Litha Oil
1 oz. Of light weight carrier oil such as grape seed
5 drops Lavender e.o.
5 drops Sandalwood e.o.
1 drop each peppermint and spearmint e.o.
2 drops Heliotrope e.o.
Month: June 2015
Hold a Sun Ritual for Midsummer
Hold a Sun Ritual for Midsummer
Midsummer is the time of the summer solstice, the Litha sabbat, and it’s the longest day of the year. Falling around June 21 in the northern hemisphere, and around December 21 below the equator, this is a time to celebrate the warmth and power of the sun. It’s a great time of year to get outside, enjoy the extra hours of daylight, and celebrate the season with family and friends. You can do this ritual as a group or adapt it to perform as a solitary practitioner.
You’ll need the following items:
A larger candle to represent the sun
An individual candle for each participant to hold
Also, be sure to decorate your altar with symbols of the season – solar symbols, fresh flowers, in-season summer produce and crops that you’ve harvested. You should do this ritual outside if at all possible, so you can take advantage of the sun’s light and energy.
If your tradition requires you to cast a circle, go ahead and do that first.
Take a moment to ground and center, and get yourself focused. Bask in the rays of the sun, feeling its warmth on your face, and welcoming its power into you.
The person who is leading the ritual – for ease of purpose, we’ll call that person the HPs – should stand at the altar.
HPs: We are here today to celebrate the power and energy of the sun. The sun is the source of warmth and light around the world. Today, at Litha, the summer solstice, we mark the longest day of the year. From Yule until this day, the sun has been moving ever closer to the earth. Flowers are blooming, crops are growing, and life has returned once more. Today we honor the gods and goddesses of the sun.
The HPs lights the sun candle on the altar.
HPs: The sun is the ultimate source of fire and light. Like all sources of light, the sun shines brightly and spreads around the world. Even as it gives its light and power to each of us, it is never diminished by the sharing of that energy. The sun passes over us each day, in the never-ending circle of light. Today, we share that light with each other, passing it around the circle, forming a ring of light.
Using the sun candle, the HPs lights her own candle, and turns to the next person in the circle. As she lights the next person’s candle, she says:
May you be warmed and rejuvenated by the light of the sun.
The second person turns to the third, lighting their candle, and passing along the blessing. Continue until the last candle in the circle has been lit, returning back to the HPs.
Remember, this is a joyous celebration – feel free to include dancing, clapping, music or even a drum circle as you enjoy the power of the sun!
As each person in the group holds their lit candle, the HPs calls upon the gods and goddesses of the sun. Feel free to add or substitute different solar deities as your tradition or needs require.
HPs: Gods who bring us light, we honor you!
Hail, Ra, whose mighty chariot brings us light each morning!
Hail, Ra!
Hail, Apollo, who brings us the healing energies of the sun!
Hail, Apollo!
Hail, Saule, whose fertility blooms as the sun gains in strength!
Hail, Saule!
Hail, Helios, whose great steeds race the flames across the sky!
Hail, Helios!
Hail, Hestia, whose sacred flame lights our way in the darkness!
Hail, Hestia!
Hail, Sunna, who is sister of the moon, and bringer of light!
Hail, Sunna!
We call upon you today, thanking you for your blessings, accepting your gifts. We draw upon your strength, your energy, your healing light, and your life giving power!
Hail to you, mighty gods and goddesses of the sun!
Each member of the group should now place their candles on the altar, surrounding the sun candle.
HPS: The sun radiates out, never dying, never fading. The light and warmth of today will stay with us, even as the days begin to grow shorter, and the nights grow cold once more. Hail, gods of the sun!
Invite everyone to take in the warmth of the sun once more, and when you are done, end the ritual as you normally would.
Source:
Author: Patti Wigington
Website: Article found on & owned by About.com
Midsummer Incense #2
Midsummer Incense #2
3 parts Frankincense
2 parts Benzoin
1 part Dragon’s Blood
1 part Thyme
1 part Rosemary
1 pinch Vervain
a few drops Red Wine
(The above recipes for “Midsummer Incense” is quoted directly from Scott Cunningham’s book “The Complete Book of Incenses, Oils & Brews”, page 80, Llewellyn Publications, 1989/1992.)
