Tag: Online coven

Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions

Today’s Word is

Boline

From moonlitpriestess.com

A white-handled knife (sometimes curved, somewhat like a hand-held scythe) used for inscribing, harvesting herbs, etc. In some traditions, the boline is separate from the white-handled knife and used exclusively in the garden.

From Spells8.com

A small sacred knife used to cut items during a ritual. In contrast to the “Athame”, a “Boline” usually has a white handle.

June 22 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

1633 Galileo Galilei forced to recant his Copernican views that the Earth orbits the Sun by the Pope (Vatican only admits it was wrong on Oct 31, 1992!)

1675 Royal Greenwich Observatory established in England by Charles II

1772 Somerset v Stewart court case finds slavery unsupported by English common law, encouraging the abolitionist movement

1848 Beginning of the June Days uprising in Paris by French workers

1865 The CSS Shenandoah fires the last shot of the American Civil War in the Bering Strait to indicate surrender

Today’s Historical Events

217 BC Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom

168 BC Battle of Pydna: Romans under Lucius Aemilius Paullus defeat and capture Macedonian King Perseus, ending the Third Macedonian War

431 Council of Ephesus (3rd ecumenical council) opens

816 Pope Stephen IV, [V] elected to succeed Leo III

1377 10-year-old Richard of Bordeaux succeeds his grandfather Edward III as Richard II, king of England

1476 Battle at Morat/Murten: Charles the Stout invades Switzerland

1497 Antitax insurrection in Cornwall suppressed at Blackheath

1533 Ferdinand of Austria and Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent sign peace treaty

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1342 Fictional character of “The Hobbit” Bilbo Baggins returns to his home at Bag End, Shire Reckoning

1951 Gene Rayburn & Dee Finch show premieres on NBC radio

1955 Walt Disney‘s animated film “Lady & the Tramp” released

1956 6th Berlin International Film Festival: “Invitation to the Dance” wins Golden Bear

1962 12th Berlin International Film Festival: “A Kind of Loving” wins the Golden Bear

1970 WSWO TV channel 26 in Springfield, OH (ABC) suspends broadcasting

1973 23rd Berlin International Film Festival: “Distant Thunder” wins the Golden Bear

1977 Walt Disney’s “Rescuers” released, first Disney film to get a sequel

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1849 Stephen C Massett opens concert at San Francisco courthouse using only piano in California

1942 European broadcast première of Dmitri Shostakovich‘s 7th Symphony in London conducted by Sir Henry J. Wood and the London Philharmonic Orchestra

1959 “Along Came Jones” by The Coasters peaks at #9

1959 “Class” the first hit by Chubby Checker peaks at #38 in the US

1961 Beatles record “Ain’t She Sweet”, “Cry for a Shadow”, “When the Saints Go Marching In”, “Why”, “Nobody’s Child” & “My Bonnie”, in Hamburg, Germany

1963 “Little” Stevie Wonder aged 13 releases his first single “Fingertips” (first live non-studio recording to go to No. 1 on Billboard)

1968 “Here Come Da Judge” by The Buena Vistas peaks at #88

1969 Aretha Franklin arrested in Detroit for creating a disturbance

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1865 Acknowledged as 1st Class Cricket debut of Dr W. G. Grace; as a 16 year old he is dismissed for 0 playing for Gentlemen of South v Players of South at Kennington Oval, London

1874 Game of lawn tennis introduced

1889 Louisville Colonels set ML baseball record with 26th consecutive loss

1918 US National Championship Women’s Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: Molla Bjurstedt beats Eleanor Goss 6-4, 6-3 for her 4th consecutive US singles title

1921 Paavo Nurmi runs world record 10,000m (30:40.2)

1926 Cardinals pick up 39-year-old Grover Alexander on waivers from Cubs

1929 Mel Ott (Giants) homers off Leo Sweetland (Phillies) in doubleheader

1930 New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig smashes 3 HRs in 20-13 win over Philadelphia A’s at Shibe Park

A Laugh for Today

Wishing you a wacky Wednesday!

