Midsummer – Summer Solstice


Litha Comments & Graphics
Midsummer
Summer Solstice
June 20 – 23

Midsummer or Litha, is a celebration of light. This is a solar/ fire festival that marks the astrological day of the summer solstice, which occurs on or around June 21, when the sun enters the sign of Cancer, the crab. Cancer is the only astrological sign that is associated with the moon. If you combine that lunar influence with the ultimate strength of the sun, you have quite the magickal wallop.

The day of the summer solstice has the longest daylight hours and the shortest nighttime hours of the year. As the sun reaches its highest position in the sky, we are at the climax of the sun’s power. This is the greatest day of the sun’s magick, even though it is bittersweet— for as soon as the day after the summer solstice, the sun’s power gradually begins to decline, with nighttime hours slowly and inexorably increasing. After today, we are in the dark half of the Wheel of the Year, which may seem confusing, but truly the daylight hours are decreasing now, and the sun will start to reach its zenith at a lower point in the sky from now until December and the winter solstice.

The sabbat of Midsummer is a potent and magickal date. This is a great time for fire magick, bonfires, garden witchery, herbal and green magicks, and the best night of the year to commune with the elemental kingdom and the faeries.

This is a time of celebration in nature: everything is green and growing. Nature is celebrating her achievement!

Fire festivals and fireworks are complementary; it all goes with that theme of fire magick for summer. At this time of year, your spellworking themes may include asking for the blessing and assistance of the faeries or working green magick with the garden. Prosperity, health, and abundance spells are appropriate at this point in time as well, since the light is at its peak and all of nature is at its most lush, vibrant, and green.

If you like to work with the more traditional fire theme of this sabbat, consider building a small ritual fire in your outdoor fire pit or chiminea. Bonfires on Midsummer have been lit by people from all over the world, from many magickal customs, for centuries. The bonfires were classically lit at sundown on Midsummer’s Eve. So set up your fire and get ready to go! If you like, you can toss a few herbs or oak leaves into the flames as an offering to the Old Gods.

If you are unable to safely have an outdoor fire, then light several bright yellow candles and group them together inside of a cauldron, and enjoy the effect that several flickering flames make inside of that cauldron. Another idea that I started with my coven years ago was to pass out sparklers; after our rituals are complete, we light up the sparklers and dance around the gardens with the lightning bugs. When the sparklers are finished, we drop them into a bucket of water. Celebrate the summer solstice and put your own personal spin on things!
 

Source

Seasons of Witchery: Celebrating the Sabbats with the Garden Witch
Ellen Dugan

The Witches Correspondences for June 20, Litha


Litha Comments & Graphics

The Witches Correspondences for June 20, Litha

Purpose Rededication to the Lord and Lady, beginning of the harvest, honoring the Sun God,honoring the pregnant Goddess

Dynamics/Meaning Crowning of the Sun God, death of the Oak King, assumption of the Holly King,end the ordeal of the Green Man

Tools, Symbols & Decorations

The sun, oak, birch & fir branches, sun flowers, lilies, red/maize/yellow or gold flower, love amulets, seashells, summer fruits & flowers, feather/flower door wreath, sun wheel, fire, circles of stone, sun dials and swords/blades, bird feathers, Witches’ ladder.

Colors Blue, green, gold, yellow and red.

Customs Bonfires, processions, all night vigil, singing, feasting, celebrating with others, cutting divining rods, dowsing rods & wands, herb gathering, handfastings, weddings, Druidic gathering of mistletoe in oak groves, need fires, leaping between two fires, mistletoe (without berries, use as a protection amulet), women walking naked through gardens to ensure continued fertility, enjoying the seasonal fruits & vegetables, honor the Mother’s fullness, richness and abundance, put garlands of St. John’s Wort placed over doors/ windows & a sprig in the car for protection.

Goddesses Mother Earth, Mother Nature, Venus, Aphrodite, Yemaya, Astarte, Freya, Hathor, Ishtar, all Goddesses of love, passion, beauty and the Sea, and Pregnant, lusty Goddesses, Green Forest Mother; Great One of the Stars, Goddess of the Wells

Gods Father Sun/Sky, Oak King, Holly King, Arthur, Gods at peak power and strength.

Animals/Mythical Beings Wren, robin, horses, cattle, satyrs, faeries, firebird, dragon, thunderbird

Gemstones Lapis lazuli, diamond, tiger’s eye, all green gemstones, especially emerald and jade

Herbs Anise, mugwort, chamomile, rose, wild rose, oak blossoms, lily, cinquefoil, lavender, fennel, elder, mistletoe, hemp, thyme, larkspur, nettle, wisteria, vervain ( verbena), St. John’s wort, heartsease, rue, fern, wormwood, pine, heather, yarrow,oak & holly trees

Incense/Oil Heliotrope, saffron, orange, frankincense & myrrh, wisteria, cinnamon, mint, rose, lemon, lavender, sandalwood, pine

Rituals/Magicks Nature spirit/fey communion, planet healing, divination, love & protection magicks. The battle between Oak King, God of the waxing year & Holly King, God of the waning year (can be a ritual play), or act out scenes from the Bard’s (an incarnation of Merlin)“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, rededication of faith, rites of inspiration.