Setting Up Your Litha Altar – What to Include for the Summer Solstice
Setting Up Your Litha Altar
What to Include for the Summer Solstice
It’s Litha, and that means the sun is at its highest point in the sky. Midsummer is the time when we can celebrate the growing of crops, and take heart in knowing that the seeds we planted in the spring are now in full bloom. It’s a time of celebrating the sun, and spending as much time as you can outdoors. Try to set up your Midsummer altar outside if at all possible. If you can’t, that’s okay — but try to find a spot near a window where the sun will shine in and brighten your altar setup with its rays.
Colors of the Season
This sabbat is all about the sun celebration, so think of solar colors. Yellows, oranges, fiery reds and golds are all appropriate this time of year. Use candles in bright sunny colors, or cover your altar with cloths that represent the solar aspect of the season.
Solar Symbols
Litha is when the sun is at its highest point above us. In some traditions, the sun rolls across the sky like a great wheel – consider using pinwheels or some other disc to represent the sun. Circles and discs are the most basic sun symbol of all, and are seen as far back as the tombs of ancient Egypt. Use equal-armed crosses, such as the Brighid’s Cross, or even the swastika – remember, it was originally a good luck symbol to both the Hindus and Scandinavians before it became associated with the Nazis.
A Time of Light and Dark
The solstice is also a time seen as a battle between light and dark. Although the sun is strong now, in just six months the days will be short again. Much like the battle between the Oak King and the Holly King, light and dark must battle for supremacy. At this sabbat, darkness wins, and the days will begin to grow shorter once more. Decorate your altar with symbols of the triumph of darkness over light – and that includes using other opposites, such as fire and water, night and day, etc.
Other Symbols of Litha
Midsummer flowers, fruits and vegetables from your garden
Gods Eyes in sunny colors
Sunflowers, roses
Oak trees and acorns
Sandalwood, saffron, frankincense, laurel
Source:
Author: Patti Wigington
Website: Article found on & owned by About.com
Midsummer Incense #1
Summer Solstice, Midsummer, Litha, Alban Hefin, Inti Raymi, Feast of the Sun, Celtic New Year, St. John’s Day
Summer Solstice, Midsummer, Litha, Alban Hefin, Inti Raymi, Feast of the Sun, Celtic New Year, St. John’s Day
Summer Solstice – Midsummer – Litha (Celtic/Wiccan) – Alban Hefin (Druidic) – Inti Raymi (Incan) – Feast of the Sun (Aztec) – Celtic New Year, according to some – St. John’s Day/Festival of Saint John the Baptist (Christian)
As the wheel turns again we find ourselves at Summer Solstice. Litha/Midsummer is one of the Lesser Wiccan Sabbats and is usually celebrated on June 21st, but varies somewhat from the 20th to the 23rd, dependent upon the Earth’s rotation around the Sun. The sun is at the height of it power before beginning its slide into darkness and we experience the longest day and shortest night of the year. It is important to note that the separation of the light and dark halves of the year have nothing to do with good and evil. Light signifies growth and expansion; dark means withdrawal and rest. Both are necessary.
While steamy Midsummer marks the beginning of the Sun’s dying strength the season itself is very lush, erotic and sexy. The Sun, flowers and Earth are in full bloom. Hot Midsummer creates a fiery, mature, breathless passion. The God is at the very height of his power as we hit midsummer, at this point of the year the crops are coming along nicely (literally and figuratively). We have done all of the planting associated with spring and life gets a little easier as we sit back and tend what we’ve created. It’s a time of great celebration before we meet the work ahead as the harvest comes in. We honor the God and Goddess whose union has blessed us with the fertility to create the projects we began way back at Imbolc. On Midsummer the veil between the worlds is said to be very thin making this a great time for divination, historically many maidens would divine a husband at this time. Midsummers Eve is said to be a time when fairies abound in great numbers this is a great time to commune with them and leave gifts of sweets outdoors. Litha celebrates abundance, fertility, virility, the beauty and bounty of Nature. Harnessing the Suns great power makes all types of magick appropriate now. We can also harvest the first of our magickal herbs at this time since they are drenched with the great power of the sun on this longest day of the year. It is a good time for empowerment, for strong magick and male rituals, for handfastings and communing with Nature Spirits, for workings of culmination. The journey into the harvest season has begun.