June 22 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 June 22

Supernova Remnant: The Veil Nebula

Image Credit & Copyright: Craig Stocks (Utah Desert Remote Observatories)

Explanation: Ten thousand years ago, before the dawn of recorded human history, a new light would have suddenly have appeared in the night sky and faded after a few weeks. Today we know this light was from a supernova, or exploding star, and record the expanding debris cloud as the Veil Nebula, a supernova remnant. Imaged with color filters featuring light emitted by sulfur (red), hydrogen (green), and oxygen (blue), this deep wide-angle view was processed to remove the stars and so better capture the impressive glowing filaments of the Veil. Also known as the Cygnus Loop, the Veil Nebula is roughly circular in shape and covers nearly 3 degrees on the sky toward the constellation of the Swan (Cygnus). Famous nebular sections include the Bat Nebula, the Witch’s Broom Nebula, and Fleming’s Triangular Wisp. The complete supernova remnant lies about 1,400 light-years away.

Happy Litha Blessings

Litha/Summer Solstice Correspondences

From FlyingTheHedge.com – Litha Correspondences

Symbolism: life, fire, rebirth, transformation, power, purity

Symbols: sun flowers, leaves, sword, spear, sun, God’s eye, sun wheels, bonfire, balefires, fire, sun dials, bird feathers, seashells,

Colors: red, gold, orange, yellow, white, green, blue

Food and Drink: mead, ale, summer fruits and vegetables, strawberries, honey cakes, whipped cream, oranges, lemons, summer squash, honey

Herbs: Saint John’s Wort, lavender, rose, peony, vervain, mugwort, chamomile, chickweed, chicory, sun flower, lily, thyme, hemp, fennel, nettle, wisteria, rue, fern, heather, oak, yarrow, holly

Deities: Ra, Bast, Helios, Oak King, Fotuna, Arinna, and other sun god.

Crystals and Gemstones: Lapis, diamond, tiger’s eye, emerald, jade, and other green stones

Animals: butterflies, wren, horse, stag, robin, cattle, phoenix, dragon, faeries, satyrs

Magic: Litha is the time to celebrate the Sun and all that he provides for us. Protection spells and fire magic are great to perform on this night. Make protective amulets to be empowered in the balefire lit on Midsummer’s eve. Looking to promote a transformation, a new career, or create a new or strengthen an old relationship? Litha is a great night to perform such magic. Collect herbs, especially St. John’s Wort, on the eve of this sabbat to bring luck and enhance the herbs’ power. Renew your wedding vows or just enjoy the time with your friends and family. This is also a great time to communicate with faeries and seek their help if you so wish. Be careful though. Faeries can be tricky.

Please note this is not a complete list but a brief overview of symbols, colors, herbs, deities, and the like. If I have missed something that you feel should make the list, please feel free to contact me via the comments or through email. Willow

Spell for Today – Midsummer’s Day Herb Gathering Spell

Midsummer’s Day is a traditional time for Witches in all parts of the world to gather herbs from their gardens or from the wild to use in potions, dream pillows, and other forms of spellcraft.  They may be dried and burned on a charcoal disc during your magick spell or ritual.  All herbs collected at Litha are considered to have extra magickal and healing properties. 

To be recited on Midsummer’s Day, thrice before and thrice after gathering herbs for magickal workings:

“Herbs of magick, herbs of power,
Root and bark, leaf and flower,
Work for me when charms are spoken,
Potions brewed and curses broken!”

Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions

Today’s Word is

Asperge

From moonlitpriestess.com

A bundle of fresh herbs or other object used to sprinkle consecrated water around the circle to purify the space; also, the person using the herb bundle.

From Spells8.com

To cleanse and purify a space. This is usually done by spraying water around a room or using an herbal bundle to cleanse the space.

June 21 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

1788 US Constitution comes into effect when New Hampshire is the 9th state to ratify it

1854 First Victoria Cross won during bombardment of Bomarsund in the Aland Islands (Crimean War)

1948 Lord Mountbatten resigns as Governor General of India (formerly the last Viceroy)

1990 7.7 Manjil-Rudbar Earthquake with hundreds of aftershocks hits Iran; killing about 50,000

1993 English mathematician Andrew Wiles proves last theorem of Fermat

Today’s Historical Events

68 Roman General Vespasian conquers Jericho during the Great Jewish Revolt

524 Godomar, King of the Burgundians, defeats the Franks at the Battle of Vézeronce

1128 Battle of Akspoele: earl Willem of Normandy beats Diederik

1307 Külüg Khan is enthroned as Emperor of China and seventh Great Khan after defeating rival factions and succeeding his uncle Temür Khan

1498 Jews are expelled from Nurenberg Bavaria by Emperor Maximillian

1529 Queen Catherine Of England [Catherine of Aragon] speaks against her marriage’s annulment at the Blackfriars Legatine Court

1529 Battle of Landriano: Imperial-Spanish forces under Don Antonio de Leyva, Duke of Terranova, beat a French army under Francis de Bourbon, Comte de St. Pol

