Midsummer is a term you have heard at least once in your life. Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream is one I’m sure you have heard of. Litha is the modern name for midsummer but is also known as the Summer Solstice. A celebration of the sun and light. A chance to embrace the day and put into action the goals you have set in the beginning of the year.
What is Litha
Litha is a pagan celebration that can be traced back to the Iron Age (58-79 BC). Falling in the middle of the Spring Equinox and the Autumn Equinox this day is considered the longest day of the year, landing on a Friday sometime between June 19-22 (northern hemisphere) and sometime between December 19-22 (southern hemisphere). Once this day comes to an end, it marks the beginning of the sun slowly decreasing its time in the sky as we begin to work our way towards the Autumn Equinox.
Our ancestors relied on this day for the amount of sunlight given. That meant more time to get things accomplished. Tending to the garden, starting projects that have to be done before the unforgiving winters arrive. There was always so much to do for basic survival, and they did it all with no electricity. How easy it is for us to get things done even during the nighttime hours. Just with the flip of the switch.
Modern times has really impacted us and the time we spend outside. With the advancements in technology, we have lost our connections to nature. Important connections with the world around us. We were not meant to dwell inside all of the time. We need time outside. Fresh air, sun on our skin (wear sunscreen!), and get wet from swimming in lakes or even just a walk in the rain. Bonus points if you leave the shoes behind. Give yourself a chance to really connect with the world around you. Being inside all the time impacts our physical health as well as our mental health. A short walk around the block can do so much for your mood.
How to Celebrate
Feasting and a bon fire are the most common ways to celebrate. I know not everyone has the ability to have a bon fire where they live. This could be due to living situations (rental, dorm, etc.) where you cannot have open flame, or you live in a city region and do not have the room to have a fire.
If you live in a place where you cannot have open flame, you can still celebrate with the fire aspect of this celebration. You can try using battery operated flameless candles or throw on a fire image or video on YouTube. It doesn’t have to be the real thing. As long as the intention of the celebration is there.
Can’t have a fire outside but you can have open flame in your home? Candles are the solution. Try to go with beeswax candles, bees are a Summer Solstice correspondent as well as fire.
For those of you who live in an area that can have fires, I highly recommend it for this celebration. The fire representing the sun and bringing that light into the shortest night of the year. Make sure you check your local fire laws first and do not light fires if there are fire restrictions in place.
Celebrate with Love
Litha is a time for love. It does not have to be just romantic love, it could be self-love, friendships, love for family, love between a mother and a child, or just love for mother earth.
This is a time couples come together and celebrate their love with friends and family. During this time, weddings are in full swing. If you are a Pagan and are planning on handfasting, this would be a great time for that. Bring the celebration of the Summer Solstice into your celebration by using corresponding flowers, colors, and even food. Have your bridesmaids wear flower crowns and maybe let your flower girl (if you have one) wear fairy wings. So many possibilities to make your special day and your Summer Solstice magical.
More Litha Activities
- Pick fresh flowers for your home
- Take a ritual bath
- Make sun water
- Decorate your altar (ideas below)
- Plant seeds
- Go for a walk/ hike in nature
- Take action on any goals you have set for yourself. Time to DO!
- Work in the garden
- Cook/ eat outside
- Make a flower crown
- Meditate outside
- Wake up with the sun
- Plant trees
- Set out a nature offering
- Set up a birdfeeder
- Cleanse your home
- Put up protection wards
- Pick seasoned veggies
- Harvest herbs
- Create a Faerie Garden
- Love spells/ rituals
- Make a homemade besom
- Walk barefoot outside
- Charge your sun safe crystals in the sunshine
- Have a picnic
- Cleanse your altar tools in the sunshine
- Set out offering for the Fae
- Make paper boats (used to send out offerings)
- Set up a birdhouse
- Find a nice stick and make a homemade wand
- Prosperity/ abundance spells
- Ground yourself on land or in water
- Go to a body of water and thank the water for what it gives us every day. No body of water? A fountain or a bowl of water will work fine.
- Take your dog for a walk
- Have a picnic
- Make a sun wheel
- Travel to Stonehenge for the Summer Solstice Festival (if able)
Decor for a Summer Solstice altar
When decorating your altar, keep in mind the theme of what you are decorating for. If putting out a candle, make sure the color matches with the magical intention of the celebration (and never leave open flame unattended). The best thing about decorating your altar is that there is no wrong way to do it. Be creative! Do what feels right! You cannot have too much or too little. It is however you want it.
Altar Decor Ideas
- Flowers
- Incense
- Candles (flame or flameless)
- Herbs
- Bowl of water (sun water would work great)
- Statue of corresponding Gods/Goddesses (listed below)
- Cauldron
- Oak leaves
- Offerings
- Altar cloth with corresponding colors (listed below)
- Animal statue
- Acorns
- Sun symbols (disks, wheel, spirals, circles)
Litha Correspondences
Colors: Green, Gold, White, Red, Orange, Yellow
Animals: Bees, Butterflies, Bull, Summer Birds (swallows), Hawk, Cow, Eagle, Horse
Theme: Abundance, Cleansing, Love, Warmth, Creativity, Divination, Sun God Energy, Opportunity, Empowerment, Prosperity, Energy, Fertility, Motherhood, Fire, Light, Growth, Success, Healing, Connect with Nature, Inspiration, Protection, Joy
Alternative Names: Alban Heflin, Feast of the Sun, Gathering Day, Midsummer, Summer Solstice, St. Johns Day, Festival of Baldur, Sankthansaften, Thing-Tide
Symbols: Fire, Circles, Disks, Spirals, Sun, Cauldron, Roses, Sacred Well, Sun Wheel, Equal Arm Crosses, Faeries, Herbs
Incense/ Scents: Cinnamon, Rose, Lavender, Lemon, Orange, Pine
Plants/ Herbs: Cinnamon, Sunflowers, Merigolds, Daisy, Honeysuckle, Rose, Yarrow, Dandelion, Chamomile, Lavender, St. John’s Wort, Foxglove, Meadowsweet, Mugwort, Vervain
Trees: Elder, Oak, Hazel
Crystals: Citrine, Amber, Sunstone, Tiger’s Eye, Calcite, Carnelian, Emerald, Diamond, Peridot, Jade, Garnet
Deities: Horus, Apollo, Athena, Gaia, Vesta, Aphrodite, Odin, Zues, Brighid, Helios, Juno, Ra, Pan, Ishtar, Vishnu, Bast, Fortuna, Hodur, Baldur, Yemaya, Cerridwin
Food/ Drink: Oranges, Lemons/ Lemonade, Berries, Cheese, Sun Tea, Pine Nuts, Honey Cakes, Mead, Wine, Summer Squash, Peaches, Pears, Anything with Cinnamon, Spinach
Magical Workings: Rebirth, Love, Abundance, Transformation, Fae Magic, Protection, Life, Growth, Balance, Fire Magic, Purity, Power
What is your favorite part of the Summer Solstice? Comment below and let me know. I can’t wait to spend the day with my family hitting the trails and having fun nature adventures!