Day: June 21, 2015

Celebrating Other Spirituality 365 Days a Year – Midsummer Eve/Summer Solstice


Litha Comments & GraphicsJune 20, 21, and 22

Midsummer Eve/Summer Solstice

The Summer Solstice is celebrated between June 20 and June 22—the longest day and shortest night of the year. The festival of Midsummer venerates the potential of the life-sustaining powers of fire and water, forces that were vital to our ancestors’ survival. It was believed that fire would help keep the sun alive and that the blessing of water wells would continue their flow to nurture the parched earth. Without sun and water, there would be no crops and all would perish.

One of the most popular customs that grew out of the early fertility rites was that of jumping or leaping over Midsummer bonfires. The idea being, the higher one jumped, the higher the crops would grow.

Another symbol that was popularized at this time was the Wheel. The turning of the Wheel represented the turning or progression of the seasons. Wheels decorated with brightly colored ribbons and fresh flowers. Lighted candles were placed on them, and then they were set afloat on the lakes and rivers.

Midsummer Eve and Midsummer Night are genuinely thought to be particularly uncanny times. It was reasoned that certain plants were endowed with magickal properties on this night, that, if gathered before sunrise, could be used for protection against all evil spirits and forces.

With the sun at its zenith, Midsummer was, and still is, a time for marriages, family celebrations, and coming-of-age parties.

Symbolically, Midsummer is the time to nurture those goals you made at the beginning of the year as you reflect on the progress you made toward bringing them into fruition.

Seasons of the Witch

Litha Comments & Graphics
Seasons of the Witch

“ Legends and Lore and Ancient Holidays And Some Not So Ancient
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The Seasons, 2015
Goddess Month of Rosea begins 6/13 – 7/10.
Celtic Tree Month of Oak begins.
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June Holidays: June is National Burglary Prevention Month June is Dairy Month (more on this later) June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month June is Children’s Awareness Month June is National Rose Month June is National Frozen Yogurt Month June is National Candy Month June is Turkey Lovers’ Month International Volunteer Week – June 1-7
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The Summer Solstice
One of the four major festivals of the solar year, when the Sun reaches the quarter points on the zodiac wheel. It now reaches the cardinal (“hinge”) point of 90B0 as the Sun enters the sign of Cancer, the Crab. For the next month, the side-to-side moves of the Crab are favored in all things. This is more a time to organize of what has been gained, and plan what comes next, than it is either to start new enterprises or dissolve old ones that don’t work. The Crab lives where it can jump sideways into an ocean wave when threats appear. Those who have the grace, humility and aquatic skill to do this are favored now. The sideways motion of the Crab is also that of the Farmer, who works sideways in rows to preserve productive order.

Among the countless Summer Solstice celebrations and ceremonies: The Sonnenwende (“Sun’s turning”) of the Norse calendar, so named because at this point in the year, the Sun reaches its farthest northern sunset point on the horizon, and must now begin moving south, and bringing with it the hotter, more rapid movement of Summer, and everything else that the South implies. The season of husbandry begins now in bonfires that mark this day as the one when the Sun’s light stays longest in the Sky.

In northern Russia, especially in St. Petersburg, this day begins the White Nights, which last for the next ten days. In this and other fire festivals that can get more raucous than most, fireworks and all, many people love the days of the Long Light because this is the best time to burn the chaff and the worry of the year gone by, and get ready to work the field under the waxing Sun, and care for children.

In the Celtic calendar, this day is called Litha, and honors the water goddess. Many European peoples also honored the Green Man, leafy symbol of nature’s resurgence, counterpart to the Egyptian Osiris.
In some Native American calendars, this day begins the Month of the Flicker. Hunting is easier than it usually is.

Taoist festival honoring the Heavenly Emperor Shang-Ti and celebrating the active presence of the Tao in all things. This is the time when the masculine Yang force is at its peak, and initiates the season of fire, south and Summer.

In many ancient calendars, this is one of the year’s best times for honoring Wise Women. In the Greco-Roman calendar, this was the Day of All Heras (Roman counterpart Juno, for whom this month is named), when people gather to listen to women who have achieved spiritual Union with the Great Goddess. In ancient Britain this was the Day of Cerridwen, celebrating all Wise Women.

Among the Lakota and other Native Americans of the plains, the days before the early summer Full Moon are the annual time of the Sun Dance, a festival of fasting and healing ceremonies affirming the manifestation of Takuskanskan the Creator in all things.

June 20
On this day, Pagans in parts of England celebrate the Day of Cerridwen in honor of the ancient Celtic Goddess of fertility.
Vervain (the herb most sacred to Cerridwen) is burned in small cauldron pots as an offering to the Goddess, green ribbons
are tied to trees, and green candles are lit on altars dedicated to her.

