine you can work with any sun, water, and fire Goddesses. Some Goddesses include Aine, Amaterasu, Brighid, Sulis, Sedna, Vesta, Aphrodite, Freya, Olwen, Coventina, and Sekhmet. 

An outdoor magical picnic of local seasonal fruits and vegetables of the Summer season is a lovely way to celebrate. Add seasonal herbs such as lavender, sage, rosemary, basil, mint, thyme, ginger, and cinnamon to anything you cook or bake. Citrus fruits such as zesty lemon and orange add solar energy to your Midsummer Feast. Honey honoring the bees is also a sweet addition. 

The night before Litha, often called Midsummer’s Eve, is a powerful time for magical workings especially abundance, prosperity, and love magic including connecting to self love. This eve is also auspicious for divination, gathering herbs, and connecting with the faery realm. Midsummer’s Eve is also great for prophetic dreams. Place mugwort beneath your pillow before you go to sleep. Write down your dreams in the morning at sunrise and reflect on the messages they bring you.

To connect to creatively to the Summer Solstice make a flower crown with local wildflowers to wear with a festive outfit. A sun catcher is  a lovely craft to make and hang in your window. Paint or  draw a sun wheel while connecting to the energies of Midsummer. Sew a dream pillow filled with lavender and mugwort for dreamtime. Create a love sachet with dried rose petals and rose quartz to place on your altar. 

The Summer Solstice is a time to reflect on what we have planted and started to grow this year. It is a time to feel thankful for the sun and the light, even as the days will be waning and growing darker now. We can connect to our own personal power and internal light. There is hope for the upcoming harvest that will nourish us later this Summer and Autumn. 

Bright Litha Summer Solstice Blessings.