1547 Great fire in Moscow, a third of the largely wooden city destroyed and 2-3,000 killed

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1948 WNAC (now WHDH) TV channel 7 in Boston, MA (CBS) begins broadcasting

1957 7th Berlin International Film Festival: “12 Angry Men” wins Golden Bear

1963 13th Berlin International Film Festival: “The Devil” and “Bushido: The Cruel Code of the Samurai” win the Golden Bear (tie)

1966 “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”, directed by Mike Nichols and based on the 1962 play of the same name, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, is released (Academy Awards Best Actress 1967)

1968 18th Berlin International Film Festival: “Who Saw Him Die?” wins the Golden Bear

1974 24th Berlin International Film Festival: “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz” wins the Golden Bear

1990 Little Richard [Penniman] gets a star on Hollywood’s Walk Of Fame

1993 Revival of Lerner and Loewe’ musical “Camelot”, with Robert Goulet as King Arthur, opens at Gershwin Theater, NYC; runs for 56 performances

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1868 Wagner’s opera “Meistersinger von Nuernberg” premieres in Munich

1948 Columbia Records unveil the 33-1/3 rpm LP phonograph record invented by Peter Carl Goldmark, allowing up to 20 minutes per side (available in 10 and 12 inch diameters), at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, NYC; over the next decade the popularity and profitability of the LP pushed the 78 rpm out of production [1]

1951 “17” opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 180 performances

1955 Johnny Cash debuts Top 10 country song “Cry! Cry! Cry!”

1969 Dmitri Shostakovich‘s 14th Symphony premieres in Moscow

1969 Zager & Evans release “In the Year 2525”

1971 50,000 attend Celebration of Life, rock concert in McCrea, Louisiana; performers included Chuck Berry; Stephen Stills; WAR; John Sebastian; and Delaney and Bonnie

1975 Elton John, The Eagles and The Beach Boys play to 72,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, London

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1858 Louisiana chess prodigy Paul Morphy arrives in Europe

1879 Infielder William White plays one game for the Providence Grays with conjecture was the first African-American to play MLB even though he appeared Caucasian

1900 Dodgers score 7 in top of 11th to go ahead of Phillies, 20-13, In bottom of 11th Phillies stalls so umpire forfeits game to Dodgers

1904 Boston Herald tells of Red Sox trade “Dougherty as a Yankee,” 1st known reference to NY club as Yankees (became Yankees in 1913)

1907 US Open Men’s Golf, Philadelphia Cricket Club: Alec Ross of Scotland posts 4 sub-80 rounds to win his only major title, 2 strokes ahead of runner-up Gilbert Nicholls

1907 British Open Men’s Golf, Royal Liverpool GC: Frenchman Arnaud Massy wins by 2 strokes from J.H. Taylor; first non-Briton to win Open Championship

1916 Boston Red Sox pitcher Rube Foster no-hits New York Yankees, 2-0 at Fenway Park

1932 German champion Max Schmeling loses NYSAC, NBA and lineal heavyweight boxing titles in controversial split points decision to American Jack Sharkey in NYC, New York

June 21 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 June 21

Analemma over Taipei

Image Credit & Copyright: Meiying Lee

Explanation: Does the Sun return to the same spot on the sky every day? No. A better and more visual answer to that question is an analemma, a composite of images taken at the same time and from the same place over the course of a year. The featured analemma was compiled at 4:30 pm many afternoons from Taiwan during 2021, with the city skyline of Taipei in the foreground, including tall Taipei 101. The Sun‘s location in December — at the December solstice — is shown on the far left, while its location at the June solstice is captured on the far right. Also shown are the positions of the Sun throughout the rest of the day on the solstices and equinoxes. Today is the June solstice of 2022, the day in Earth‘s northern hemisphere when the Sun spends the longest time in the sky. In many countries, today marks the official beginning of a new season, for example winter in Earth’s southern hemisphere.

A Laugh for Today

I hope your Tuesday is not terrible!

