06/21/2023
Sending Litha and Summer Solstice blessings your way! 🌞🌻🍉🌼🐝🐞
The Summer Solstice, also known as Litha, is a sacred holiday that falls on June 21, 2023, at 10:58am ET. This powerful celestial event signals the arrival of the summer season and invites us to embrace the abundance and vitality of the sun's energy.
Litha marks the height of summer. During this time, it is a good idea to align yourself with the powerful energies of the sun and the bounty of summertime. Try new things, expand your ideas, and begin or continue projects that will bring you success. You should also use this time to give thanks for all that you have and show gratitude to Mother Earth for her bounty.
At the summer solstice, we are also at the peak of the bright half of the year. While the darker half of the year, during fall and winter, is a time for introspection and spiritual work, the spring and summer are times to see and feel spirit and magic in the outside world. It’s a time to be outside, to connect with people, plants, and animals, and to see the magic of spirit in the natural world.
Some of us find that we are less motivated to pray, meditate, or practice rituals during the summer season, but that’s not because Spirit is any less present. It’s rather that our communion with the divine can happen in smelling a flower, watching the waves crash onto the beach, or laughing with a friend in the sunshine.
How to celebrate:
The most popular way to celebrate Litha is a bonfire. campfire or even something as simple as lighting a candle
Another common practice is watching the sun both rise and set on Litha. Since this is the longest day of the year, and the peak of the Sun God’s (Oak King) power, this is an excellent opportunity to pay your respects as he both arrives and departs. Get up early and greet the sunrise. Sip coffee and say hi to the sun or practice some yoga sun salutations. Breathe in the sunshine.
Here are some other ways to celebrate:
Spend Time Outdoors
Be sure to take time out to participate in your favorite outdoor activity. Whether you love long bike rides, going to the beach to lounge in the sun, or hiking up the side of a mountain, get outside and enjoy the sun. Pay attention to how it makes you feel when it touches your skin.
Doll Making
Doll making is a common pastime for kids at many sabbots using corresponding materials, but it doesn’t have to just be for children! Gather twigs or branches that fork and dress them with leaves and grass, and other foraged items. Keep it in a special place when you need a little help from the Sun, or add a protection spell to it and allow it to sit somewhere in your home for the year. Be creative with this one. Use a mixture of manmade and natural items to create your doll if you’d like.
Burning Candles
Just as the early Europeans spun a wheel down a hill to extinguish it, you might do the same with candles. Light candles at dawn on Litha, and extinguish them at Dusk, thanking them for their light. This is a simple act but you could amplify it by carving sigils for your intentions or goals for the next half of the year.
Gardening
This one should be a bit more obvious, the harvest is coming! This is the last real chance to sow summer seeds. Don’t be afraid to involve kids in this too! This is a great time to sow seeds in small containers to keep on the porch or window sill so that they may be intentionally cared for until harvest. Select your favorite weeds, herbs, or spices and plant them if they are still viable in your region. This is good for the Earth, good for your family, and a satisfying process. Nurture something to harvest just as the Mother Goddess is doing.
Make Floral Wreaths
At this time, there are still plenty of wildflowers about. Pick some of your favorites and create a wreath for your door, mailbox, or your head!
Protection Charms, Spells, and Amulets
Litha is the perfect time to retire old spells and protections. This is an opportunity to disassemble any jars that are no longer effective or sachets (if these are spells that can be deconstructed that is). Offer up any natural ingredients like herbs back to the Earth on Litha.
Any non-natural items like physical charms or necklaces, simply cleanse them, give thanks, and let them soak in the sun. You may want to donate them or recycle them once you’ve done this, or simply store them away. This is a great time to create new charms, spells, amulets, and even sigils for yourself.
Fae Offerings
If you do work with the fae, make an offering on Litha, but be careful. They may be up to no good on Litha, so practice with Caution.
Nature Walk
Go for a walk mid-day when the sun is at its peak. Enjoy its warmth and take this time for personal reflection.
This Summer Solstice, let's ignite the flame of prosperity within us and invite abundance into every aspect of our lives. May the magic of this sacred time fill your heart with gratitude and open the doors to limitless possibilities.
✨️✨️✨️🌼✨️✨️✨️🌼✨️✨️✨️🌼✨️✨️✨️
Research:
Laurie Barraco
Barbi Gardiner, The Outdoor Apothecary
Photos: Unknown
