Litha / Summer Solstice - Lore, Fun & Ritual 2016
A full Moon hasn’t landed on the Solstice since 1948. But that’s what’s actually happening on Monday, June 20. The gardens are blooming, and summer is in full swing. Fire up the Solstice and enjoy the celebrations of Midsummer! Also called Litha, the Summer Solstice Sabbat honors the longest day of the year. Take advantage of the daylight and spend as much time as you can outdoors!
Depending on your individual spiritual path, there are many different ways you can celebrate Litha, but the focus is nearly always on celebrating the power of the sun. It's the time of year when the crops are growing heartily and the earth has warmed up. we can spend long sunny afternoons enjoying the outdoors, and getting back to nature under the long daylight hours.
The summer solstice has long been a time when cultures celebrated the lengthening year. It is on this day, sometimes called Litha, that there is more daylight than any other time; a direct counterpoint to the darkness of Yule. No matter where you live, or what you call it, chances are you can connect to a culture that honored a sun deity around this time of year. Here are just a few of the gods and goddesses from around the world that are connected with the summer solstice.
Lugh was known as a god of both skill and the distribution of talent. He is sometimes associated with midsummer because of his role as a harvest god, and during the summer solstice the crops are flourishing, waiting to be Harvested from the ground at Lughnasadh.
Litha has often been a source of contention among modern Pagan and Wiccan groups, because there has always been a question about whether or not Midsummer was truly celebrated by the ancients. While there's scholarly evidence to indicate that it was indeed observed, there were suggestions made by Gerald Gardner, the founder of modern Wicca, that the solar festivals (the solstices and equinoxes) were actually added later and imported from the Middle East. Regardless of the origins, many modern Wiccans and other Pagans do choose to celebrate Litha every year in June.
In some traditions, Litha is a time at which there is a battle between light and dark. The Oak King is seen as the ruler of the year between winter solstice and summer solstice, and the Holly King from summer to winter. At each solstice they battle for power, and while the Oak King may be in charge of things at the beginning of June, by the end of Midsummer he is defeated by the Holly King.
This is a time of year of brightness and warmth. Crops are growing in their fields with the heat of the sun, but may require water to keep them alive. The power of the sun at Midsummer is at its most potent, and the earth is fertile with the bounty of growing life.
For contemporary Pagans, this is a day of inner power and brightness. Find yourself a quiet spot and meditate on the darkness and the light both in the world and in your personal life. Celebrate the turning of the Wheel of the Year with fire and water, night and day, and other symbols of the opposition of light and dark.
Litha is a great time to celebrate outdoors if you have children. Take them swimming or just turn on the sprinkler to run through, and then have a bonfire or barbeque at the end of the day. Let them stay up late to say goodnight to the sun, and celebrate nightfall with sparklers, storytelling, and music. This is also an ideal Sabbat to do some love magic or celebrate a handfasting, since June is the month of marriages and family.
Depending on your individual spiritual path, there are many different ways you can celebrate Litha, but the focus is nearly always on celebrating the power of the sun. Litha, the summer solstice, falls around June 21 in the northern hemisphere, and around December 21 below the equator. It's the time of year when the crops are growing heartily and the earth has warmed up. We can spend long sunny afternoons enjoying the outdoors, and getting back to nature under the long daylight hours. Here are a few rituals that can be adapted for either a solitary practitioner or a small group.
The Summer Solstice, known to some as Litha, Midsummer, or Alban Heruin, is the longest day of the year. It’s the time when the sun is most powerful, and new life has begun to grow within the earth. After today, the nights will once more begin to grow longer, and the sun will move further away in the sky.
If your tradition requires you to cast a circle, consecrate a space, or call the quarters, now is the time to do so. This ritual is a great one to perform outside, so if you have the opportunity to do this without scaring the neighbors, take advantage of it.
Mid-Summer Ritual-
Begin this ritual by preparing the wood for a fire, without lighting it yet. While the ideal situation would have you setting a huge bonfire alight, realistically not everyone can do that. If you're limited, use a table top brazier or fire-safe pot, and light your fire there instead.
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 of celebration. Tomorrow the light will begin to fade As the Wheel of the Year Turns ever onward.
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 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.
If you wish to make an offering to the gods, now is the time to do it. For this sample, we're including the use of Lugh a Triple Goddess in the invocation, but this is where you should substitute the names of the deities of your personal tradition.
Today we Honor The God Lugh & 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 fire. Conclude the ritual by saying:
Today, I celebrate the life And love of the gods And of the Earth and Sun.
Take a few moments to reflect upon what you have offered, and what the gifts of the gods mean to you. When you are ready, if you have cast a circle, dismantle it or dismiss the quarters at this time. Allow your fire to go out on its own if possible in your area.
Thank you for reading we hope you found this article educational and fun you can contact us any time by messaging us through the site or by going to www.facebook.com/triplemoonsanctuary2014
Text is by Rev. Thomas and from Triple Moons Divinwolff Tradition 1st Degree Course with some background credit going to: Gerald Gardner Images Via Triple moon Coven Copyright©2016 Triple Moon Ministries All rights reserved