Summer Solstice Ritual Potpourri
Summer Solstice Ritual Potpourri
45 drops lemon or lavender oil
1 cup oak moss
2 cups dried lavender
2 cups dried wisteria
2 cups dried verbena
Mix the lemon or lavender oil with the oak moss, and then add the remaining ingredients. Stir the potpourri well and store in a tightly covered ceramic or glass container.
(The above recipe for “Summer Solstice Ritual Potpourri” is quoted directly from Gerina Dunwich’s book “The Wicca Spellbook: A Witch’s Collection of Wiccan Spells, Potions and Recipes”, page 162, A Citadel Press Book, Carol Publishing Group, 1994/1995)
Litha
Litha
Litha is the first of the harvest festivals. Its focus is of the sun , which is at its highest at this time of the year . This is the longest day of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere it falls between June 19-June 22 and in the Hemisphere it falls between June 19-June 22 and in the December 22. This is also known as The Summer Solstice.
In Great Britain where the large standing stones of Stonehenge are , during this time of the year the sun is dead center of the circle. Many scholars feel that this is significant as this is a sacred time of year and relevant in the preview of what the harvest will bring for the rest of the season.
Another name for this celebration is Midsummer, and during this time it is said that one can find the doorway to the Otherworld and the realm of the of the faerie realm, gifts and trinkets, in order to honor them and show respect so that the fair folk don’t cause havoc to the homes. One reason for this belief has to do with the idea that fireflies with their flittering lights are faeries frolicking about.
A common custom at Litha is the Summer Tree, much like the Yule Tree, the Summer Tree is usually a young oak that is decorated with garlands of flowers and colored eggs to promote fertility of the crops and animals. On Midsummer’s Eve the tree is burned in a bonfire to promote fertility and prosperity.
The Litha celebration is usually a mild one as it is mainly focused on the first harvest, usually fruit and berries and melons are harvested at this time. Lighter meals and sweeter fruits and vegetables. It is the first day of Summer and normally pretty hot, so most people are needing the cooler refreshments during this time. Cold soups and chilled salads are usually served.
During this part of the year we also see the Holly King and the Oak King battle it out. The Holly King represents the darker side of the year, the cooler months, the end of days. The Oak King represents the sunny time and the hotter months. During this battle , which ends when the sun sets, the Oak King is defeated and the Holly King takes the throne. This represents the days are now from this point on getting shorter. The battle again at Yule and the Holly King then looses the battle as the days will start to become longer in the Oak King’s reign.
It goes without saying that during Midsummer, the Sun is the main focus. The Sun brings life and nutrients to the world and so it is celebrated. In most, but not all, Pagan cultures the Sun is seen as a male entity and the Moon as female. So during this Sabbat we are celebrating the male aspect more than the female. Though there are some Sun Goddesses, such as the Norse Goddess Sunna, we tend to see more Gods associated with the Sun such as the Egyptian God Ra, the Greek God Helios and the Roman God Apollo.
Crafts that are great at Litha would be suncatchers, which can be seen as a form of sympathetic magick where we are capturing the essence of the Sun. When we choose designs that are representative of qualities that we need in our life along with using colors that are corresponding with those needs we can use the suncatcher to bring that energy into our lives. Suncatchers are inexpensive and can be purchased at any stores that sells children’s crafts.
Another fun craft to make is the God’s Eye. Taking two sticks and wrapping colored yarn or string while meditating on the Sun Deity or the Sun. Many early religions viewed the Sun as the Eye of God. Looking directly into the eye of God will cause you to go blind , just as if we look directly into the sun it can cause damage to the eyes. Simply the act of creating these is meditative. They then can be hung to remind us that we are looked after or if you say a prayer and throw it into the fire to take the prayer to the Sun deity that you are honoring it can be seen again as a form of sympathetic magick.
