The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, and the shortest night. This is when summer has truly arrived, full of light, warmth, and abundance. The Goddess is pregnant with the child of her consort, the Sun god, and so we celebrate life, motherhood, and the love of family.
Midsummer is a customary time for handfasting, as well as the perfect time for celebrations that include children and family. It is traditional to throw lavender on the bonfire as a sacrifice to the old gods, and some believe that this is the optimal day to harvest your magickal herbs. Litha marks the end of the waxing time of the year and the rule of the Oak King, and beings the waning half, ruled by the Holly King.
The Summer Solstice is all about abundance and celebration of the light, so why not have a big feast for friends and family to celebrate with you? Cook over the bonfire or barbeque, but remember to include traditional summer dishes and local seasonal foods. Strawberries dipped in chocolate or beautiful, ripe peaches dripping with juice are a perfect symbol of summer's vibrant energy. Then stay up late to enjoy the longest day of the year!
- Deborah Blake.
The Summer Solstice is coming up quick on June 21st. Try out some of the activities below to celebrate the Solstice!
☆ Wake up early to greet the sun as it rises.
☆ Hang sun crystals in your windows to invite the energy of the sun into your life and home!
☆ Have a bonfire to celebrate the fire festival! Burn lavender or rosemary as blessings.
☆ For a fun activity to do with a child, decorate a flower pot with any materials you'd like - paint, sticky gems, etc. Then plant a herb or some lovely flowers inside.
☆ Is it storming during your celebrations? Collect a jar of rainwater to be used in rituals and do a few blessings to the thunder gods.
☆ Make a pot of iced tea and enjoy it in the sunshine as you take in the beauty of the Solstice!
☆ Butterflies are a symbol of the Solstice. Cut out a butterfly shape from paper, write your wishes on it, and burn it in the Solstice's bonfire.
☆ Leave an offering to the faeries in your garden or your favourite forest.
☆ Cleanse your crystals and other magickal tools in the Midsummer sun.
☆ If you're feeling crafty, make a wee faerie offering bowl or a faerie chair for your garden.
☆ Litha is a great time for garden witchery. Incorporate flowers or herbs in your rituals, or do a blessing for your garden.
☆ If you have any herbs that are ready to be harvested, now is a great time to do it! Be sure to thank the plant after harvesting.
☆ Either harvest fresh fruits & veggies from your own garden, or hit up the farmer's market to bring home some produce to incorporate into your Midsummer feast.
☆ If you usually decorate your Altar with greens & golds, try decorating it with a watery theme this year! Scatter around seashells and use a blue altar cloth.
☆ Using an apple [or pinecone], peanut butter and birdseed, you can make a lovely Solstice snack for the birds!
☆ Prosperity, health and abundance spells are great spellworking themes for the Solstice.
☆ Have a picnic in a flowering field or in the woods.
Brightest of blessings,
Faula.
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