Foods Honey, fresh vegetables, lemons, oranges, summer fruits, summer squash, pumpernickel bread, ale, carrot drinks, mead.

Aspects of the Sun in Cancer


Litha Comments & Graphics

Aspects of the Sun in Cancer

The Dates:
June 22nd through July 23rd

Keywords:
tenacious, patient, intuitive, nurturing, sensuous, imaginative, sensitive, empathic

The Shadow Side:
moody, clingy, self-absorbed, clannish, neurotic, needy, no boundaries, subjective

Element:
Cardinal and Water

Famous People with Sun in Cancer:
Nikola Tesla, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Robin Williams, Bill Cosby, Nelson Mandela, Princess Diana, Frida Kahlo, Rufus Wainwright, Liv Tyler, Deborah Harry, George Michael, Jerry Hall, Kathy Bates, Dan Ackroyd, Fiona Shaw, Daniel Radcliffe, Geoffrey Rush, Ringo Starr

Personality Profile:
Those with the Sun in Cancer have a changeable nature, which makes them something of an enigma, even with those closest to them. They’re ruled by the Moon, and are similarly known to glow brightly one moment, and hide their faces the next. A highly emotional sign, they can sink into a mood and fully inhabit it, so that it seems to permeate the atmosphere around them.

The Cancer imagination is so vivid that it’s like they’re watching home movies inside their heads.

For them, every life experience can be replayed again and again in Technicolor, and the same internal landscape revisited. This is the raw material for both creative genius, and the tendency to get stuck in emotional eddies. And because they’re psychic sponges, they need plenty of space to unravel the little dramas of the day, or they’ll get cranky.

The Cancer has a tender heart, but you might not see it at first behind the cool exterior. Once you’re allowed inside the circle of trust, you’ll start to know why they’re called the “mother” of the Zodiac. Both men and women of this sign have an instinctive nurturing side that endears them to those they love. The Crab’s claws hold tight, though, and often they have trouble letting go of relationships and situations.

Tenacious Crab

The stealth approach of the Cancer Sun often takes people by surprise, and many have been underestimated. They’ll protect their sensitivity by going after what they want indirectly, which can be seen as passive. But try to take advantage of their gentle nature, and you’ll soon be put in your place. Once crossed, the Cancer holds a grudge to infinity, so it’s hard to win back their trust.

Above all, the Cancer wants a sense of belonging, and an intimate home life. Once committed, they’ll prove to be the ultimate family man or woman, and likely never stray too far from the nest.
 

Author

Molly Hall, Astrology Expert
Article originally published on & owned by About.com

 

The Witches Almanac for Monday, June 20


Litha Comments & Graphics
The Witches Almanac for Monday, June 20

Monday (Moon): Peace, sleep, healing, compassion, friends, psychic awareness, purification, and fertility.

Midsummer – Summer Solstice

Waxing Moon
The Waxing Moon (from the New Moon to the Full) is the ideal time for magic to draw things toward you.

Full Moon 7:02 am
The Full Moon is the time of the greatest power.

Moon Sign: Sagittarius
Sagittarius: Encourages flights of imagination and confidence. This is an adventurous, philosophical, and athletic Moon sign. Favors expansion and growth.

Moon enters Capricorn 7:55 am
Capricorn: Develops strong structure. Focus on traditions, responsibilities, and obligations. A good time to set boundaries and rules.

Sun enters Cancer 6:34 pm
Cancer: Stimulates emotional rapport between people. Pinpoints need, supports growth and nurturance. Tends to domestic concerns.

Incense: Lily

Color: Ivory

The Pagan Calendar for Monday, June 20th


Litha Comments & Graphics
The Pagan Calendar for Monday, June 20th

Monday is the day of the week between Sunday and Tuesday. It gets its name from the Moon, which in turn gets its name from Mani (Old English Mona), the Germanic Moon god. Similarly, the names in Latin-based languages such as the Italian name (Lunedi), the French name (lundi), the Spanish name (Lunes), and the Romanian name (Luni) come from the Latin name for Moon, luna. The Russian word, eschewing pagan names, is понедельник (poniediélnik), meaning “after Sunday.” The Hindi word for Monday is Somvar, with Som being the Sanskrit name for the moon. The Japanese word for Monday is getsuyōbi which means day of the moon.

Monday is often held to be the first day of the week. This is the case in most of Europe, parts of Africa, and South America. In Asia – because the western calendar system was introduced only during the 20th century – many languages refer to Monday as the “day of the beginning”. For example, Monday is xingqi yi in Chinese, meaning day one of the week. The international standard, ISO 8601, defines Monday as the first day of the week.

But according to the Judeo-Christian count, Monday is the second day, the first being Sunday. This is also the standard format in Canada and the United States. Its name in Arabic, Armenian, Georgian, Greek, Hebrew, Persian, Portuguese and Syriac means “second day”. Quakers also traditionally refer to Monday as “Second Day” eschewing the pagan origin of the English name “Monday”. For similar reasons the official liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church refers to Monday as “Feria II”. (The Portuguese name for Monday reflects this, as do all the days’ names except Saturday and Sunday: the Portuguese word for Monday is segunda-feira.)
 