This is the time of the year when we get a preview of what is to come . To thank the Sun for the nutrients it has provided, however, we are not out of the woods yet. The first of the Harvest Festivals is at hand, but there is still a lot of hard work still ahead of us. This is a little break to allow us to remember how marvelous the world and nature is. How when we planted at Beltane has started a chain of events that will help us prosper and grow to a wonderful full harvest. We still need to nurture our plants, just as we nurture our faith, and in time we will come to that place in our lives when we can rest and look back at what we have done. Right now we are looking forward at what is starting to show.
by Minnie Eerin
The Magical School Newsletter: Litha
Publisher: Colleen Criswell
Midsummer Oil
Midsummer Oil
Put in soap or anoint candles
5 drops lavender
4 drops rosemary
4 drops rose
Add a piece of dried vervain, a small citrine, clear quartz crystal, and a sprinkle of gold glitter. So magical and beautiful!
The Witches Magick for June 21, Summer Solstice – Midsummer Ritual
The Witches Magick for June 21, Summer Solstice – Midsummer Ritual
Begin by casting a circle. Now stand before your altar and say the following or similar:
“Great God of the sun, I have come here this day to honor you in your strength, for I know that now is the time of your greatest power.”
Raise your wand or Athame towards the sun and say the following or similar:
“Great father God, Great mother Goddess, come into my heart, and purify me. Smite the evil in my soul, just as your magickal love purges the evil from all things.”
Visualize the energy of the sun flowing into your athame, and into you. See it clean any impurities that exist in you. Feel it as it cleans you.
Once you have finished reflecting on the God and Goddess’ purification of you, move to the south side of you circle (the direction of fire) and light a (small) ritual fire.
Now say the following or similar:
“Great horned father, may this fire burn in representation of your greatness.”
Meditate for a while (while staring into the flames) on the sun, and all it does for us. Once you have meditated, you should allow yourself some time to commune with the gods. Just open your mind to them and let them speak to you. If you like you can thank them and tell them what midsummer means to you. Or you can just lay there in silence and know that they are watching. Once you are done, thank the gods for watching over you.
The ritual part of this rite is over, however, midsummer & midsummer’s night are probably the best times to perform magick. Any spells cast during this time are likely to be vastly more powerful than when cast at other times. If you do not have any particular thing to cast a spell for, then perhaps now would be the best time to cast a spell that ensures happiness for you over the coming winter months. Think hard about it, because this opportunity comes but once a year.
Magickal Activity #2 for June 21, Summer Solstice
Magickal Activity #2 for June 21, Summer Solstice
The Sun Wheel
One of the most popular symbols of Midsummer is the Sun Wheel, the turning of which suggests the turning, or progression, of the seasons. The Wheel is decorated with flowers, fresh herbs, and brightly colored ribbons.
The simplest method for making a Sun Wheel is to buy an already-prepared natural branch wreath from an arts and crafts store. Affix small branches of rowan to form the spokes of the wheel (four spokes to represent the elements and cross-quarter days or eight to symbolize the eight Wiccan Sabbats). Use floral wire to attach fresh flowers and herbs to the wreath. Embellish with brightly colored ribbons. The wheel can be used as the focal point for your Midsummer rites or hung on the front door of your home for decoration.
Magickal Activity #1 for June 21, Summer Solstice
Magickal Activity #1 for June 21, Summer Solstice
Floating Candles
Midsummer is a celebration of light and life symbolized by the flame of a candle and the movement of water. A large glass bowl filled with an assortment of floating candles makes a wonderful point of focus for ritual. Choose bright yellow sunflowers, white lilies, and red tulip-shaped candles. Have each person participating in the ritual inscribe his or her desire with a pin, on a candle. Have each person come forward, place his or her candle in the bowl and light it as he makes his wish. Following the ritual, the bowl is placed outdoors and the candles are left to burn out.
Celebrating Other Spirituality 365 Days a Year – Midsummer Eve/Summer Solstice
June 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
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!
The Witches Correspondences for Litha, June 21
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
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 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
Beltane 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’!
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.
Witches Of The Craft® 
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