Happy Yule Blessings

22 June 2022 Southern Hemisphere’s Planetary Positions Digest

If you need to calculate the planetary positions for a specific use and time, click on this link

Currentplanetarypositions.com

To figure out GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) to your local time use this link

 For Your Local Time and Date 

Southeastern Hemisphere 

The time for these Custom Planetary Positions is from the local time in Sao Paulo, Brazil, South America

22 June 2022
03:00 pm GMT 12:00 PM BRT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:01 Cancer 11
Moon:19 Aries 03
Mercury:09 Gemini 14
Venus:29 Taurus 32
Mars:21 Aries 02
Jupiter:06 Aries 40
Saturn:25 Aquarius 00 Rx
Uranus:17 Taurus 23
Neptune:25 Pisces 26
Pluto:27 Capricorn 59 Rx

True Lunar Node:21 Taurus 55
Mean Lunar Node:20 Taurus 23 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):07 Cancer 39

Chiron:16 Aries 07
Ceres:16 Cancer 15
Pallas:24 Taurus 07
Juno:18 Pisces 12
Vesta:06 Pisces 00

Eris:24 Aries 57

Fire:5
Earth:6
Air:2
Water:6
Cardinal:9
Fixed:6
Mutable:4

Southern Hemisphere

The time for these Custom Planetary Positions is from the local time in Cape Town, South Africa

22 June 2022
10:00 am GMT 12:00 PM SAST
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:00 Cancer 59
Moon:16 Aries 25
Mercury:08 Gemini 58
Venus:29 Taurus 17
Mars:20 Aries 53
Jupiter:06 Aries 38
Saturn:25 Aquarius 00 Rx
Uranus:17 Taurus 22
Neptune:25 Pisces 26
Pluto:27 Capricorn 59 Rx

True Lunar Node:21 Taurus 55
Mean Lunar Node:20 Taurus 24 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):07 Cancer 37

Chiron:16 Aries 07
Ceres:16 Cancer 10
Pallas:24 Taurus 01
Juno:18 Pisces 09
Vesta:05 Pisces 59

Eris:24 Aries 57

Fire:5
Earth:6
Air:2
Water:6
Cardinal:9
Fixed:6
Mutable:4

Southwestern Hemisphere

The time for these Custom Planetary Positions is from the local time in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 

22 June 2022
02:00 am GMT 12:00 PM AEST
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:00 Cancer 40
Moon:12 Aries 09
Mercury:08 Gemini 32
Venus:28 Taurus 53
Mars:20 Aries 38
Jupiter:06 Aries 36
Saturn:25 Aquarius 01 Rx
Uranus:17 Taurus 22
Neptune:25 Pisces 26
Pluto:28 Capricorn 00 Rx

True Lunar Node:21 Taurus 55
Mean Lunar Node:20 Taurus 25 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):07 Cancer 35

Chiron:16 Aries 07
Ceres:16 Cancer 01
Pallas:23 Taurus 51
Juno:18 Pisces 05
Vesta:05 Pisces 56

Eris:24 Aries 57

Fire:5
Earth:6
Air:2
Water:6
Cardinal:9
Fixed:6
Mutable:4

A Thought for Today

Until we meet again dear sisters, brothers, and honored guests may your life be filled with all things positive!

June 20 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 June 20

Rock Fingers on Mars

Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS

Explanation: There, just right of center, what is that? The surface of Mars keeps revealing new surprises with the recent discovery of finger-like rock spires. The small nearly-vertical rock outcrops were imaged last month by the robotic Curiosity rover on Mars. Although similar in size and shape to small snakes, the leading explanation for their origin is as conglomerations of small minerals left by water flowing through rock crevices. After these relatively dense minerals filled the crevices, they were left behind when the surrounding rock eroded away. Famous rock outcrops on Earth with a similar origin are called hoodoos. NASA’s Curiosity Rover continues to search for new signs of ancient water in Gale Crater on Mars, while also providing a geologic background important for future human exploration.

A Laugh for Today

I hope your Monday is not a manic one!

20 June 2022 Southern Hemisphere’s Planetary Positions Digest

If you need to calculate the planetary positions for a specific use and time, click on this link

Currentplanetarypositions.com

To figure out GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) to your local time use this link

 For Your Local Time and Date 

Southeastern Hemisphere

The time for these Custom Planetary Positions is from the local time in Sao Paulo, Brazil, South America

20 June 2022
03:00 pm GMT 12:00 PM BRT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:29 Gemini 17
Moon:23 Pisces 00
Mercury:06 Gemini 45
Venus:27 Taurus 09
Mars:19 Aries 35
Jupiter:06 Aries 26
Saturn:25 Aquarius 03 Rx
Uranus:17 Taurus 18
Neptune:25 Pisces 26
Pluto:28 Capricorn 01 Rx

True Lunar Node:21 Taurus 54 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:20 Taurus 30 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):07 Cancer 26

Chiron:16 Aries 04
Ceres:15 Cancer 23
Pallas:23 Taurus 11
Juno:17 Pisces 48
Vesta:05 Pisces 45

