Spiritual Wellbeing: Celebrate Summer Solstice (Litha) Like a Witch
Bonjour Witches! The longest day and shortest night are nearly upon us—Summer Solstice! A time to be outside, not inside. I hope you’re feeling alive with solar energy.
Modern Wicca and Litha:
Modern Wiccans coined the name “Litha” for this sabbat, which is the old Anglo-Saxon name for June. However, many still call it “Midsummer” or “Summer Solstice”.
This sabbat’s celebrations occur anytime from the 20th to the 22nd of June. For us here in Britain, it will be on the 20th of June at 21:51 BST in 2024, and it falls under the sign of Cancer 🦀 .
NB: The Solstice also occurs at different local times, so depending on where you live, it may fall the day before or after the date listed on any given calendar. To remind us of the literal meaning of solstice, it originates from the Latin word ‘solstitium’, meaning the sun stands still.
Cancer is ruled by the Moon, the Divine Maternal Feminine, and represents Home. The Moon is having an upgrade at the same time on this Solstice, reclaiming her power as a spiritual gateway.
Solstices and Equinoxes align with ley lines or energy lines within the Earth. We know that sacred sites are aligned to the stars, but it is little known that this alignment also occurs within the Earth, creating powerful stellar gateways.
Fertile Goddess:
For us Pagans and Witchy folk, the festival is about sun worship and appreciating his role in the fecundity of Mother Nature, aka the Goddess. Evidence of her resplendent bounty can be seen all around us; the earth is positively zinging with ripened flora and fauna.
The Sun is Male:
This is made possible by the Sun God, who is now at his zenith, the height of his virility. Historically, the sun is regarded as a male entity, with the Egyptian God Ra, the Greek God Helios, and the Roman God Apollo.
Reign of the Oak King:
On the ground, the God is the Oak King, evident in its glorious abundance. However, from this point onwards, he surrenders his reign to his twin brother, the Holly King, as we move back towards Yule.
The Oak King, ruler of the waxing of the year, represents strength, courage, and endurance. The Celtic name for Oak is ‘Duir,’ which means ‘doorway’, and we are crossing the doorway into the waning part of the year.
Celebration of Achievements:
This sabbat is for celebrating our fulfillments and achievements. It’s no coincidence that school exams finish at this time and holidays start shortly afterwards.
Traditions:
Traditionally, people stayed up all night on Midsummer’s Eve to welcome and watch the sunrise. They lit huge bonfires on hilltops and other sacred places, made from oak to represent the Oak King and other aromatic herbs, in acknowledgment of the sun’s peak.
The Summer Tree:
People would burn the symbolic Summer Tree, much like the Yule Tree, usually a young oak decorated with flowers and coloured eggs to promote fertility of the crops and animals.
Animal Blessing:
Blazing torches from these fires were carried clockwise around homes and fields for protection. Ashes and coal from the fires were used to bless the animals and fields.
Wheels on Fire:
In some European cultures, large wheels were set on fire and rolled into water to represent and maintain the balance between the elements of fire and water.
Potent Medicinal Plants:
For those like myself, Midsummer is also the best time to gather medicinal and magical herbs, their potency at its peak. In Wales, Litha is known as Gathering Day.
Honey Moon:
During the celebration, people drank mead made from the Midsummer full moon, known as the ‘Honey Moon’. Mead is regarded as the divine solar drink with magical and life-restoring properties and is part of hand-fasting ceremonies performed at the Summer Solstice.
The term “Honeymoon” comes from the tradition where the bride’s father had to supply the groom with enough mead to last a full month. Mead is the ideal drink for Litha, and you can use it in your offerings to the God and Goddess to toast the life-giving abundance of the Sun. If you don’t like mead, make yourself some Elderflower Champagne.
Midsummer’s Night’s Dream:
Magically, this is the time when the doorway to the Otherworld and the realm of the faeries can be found. People put gifts and trinkets out to honour and appease them, as faeries are quite mischievous and not always in an amusing way.
Glow Worms:
Given that this is the time for fireflies, aka glow worms, which look like faeries with their flickering lights, it’s easy to imagine how this belief came into being. Unfortunately, with all the pollutants we’ve used for decades, significantly damaging the insect population, it’s hard to find them in these Isles.
Full Moon in Capricorn:
This year is again, powerful, being followed by a Full Moon in Capricorn. Cancer is the sign for the mother, it’s opposite sign is Capricorn which represents the father. I therefore see this as a time for aligning your male aspects with your divine feminine ones.
What I mean by this is, mother is home and heart, father is boundaries and responsibility. Combine these themes to create a safe space within, which will then be reflected externally, to be love and do not allow anyone external to compromise this.
Next Steps:
If you like this content, read the rest of my blogs on Witchcraft and the Wheel of the Year’s sacred festivals.
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Happy Summer Solstice!
