Litha is the longest day of the year, the sun is in its maximum power. On this day as Samhain, the veil that separates the worlds becomes thin and it also possible to see fairies and elves on this night as they dance and congregate in the valleys. Many people believe that June 21st is the beginning of summer but this is not true, for example for the ancient Celts summer begins with Beltane in May. June 21st is the time when summer reaches its peak, which is why Litha is often also called '' midsummer ''. This day is very special, it is one of the most energetic sabbats and on this day the magic is at its peak. Litha is one of the four minor sabbats, celebrations usually start at midnight on the 20th and continue until around 11pm of the day after ( but the date of the 21st it's just a date, the solstices like equinoxes don't always came in these exact dates, so always check ).
Parties, music, dancing and bonfires! Everything is permit on this holiday to honor the sun God and encourage him to reach his maximum splendor and potential. Litha Night Eve is the most important Wiccan celebration connected with fairy folklore. The Goddess who joined the God in marriage in Beltane, is now a mother, pregnant, as the earth is full of the next harvest. The Mother reigns as Queen of summer and it is through her that her spouse achieves the fulfillment of her role and last sacrifice. She is the earth, he is the energy and warmth that entered her to give birth to a new life. This festival represents the sun in all its glory, it is the celebration of passion and the growth of the harvest. It's time for love and healing rituals, the night of Litha is the time when the Druids collect their magical plants to dry and use them for the winter rituals. There are various legends related to this sabba: It is said that incense sticks for divinations are infallible because they will absorb the energy of this sabba. It is a good custom to put a wreath with yellow feathers on the door for prosperity and with red feathers for sexuality. Litha celebrates both work and pleasure, children and child behavior! It is time to celebrate the end of the growing year and the beginning of the waning one. Litha brings with it various rituals related to fairies, just think how tradition can also influence literature like Shakespeare's in “A Midsummer Night's Dream” it is said that the little people, the elves and the fairies, can be seen more easily on the night of the solstice, because the veil between the worlds is thinner. We are therefore warned and admonished to be careful when we walk in the mists of the woods during Litha, we could end up in the land of the fairies and get lost for much longer than we think! Litha is a day where we also celebrates love, lovers shook hands on a bonfire, scattered flowers on each other and always jumped on the fire together. Litha is also the right time to do the Wicca initiation ritual, so if you have been practicing for some time, maybe you could choose to start your own dedicated path during this sabba. The herbs are dried on the sacred fire that you will light outside. The use of the mirror to capture sunlight and flames is also a ritual. A 'herb associated with Litha is that of' “St. John” or “hypericum”. A legend says that if you stumble upon the root of St. John on the night of Litha, you will be magically transported to the fairy kingdom. You can hung the St. John's herb on your door as a protective amulet. Another plant sacred to Litha is the mistletoe, sacred to the druids, it was found on the highest branches of the oaks and was cut at midday with a golden sickle and should never touch the ground or would have lost all its magic. Cut it with your friends and avoid it touching the ground. On this night bonfires are lit, which in ancient times served to ward off evil spirits. People jumped on the fire for luck and purification. The streets were also lit with lanterns and there were dancers and actors dressed as unicorns and dragons.
The front door was decorated with birch leaves, wild fennel, Iberian and white lilacs. In addition, on this night 5 herbs were considered sacred: roses, hypericum, verbena, rue and clover. In fact, in Spain this night is called '' night of the verbena ''. Young women gathered St. John's wort in the hope of divining and discovering future love. Litha is the right time to re-celebrate the blaze of life also through dance... one of the ancient ways of celebrating and performing rituals in the world. Usually the one who dances gathers spirits to obtain clairvoyance and knowledge.
It's a special time to bless the animals a the right time for the protection of your housemates. You could choose to have your pet participate in your ritual or give him a special gift, perhaps a small pentacle to hang from the collar.
Correspondences
MOON: Moon Dyad, Moon of Lovers and Mead Moon
SYMBOLS: Fire, wheel of the year, fairies, sun, goblins and other inhabitants of the little people
COLORS: White, light blue, Red, orange, Gold, green, blue and light brown
DIVINITY: All the Mother Goddesses, the pregnant Goddesses, the solar deities
TRADITIONAL FOODS: All seasonal vegetables, colorful fruits, especially oranges and lemons, mead
STONES: Sunstone and all stones with pastel colors or linked to the god
HERBS: Artemisia, verbena, rose, honeysuckle, lilac, fern, elderberry, thyme, daisy, lavender, ivy, carnation and St. John's wort, jasmine, passion flower.
INCENSE: Lemon, honeysuckle, Lavender, Rose and Wisteria
CANDLES: all pastel colors
ANIMALS: Swallows, doves and all summer birds, horses and cows.
Activities:
- Take a photo of the sun on this day and use the back of the photo to write something you want to shine in your life like the sun (a project, love, friendship, etc.)
- Take a picnic on the beach and admire the sun from birth to death (sunrise and sunset)
- Look for two fairly large shells, write a wish on them and through a prayer throw them into the sea. The gods of the sea will grant your wishes.
- Take a long and relaxing bath, possibly in the sea.
- Let's take our pets outdoors, let them spend a day in the sunshine and bless them
- Let's create a nice amulet that brings good luck and bury it in front of the house
- If you have children, show them to the sun and bless them with water that you left exposed to the sun for at least 12 hours
- Check among the seeds for sale which plant attracts you the most and plant it in your garden
- Go hiking in nature
- On the night of the 21st, go alone in a wood (being careful not to get lost), meditate and open your mind, you might see some creature of the little people
- Cook and bake
- If you have children, take them to the sea, if you don't have the sea nearby, do a nice DIY job with them: a beautiful summer landscape in cardboard, complete with sun, sea, beach, etc.
- If you are going to do some magic, do it when the sun is high in the sky
-For those who are expecting a baby, place a beautiful prayer to the mother goddess to ensure that she protects you throughout the pregnancy
- Make small bags with rosemary inside, bless them in the sunlight and give them to your friends as protection
- Buy or adopt a sweet pet
- Make necklaces with shells, stones, etc., wear them or give them as a gift
- Celebrate under the high and bright sun, a small ritual written by you, to bless the union with your partner
- Dance and sing around a bonfire
- Collect the magical herbs and dry them for the winter
- Make flowers garlands
- Purify and charge your crystals using the sun
- Put water to charge with the power of the sun
How to decorate the altar:
- Red / yellow / orange tablecloth (or one of these colors or two or all three, your choice)
- Take a picture in the high sun and place it on your altar
- Collect some flowers and place them on it
- Red / gold / orange colored candles
- Orange or lemon incense
- A flower garland should not be missing
- Make a mixture of wild flowers, mugwort, rosemary and St. John's wort inside the cauldron
- Do a little ritual about love
That's it for this sabba witches, hope you found this article usefull, please feel free to leave a comment below if you have anything to add or want to share how you like to celebrate Litha.
Blessed be and Happy Litha