Eris:24 Aries 57

Fire:4
Earth:6
Air:3
Water:6
Cardinal:7
Fixed:6
Mutable:6

Southern Hemisphere

The time for these Custom Planetary Positions is from the local time in Cape Town, South Africa

20 June 2022
10:00 am GMT 12:00 PM SAST
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:29 Gemini 05
Moon:20 Pisces 12
Mercury:06 Gemini 31
Venus:26 Taurus 54
Mars:19 Aries 26
Jupiter:06 Aries 25
Saturn:25 Aquarius 04 Rx
Uranus:17 Taurus 17
Neptune:25 Pisces 26
Pluto:28 Capricorn 02 Rx

True Lunar Node:21 Taurus 55 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:20 Taurus 30 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):07 Cancer 24

Chiron:16 Aries 04
Ceres:15 Cancer 17
Pallas:23 Taurus 05
Juno:17 Pisces 46
Vesta:05 Pisces 44

Eris:24 Aries 56

Fire:4
Earth:6
Air:3
Water:6
Cardinal:7
Fixed:6
Mutable:6

Southwestern Hemisphere

The time for these Custom Planetary Positions is from the local time in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 

20 June 2022
02:00 am GMT 12:00 PM AEST
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:28 Gemini 46
Moon:15 Pisces 40
Mercury:06 Gemini 07
Venus:26 Taurus 30
Mars:19 Aries 12
Jupiter:06 Aries 22
Saturn:25 Aquarius 04 Rx
Uranus:17 Taurus 16
Neptune:25 Pisces 25
Pluto:28 Capricorn 02 Rx

True Lunar Node:21 Taurus 55 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:20 Taurus 31 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):07 Cancer 22

Chiron:16 Aries 04
Ceres:15 Cancer 09
Pallas:22 Taurus 55
Juno:17 Pisces 42
Vesta:05 Pisces 41

Eris:24 Aries 56

Fire:4
Earth:6
Air:3
Water:6
Cardinal:7
Fixed:6
Mutable:6

21 June 2022 Southern Hemisphere’s Planetary Positions Digest

Obliquity of the Nine Planets

If you need to calculate the planetary positions for a specific use and time, click on this link

Currentplanetarypositions.com

To figure out GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) to your local time use this link

 For Your Local Time and Date 

Southeastern Hemisphere

The time for these Custom Planetary Positions is from the local time in Sao Paulo, Brazil, South America

21 June 2022
03:00 pm GMT 12:00 PM BRT
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:00 Cancer 14
Moon:06 Aries 13
Mercury:07 Gemini 58
Venus:28 Taurus 20
Mars:20 Aries 18
Jupiter:06 Aries 33
Saturn:25 Aquarius 02 Rx
Uranus:17 Taurus 20
Neptune:25 Pisces 26
Pluto:28 Capricorn 00 Rx

True Lunar Node:21 Taurus 54
Mean Lunar Node:20 Taurus 27 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):07 Cancer 32

Chiron:16 Aries 06
Ceres:15 Cancer 49
Pallas:23 Taurus 39
Juno:18 Pisces 00
Vesta:05 Pisces 53

Eris:24 Aries 57

Fire:5
Earth:6
Air:2
Water:6
Cardinal:9
Fixed:6
Mutable:4

Southern Hemisphere

The time for these Custom Planetary Positions is from the local time in Cape Town, South Africa

21 June 2022
10:00 am GMT 12:00 PM SAST
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:00 Cancer 02
Moon:03 Aries 30
Mercury:07 Gemini 43
Venus:28 Taurus 05
Mars:20 Aries 09
Jupiter:06 Aries 32
Saturn:25 Aquarius 02 Rx
Uranus:17 Taurus 20
Neptune:25 Pisces 26
Pluto:28 Capricorn 00 Rx

True Lunar Node:21 Taurus 54
Mean Lunar Node:20 Taurus 27 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):07 Cancer 31

Chiron:16 Aries 06
Ceres:15 Cancer 44
Pallas:23 Taurus 33
Juno:17 Pisces 58
Vesta:05 Pisces 51

Eris:24 Aries 57

Fire:5
Earth:6
Air:2
Water:6
Cardinal:9
Fixed:6
Mutable:4

Southwestern Hemisphere

The time for these Custom Planetary Positions is from the local time in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 