Summanus – This was the dedication day of the Roman temple honoring Summanus, who was responsible for lightning by night (Jupiter delivered lightning by day). It is unclear whether or not he was an ancient deity or an aspect of Jupiter. His temple was struck by lightning in 197 BC, which was the occasion for irreligious jokes.

Blackburn, Bonnie and Leofranc, Holford-Strevens, The Oxford Book of Days, Oxford University Press, 2000
.
June
21: Litha
21: Yule (Southern Hemisphere)
22: England’s last Witchcraft Law is repealed in 1951
23: Full moon — Strong Sun Moon at 7:32 am
27: Birthday of author Scott Cunningham in 1956

 

Remember the ancient ways and keep them sacred!

 

GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast Archives

The Witches Correspondences for Litha, June 21

Litha Comments & Graphics

The Witches Correspondences for Litha, June 21

Symbolism: Honoring the God at His peak, honoring the pregnant Goddess

Symbols: Spear, cauldron, St. John’s Wort, Sun images, faerie images, fire

Foods: Fresh fruits and vegetables, pumpernickel bread, ale, mead

Plants & herbs: Mugwort, chamomile, rose, ivy, wild thyme, lavender, orchid, yarrow, oak, vervain, St. John’s Wort

Incense and oils: Lily of the valley, lavender, lemon

Colors: Orange, yellow, green, blue

Stones: Topaz, agate, alexandrite, flourite, moonstone, pearl, emerald, jade

Animals: Butterfly, frog, toad, wren, robin, peacock

Mythical creatures: Satyrs, faeries, firebirds, dragons, sylphs

Some appropriate Goddesses: all love, beauty, and mother Goddesses; Aestas (Roman), Aine of Knockaine (Irish), Anu (Irish), Aphrodite (Greek), Astarte (Canaanite), Bast (Egyptian), Elat (Semitic), Eos (Greek), Flora (Roman), Freya (Norse), Gaia (Greek), Gerd (Teutonic), Grianne (Irish), Hathor (Egyptian), Hera (Greek), Ishtar (Assyro-Babylonian), Isis (Egyptian), Juno (Roman), The Muses (Greek), Nut (Egyptian), Olwyn (Welsh), Venus (Roman), Vesta (Roman)

Some appropriate Gods: all sun, fire, and fertility Gods; Apollo (Greek), Baal (Phoenician), Baldur (Scandinavian), El (Semitic), Hadad (Babylonian), Helios (Greek), Hephaestus (Greek), Jupiter (Roman), Lugh (Irish), Osiris (Egyptian), Prometheus (Greek), Ra (Egyptian), Sol (Roman), Zeus (Greek)

Activities: Picnics, leave out food for faeries, jumping bonfires, gathering herbs.

Spell/ritual work: Healing, love magick, protection, purification, energy, faery.

The Witches Almanac for Sunday, June 21, Summer Solstice

Litha Comments & Graphics
The Witches Almanac for Sunday, June 21, Summer Solstice

Sunday(Sun): Healing, spirituality, success, strength and protection

Midsummer – Summer Solstice – Father’s Day

Waxing Moon
The Waxing Moon is the ideal time for magic to draw things toward you.

Moon Phase: First Quarter

Moon Sign: Leo
Leo: Draws emphasis to the self, central ideas, or institutions, away from connections with others and other emotional needs. People tend to be melodramatic.

Moon enters Virgo 12:59 pm
Virgo: Favors accomplishment of details and commands from higher up. Focuses on health, hygiene, and daily schedules.

Sun enters Cancer 12:38 pm
Cancer: Stimulates emotional rapport between people. Pinpoints need, supports growth and nurturance. Tends to domestic concerns.

Incense: Heliotrope

Color: Yellow

Litha History – Celebrating the Summer Solstice

Litha Comments & GraphicsLitha History

Celebrating the Summer Solstice

 

An Ancient Solar Celebration:
Nearly every agricultural society has marked the high point of summer in some way, shape or form. On this date – usually around June 21 or 22 (or December 21/22 in the southern hemisphere) – the sun reaches its zenith in the sky. It is the longest day of the year, and the point at which the sun seems to just hang there without moving – in fact, the word “solstice” is from the Latin word solstitium, which literally translates to “sun stands still.” The travels of the sun were marked and recorded. Stone circles such as Stonehenge were oriented to highlight the rising of the sun on the day of the summer solstice.

Traveling the Heavens:
Although few primary sources are available detailing the practices of the ancient Celts, some information can be found in the chronicles kept by early Christian monks. Some of these writings, combined with surviving folklore, indicate that Midsummer was celebrated with hilltop bonfires and that it was a time to honor the space between earth and the heavens.

