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Litha/Midsummer Night/Summer Solstice HISTORY OF LITHA Midsummer Night is the longest day of the year and has been celebrated in some fashion since ancient times. In Pagan tradition, Litha marked the end of the Oak King’s reign and the rise of the Holly King, who oversees the world as the days gradually get shorter as the world descends into the cold dark of winter. Like Beltane, fire is an element of Litha. Bonfires were lit to assist the sun as it journeyed across the sky, changing course and shortening the days. It was believed that the faerie realm was the most accessible during Midsummer Night. Thinning of the Veil at Litha The ancients believed that Litha was the time when the veils between the human and the faerie world would thin. Sun Energy at Litha Energetically, the summer solstice is the moment when we are most imbued with heat and light energy. This can be wonderful and intense, but it can also make us feel a little unbalanced if we’re not getting enough time in rest and darkness. It feels similar to the energy of the full moon: lots of light and energy, but that can come with some intensity of emotion and disturbed sleep. Litha was also a celebration of the Celctic goddess Danu (Anu) who represents earth and fruitfulness. According to Irish mythology Danu was the Universal Mother of Tuatha De Danaan - a tribe of ancient people in Ireland believed to have invaded Ireland and ruled until being defeated in war on midsummer’s day, after which they retreated to the hills and eventually became the Faerie folk. As Christianity swept across Europe in the early middle ages, Litha / Midsummer Night was adopted by the Catholic church as St. John’s Day, celebrating John the Baptist. Extroversion at Litha 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. Litha as a Fire Festival Litha is traditionally celebrated as a fire festival. Bonfires are lit to be gathered around with friends and family, and small fires were sometimes jumped over in a symbolic gesture of stepping through the portal from one part of the year to another. Jumping over a fire also symbolizes cleansing anything from the last half of the year that we are ready to release before the wheel of the year turns again. SETTING INTENTIONS AT LITHA Litha is a good time to align yourself with the powerful energies of the sun and summertime. Everything is growing and expanding and now is the time to expand your ideas, business, goals or desires. And like all Wheel of the Year Sabbats, Litha is an opportunity to show gratitude for all that you have and thank Mother Earth for her bounty. Litha is also a time to acknowledge your successes thus far in the Wheel of the Year. SYMBOLS OF LITHA [/COLOR Colors: Blue, green, yellow, pink, purple (look to nature for the colors of Litha, as seen in the sky, woods and flowers) Foods: Honey, elderberry, strawberry, fennel, thyme, fresh greens, mead, light wines Stones: Peridot, diamond, emeralds, lapis lazuli Symbols: Bonfire, sunwheels, flowers Flowers & Plants  ak, mistletoe,, elderflower, lavender, pine, fern, pine, rose Deities: Aphrodite, Astarte, Freya, Ishtar, Helios, Llew, Holly King, Lugh, Sol, Ra, Zeus, Thor WAYS TO CELEBRATE LITHA *Make floral wreaths for your front door *Host a bonfire and potluck for family and friends *Gather and dry herbs to use throughout the coming year *Take time to meditate and give thanks for the blessings you have in your life *Create an ‘invisibilty’ amulet from seeds of ferns gathered on midsummer eve *Build a Faerie House in the woods, to invite their goodwill into your life           kajira belongs fully to Master Adomis4u2 |
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Tal greets a girl an hello smiles very educationall for all to read and know of your ways smiles Well done Master
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