21 June 2022
02:00 am GMT 12:00 PM AEST
Zodiac: Tropical (Standard Western)

Sun:29 Gemini 43
Moon:29 Pisces 07
Mercury:07 Gemini 18
Venus:27 Taurus 42
Mars:19 Aries 55
Jupiter:06 Aries 29
Saturn:25 Aquarius 03 Rx
Uranus:17 Taurus 19
Neptune:25 Pisces 26
Pluto:28 Capricorn 01 Rx

True Lunar Node:21 Taurus 54 Rx
Mean Lunar Node:20 Taurus 28 Rx

Lilith (Black Moon):07 Cancer 29

Chiron:16 Aries 05
Ceres:15 Cancer 35
Pallas:23 Taurus 23
Juno:17 Pisces 54
Vesta:05 Pisces 49

Eris:24 Aries 57

Fire:4
Earth:6
Air:3
Water:6
Cardinal:7
Fixed:6
Mutable:6

Spell for Today – A Midsummer Night’s Fire Ritual

smile

A Midsummer Night’s Fire Ritual

The Summer Solstice, known to some as Litha, Midsummer, or Alban Heruin, is the longest day of the year. It’s the time when the sun is most powerful, and new life has begun to grow within the earth. After today, the nights will once more begin to grow longer, and the sun will move further away in the sky.

If your tradition requires you to cast a circle, consecrate a space, or call the quarters, now is the time to do so.

This ritual is a great one to perform outside, so if you have the opportunity to do this without scaring the neighbors, take advantage of it.
Begin this ritual by preparing the wood for a fire, without lighting it yet. While the ideal situation would have you setting a huge bonfire alight, realistically not everyone can do that. If you’re limited, use a table top brazier or fire-safe pot, and light your fire there instead.
Say either to yourself or out loud:

Today, to celebrate Midsummer, I honor the Earth itself. I am surrounded by tall trees. There is a clear sky above me and cool dirt beneath me, and I am connected to all three. I light this fire as the Ancients did so long ago.

At this point, start your fire. Say:

The Wheel of the Year has turned once more
The light has grown for six long months
Until today.
Today is Litha, called Alban Heruin by my ancestors.
A time for celebration.
Tomorrow the light will begin to fade
As the Wheel of the Year
Turns on and ever on.
Turn to the East, and say:
From the east comes the wind,
Cool and clear.
It brings new seeds to the garden
Bees to the pollen
And birds to the trees.
Turn to Face South, and say:
The sun rises high in the summer sky
And lights our way even into the night
Today the sun casts three rays
The light of fire upon the land, the sea, and the heavens
Turn to face West, saying:
From the west, the mist rolls in
Bringing rain and fog
The life-giving water without which
We would cease to be.
Finally, turn to the North, and say:
Beneath my feet is the Earth,
Soil dark and fertile
The womb in which life begins
And will later die, then return anew.

Build up the fire even more, so that you have a good strong blaze going.

If you wish to make an offering to the gods, now is the time to do it. For this sample, we’re including the use of a triple goddess in the invocation, but this is where you should substitute the names of the deities of your personal tradition.

Say:

Alban Heruin is a time of rededication
To the gods. The triple goddess watches over me.
She is known by many names.
She is the Morrighan, Brighid, and Cerridwen.
She is the washer at the ford,
She is the guardian of the hearth,
She is the one who stirs the cauldron of inspiration.
I give honor to You, O mighty ones,
By all your names, known and unknown.
Bless me with Your wisdom
And give life and abundance to me
As the sun gives life and abundance to the Earth.
I make this offering to you
To show my allegiance
To show my honor
To show my dedication
To You.

Cast your offering into fire. Conclude the ritual by saying:

Today, at Litha, I celebrate the life
And love of the gods
And of the Earth and Sun.

Take a few moments to reflect upon what you have offered, and what the gifts of the gods mean to you. When you are ready, if you have cast a circle, dismantle it or dismiss the quarters at this time. Allow your fire to go out on its own.

by Patti Wigington
Published on ThoughtCo

Pagan and Magickal Terms and Definitions

Today’s Word is

Sabbat

From moonlitpriestess.com

Term for Wiccan holidays adopted by other Pagan and Witchcraft paths. In Wiccan tradition, Sabbats are solar festivals that usually honor the God and the changing of the seasons or Wheel of the Year. Eight sabbats are celebrated in a Wiccan year.

From Spells8.com

Each of the eight Wiccan holidays celebrated in a calendar year. The first sabbat is Yule and then comes Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, Mabon, and Samhain. These festivals are considered sacred days and it’s tradition to celebrate them in good company.