Fire and Water:
In addition to the polarity between land and sky, Litha is a time to find a balance between fire and water. According to Ceisiwr Serith, in his book The Pagan Family, European traditions celebrated this time of year by setting large wheels on fire and then rolling them down a hill into a body of water. He suggests that this may be because this is when the sun is at its strongest yet also the day at which it begins to weaken. Another possibility is that the water mitigates the heat of the sun, and subordinating the sun wheel to water may prevent drought.

Saxon Traditions:
When they arrived in the British Isles, the Saxon invaders brought with them the tradition of calling the month of June Aerra Litha. They marked Midsummer with huge bonfires that celebrated the power of the sun over darkness. For people in Scandinavian countries and in the farther reaches of the Northern hemisphere, Midsummer was very important. The nearly endless hours of light in June are a happy contrast to the constant darkness found six months later in the middle of winter.

Roman Festivals :
The Romans, who had a festival for anything and everything, celebrated this time as sacred to Juno, the wife of Jupiter and goddess of women and childbirth. She is also called Juno Luna and blesses women with the privilege of menstruation. The month of June was named for her, and because Juno was the patroness of marriage, her month remains an ever-popular time for weddings. This time of year was also sacred to Vesta, goddess of the hearth. The matrons of Rome entered her temple on Midsummer and made offerings of salted meal for eight days, in hopes that she would confer her blessings upon their homes.

Midsummer for Modern Pagans:
Litha has often been a source of contention among modern Pagan and Wiccan groups, because there’s 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 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.

Source:
Author: Patti Wigington
Source: Article found on & owned by About.com

Beltane to Litha

Litha Comments & GraphicsBeltane to Litha

 

Beltane (a greater Sabbat named for a Celtic God, which is otherwise known as either May Eve or May Day) hails the coming-together of the Horned God, now in the Phallic Lord, and the irresistible Godddess in a rapturous celebration of light and life. It is as though all of nature—not least the birds and bees—is abuzz at this time of year, energized by a potent combination of irrestible physical attraction and an equally compelling urge to procreate.

—-The Wicca Book of Days

May The Goddess Bless You & Yours On This Glorious Litha Morn’!


Litha Comments & Graphics

Life giving power surrounds us
The Goddess will soon give life
Our earth is filled with the promise of growth
It is a time of joy and celebration
Yet, there is a whisper that dark will soon come
Light has reached its power
The Sun power begins to wane
Our Oak King is rich in abundance
But soon his brother will reign
The decent begins with the Holly King
Bonfires are alight
We find each other and prepare for the night
None will sleep
We wait for the sunrise
We dance with abundant
Leaping high through flames
The smells of healing herbs fill the air
We prepare for what will come
Our homes prepared for the darkness
As we make our bread we pray that the Goddess
fills our homes
Wheat from our fields changed to grain
Mixed by loving hands
Placed in the fire to cook
Ale, honey cakes and bread fill the pantry
Sprigs of rosemary hang from the rafters
The Wheel of Life continues.

—A Witch’s Prayerbook
JoAnne Spiese

To All Our Wonderful Fathers, “HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!”

Happy Father’s Day

A Dad is a person
who is loving and kind,
And often he knows
what you have on your mind.
He’s someone who listens,
suggests, and defends.
A dad can be one
of your very best friends!
He’s proud of your triumphs,
but when things go wrong,
A dad can be patient
and helpful and strong
In all that you do,
a dad’s love plays a part.
There’s always a place for him
deep in your heart.
And each year that passes,
you’re even more glad,
More grateful and proud
just to call him your dad!
Thank you, Dad…
for listening and caring,
for giving and sharing,
but, especially, for just being you!
We love you!
Happy Father’s Day.

Father’s Day Poems & Poetry

Let Us Pause This Morning & Remember Those Who Lost Their Life In The Tragic Church Shootings In S. Carolina

Let us take a moment to remember the victims of Wednesday’s mass shooting in Charleston.

Clementa Pinckney
Reverend Sharonda Coleman Singleton
Reverend Daniel Simmons
Tywanza Sanders
Reverend DePayne Middleton Doctor,
Cynthia Hurd
Susie Jackson
Ethel Lance
Myra Thompson

 

Great Goddess, Divine Mother,
Be with these families that have lost loved ones
Be with them in their time of sorrow and ease
Their breaking hearts and soothe their battered spirits
Enfold them in your loving and compassionate arms
Help them to learn to live with their loss
Though it will be difficult
Let the pain they feel grow less with time
Reassure them that one day they will be
reunited with their loved ones
Till that time comes bless them with your love
Watch over them and help them cope with
The difficult days to come
Bless them, Divine Mother, in their time of great need.
So Mote It Be

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