Litha

The Summer Solstice festival, June 21.

It is a celebration of the god and the goddess when they are at the height of their power. They are regarded as the queen and the king of fertile lands and they combine in order to rule over fertile and growing land. The love of the god and the goddess mature for each other in order to make sure that the ripening of the crops is a success. The goddess normally heavy with pregnancy mirrors the heavy fields with plenty to harvest both in the orchards and gardens. The summer sun is represented by the god, the sun king who protects and nurtures the earth goddess.

The sun god of Litha is normally also referred to as the Oak king, who is the god of the light of half of the year. During Litha, the Oak is also at its prime in terms of power but it has a new challenge to its authority, the Holly King who is the god of the other dark, is born on Litha. Though it marks the zenith of the sun and the day which has the longest light, it is also portrayed as the saddest day. From this day forward, the sun king, the oak king will start to weaken, for with birth also comes death. When the holy king is born, it brings the death of the light half of the year and darkness begins. They begin to move towards winter.

The power which the sun at solstice offers is protective, empowering, inspiring, revitalizing, and healing. It normally adds power to all crystals, spells, and herb. It is traditional to have divination on this particular night of June 21.

The Pagan Summer

The summer is in full swing during Litha and depending on the path which a Wiccan is taking spiritually, there are various ways in which Wiccans Litha can be celebrated, but the focus has always to be in the power of the sun celebrations. This being the time of the year when the crops are growing healthier, and the earth is warm, and people can be seen enjoying the sunny afternoons while enjoying the outdoors. Some of the rituals which can be performed during this period include:

• Midsummer night’s fire rituals
• Amergin nature meditation
• Hold a backyard barbecue ritual
• Celebrate fathers
• Midsummer sun celebrations
• Tool charging rituals
• Prayers for Litha

Setting Up A Litha Altar

Due to the hot weather, it is best to set the altar outside. If one is unable to set the altar outdoors, it is okay to set it indoors, but it must be a spot which is next to a window. Because it is a Sabbat which is all about sun celebration, so the colors for the ritual include orange, yellow, golds, and fiery reds. Candles are supposed to be used which have bright sunny colors or the altar can be covered using cloths which represent the sunny season. Because this is the time when the sun is at its highest point above, the symbols used when making the altar includes circles and discs to represent the sun.

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