Litha — The Summer Solstice What is Litha? Litha ~ the Summer Solstice is the Pagan celebration of Midsummer. It’s...
Litha — The Summer Solstice
What is Litha?
Litha ~ the Summer Solstice is the Pagan celebration of Midsummer. It’s at this time that the Northern Hemisphere is tilted closest to the sun. This is the beginning of summer, according to the solar calendar. It’s the longest day (and the shortest night) of the year. The date occurs between June 20-23. In 2024, it falls on Thursday, June 20th. You can learn about various symbols associated with Litha here.
Lore says at twilight, the portals between worlds open and the magickal beings of the Fae Realm pass into our world. When the forest elves, sprites and faeries come to our realm in great numbers, making it a great time to communicate with them.
In honor of the abundance of daylight and sunshine, people gather and hold bonfires, music, dancing, and outdoor festivals as both religious rituals and earthly celebrations.
The summer solstice is the time to acknowledge Hekate as the keeper of the keys of all creation and along our personal journey, as she is the gatekeeper of all things. A few ways to include Hekate in solstice workings involve a gratitude ritual, working on our personal power, and requesting her aid in shadow taming.
Ways to Celebrate Litha:
A Midsummer Night Fire Ritual
A roaring bonfire with a Midsummer Night Fire Ritual to honor the fertility gods is an idea. Invite friends and family over and make it festive. Provide an offering to the gods of your choice/tradition, along with fireworks and sparklers after dark.
Preparing the Ritual
If you traditionally cast a circle, consecrate a space, or call the quarters, now is the time to do so. Begin this ritual by preparing the wood for a fire (do not light it yet).
Performing the Fire Ritual
Say either to yourself or out loud:
‘Today, to celebrate Midsummer, I honor the Earth itself. I am surrounded by tall trees. There is a clear sky above me and cool dirt beneath me, and I am connected to all three. I light this fire as the Ancients did so long ago.’
At this point, start your fire. Say:
‘The Wheel of the Year has turned once more
The light has grown for six long months
Until today.
Today is Litha, called Alban Heruin by my ancestors.
A time for celebration.
Tomorrow the light will begin to fade
As the Wheel of the Year
Turns on and ever on.’
Turn to the East, and say:
‘From the east comes the wind,
Cool and clear.
It brings new seeds to the garden
Bees to the pollen
And birds to the trees.’
Turn to face the South, and say:
‘The sun rises high in the summer sky
And lights our way even into the night
Today the sun casts three rays
The light of fire upon the land, the sea, and the heavens’
Turn to face West, saying:
‘From the west, the mist rolls in
Bringing rain and fog
The life-giving water without which
We would cease to be.’
Finally, turn to the North, and say:
‘Beneath my feet is the Earth,
Soil dark and fertile
The womb in which life begins
And will later die, then return anew.’
Build up the fire even more, so that you have a good strong blaze going.
If you’re making an offering to the gods, do it now. The triple goddess is named in this invocation; however, you can substitute for the deities of your tradition.
Say:
‘Alban Heruin is a time of rededication
To the gods. The triple goddess watches over me.
She is known by many names.
She is the Morrighan, Brighid, and Cerridwen.
She is the washer at the ford,
She is the guardian of the hearth,
She is the one who stirs the cauldron of inspiration.
I give honor to You, O mighty ones,
By all your names, known and unknown.
Bless me with Your wisdom
And give life and abundance to me
As the sun gives life and abundance to the Earth.
I make this offering to you
To show my allegiance
To show my honor
To show my dedication
To You.’
Cast your offering into the fire. Complete the ritual by saying:
‘Today, at Litha, I celebrate the life
And love of the gods
And of the Earth and Sun.’
Take apart your circle or dismiss the quarters at this time. Allow your fire to go out on its own.
Hold a Spiral Dance
Another activity you could take part in is the Spiral Dance. If you have quite a few people with you, this would be a lot of fun!
The spiral dance usually involves a drumming group and a chant or song in addition to the dancers. Stand in a circle holding hands. The leader drops the hand of the person to their left and begins to move in a counter-clockwise motion using a grapevine step.
As the leader comes near closing the circle, he or she whips around and begins moving clockwise while facing the rest of the dancers.
Go a small distance past the last person in the line and begin to spiral in toward the center of the circle, making increasingly small circles as you go.
By continuing this formation, every dancer in the line will eventually be face to face with every other dancer. Keep winding toward the center until you are huddled close together in the middle of the circle.
To see this in action, Google ‘Starhawk at the Glastonbury Goddess Conference 2016’. Not everyone is doing the grapevine step, but you get the gist of it.
Here is the chant:
‘What serves life will stand,
What does not will fall.
The power is in our hands,
Love changes all.’
Litha Correspondences:
Symbols, Crystals, Deities:
Colors:
Joyful, vibrant colors. Yellow, green, gold, red, blue, and orange. White is always an option.
Herbs:
Be magickal, y’all!