Source

The Pagan Calendar

Monday, June 20


Litha Comments & Graphics

Monday, June 20

Monday is the sacred day of the moon, personified as the goddesses Selene, Luna, and Mani. The moon is ruler of flow, affecting the changeable and impressionable aspects of people. If a full moon falls on a Monday, then the powers of the moon are at their most potent.

Deity: Mani

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Planet: Moon

Tree: Willow

Herb: Chickweed

Stone: Agate

Animal: Crab

Element: Water

Color: Green

Rune: Lagu (L)

Celtic Tree Month of Duir(Oak) – June 10 – July 7. Oak month is a time for protection and strength, fertility, money and success, and good fortune.

Runic Half-Month of Dag(day) – June 14 – June 28

Goddess of the Month of Rosea – June 13 – July 10
 

Source

The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

 

Litha to Lughnasadh


Litha Comments & Graphics
Litha to Lughnasadh

Litha, a lesser Sabbat, is also called Midsummer, for it marks the Summer Solstice, when the hours of daylight exceed those of darkness. As the Sun King, the Horned God is at the pinnacle of His strength, which He devotes to the land to enable the fruits of the earth conceived by the Goddess to grow and ripen. The world may be basking in sunshine, yet there may be a sad sense that these golden day will not last forever.

The Wicca Book of Days
Selena Ash

Sky This Week for June 20 to June 26, 2016


Litha Comments & Graphics

Sky This Week for June 20 to June 26, 2016

This week, it’s all about Saturn … but if you look close, you might spy an asteroid.

 

Monday, June 20

• Earth’s summer solstice occurs at 6:34 p.m. EDT, when the Sun reaches its farthest point north in the sky. The solstice marks the official beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and today has more hours of sunlight than any other. For astronomy buffs, however, long days translate into short nights and extended twilight, which limit our time under the stars.

Tuesday, June 21

• Asteroid 10 Hygeia currently lies near the border between the constellations Leo the Lion and Virgo the Maiden. This region lies about one-third of the way from the southeastern horizon to the zenith after evening twilight fades away. Tonight, you can find the 11th-magnitude asteroid 1° due south of the 4th-magnitude star Upsilon (u) Leonis.

Wednesday, June 22

• Magnificent Saturn reached its peak earlier this month, when it appeared opposite the Sun in the sky, and our view of the ringed planet remains spectacular. It is on display nearly all night among the background stars of southern Ophiuchus, hanging in the southeastern sky as darkness falls and climbing highest in the south around 11:30 p.m. local daylight time. Saturn continues to shine brightly, too, at magnitude 0.1. When viewed through a telescope, the planet measures 18″ across while the dramatic ring system spans 42″ and tilts 26° to our line of sight. This evening also provides an excellent view of the gas giant’s large family of moons. The most obvious is 8th-magnitude Titan, which appears northeast of the planet. Next, look for the 10th-magnitude trio of Tethys, Dione, and Rhea. They appear in a straight line northwest of Saturn and closer to the rings. Finally, target 10th-magnitude Iapetus well to the west of Saturn. Don’t confuse any of these satellites with the brighter, 6th-magnitude star SAO 184541, which appears between the planet and Iapetus.

Thursday, June 23

• Mars remains near its peak all this week. The Red Planet reached opposition and best visibility a month ago but, like Saturn, has not declined much. Mars appears almost due south and at its highest as twilight fades to darkness. The world shines at magnitude –1.5 against the much fainter background stars of Libra. When viewed through a telescope, Mars’ orange-red disk spans 17″. Look for subtle dark markings along with a whitish north polar cap.

Friday, June 24

• Brilliant Jupiter appears high in the west as darkness falls and remains on display until midnight local daylight time. The giant planet shines at magnitude –1.9 against the backdrop of southern Leo the Lion. Jupiter appears equally dazzling through a telescope, which reveals a wealth of atmospheric features on a disk that spans 35″.

Saturday, June 25

• Look high in the northwest after darkness falls this month, and you’ll be greeted by the familiar sight of the Big Dipper. The Dipper is the most conspicuous asterism — a recognizable pattern of stars that doesn’t form a complete constellation shape — in the entire sky. It forms the body and tail of Ursa Major the Great Bear. Use the Pointers, the two stars at the end of the Dipper’s bowl, to find Polaris, which lies due north for everyone north of the equator. Polaris marks the end of the Little Dipper’s handle. On June evenings, the relatively faint stars of this dipper arc directly above Polaris.

Sunday, June 26

• If ever there was a good time to track down Pluto, this is the night. The distant world passes just 2.7′ due south of the 3rd-magnitude star Pi (p) Sagittarii in northeastern Sagittarius, making the task of finding the dwarf planet much easier than usual. Pluto glows dimly at magnitude 14.1, however, so you’ll need an 8-inch or larger telescope to spot it visually.

Source

Astronomy Magazine