Litha, or Mid Summer Solstice, is directly opposite Yule on the Wheel of the year. When those of you in the Northern
Hemisphere are celebrating Yule and experiencing winter, we in the Southern Hemisphere are enjoying summer and celebrating
Litha.
The festivals tell the story of the journey of the God around the Wheel and Litha
marks when He reaches His maturity and can be seen in all His glory. Here He is at His strongest. Ours is a magnificent God
seen as both the hunter and the shepherd. He is all the male attributes, logical and clear thinking, strong and
protective as well as gentle and loving. Think of all the things you love and admire about the men
in your life and He is all of these and more.
Each December I anticipate Litha and plan the ritual I will do and also
the many wonderful ways I will acknowledge and celebrate this much loved festival. Unfortunately the weather does not always
comply. The last 6 years (maybe more) Litha has dawned with overcast skies. The precipitation that
fills the day is not heavy enough to be called rain. It is more of a gentle mist, with downward tendencies. If you have ever
had a steaming hot shower, you can visualize the way the bathroom feels when you turn the taps off. That is how the days over
here have been. Warm to hot, with a heavy mist. Light grey, opalescent skies and no sign at all of the sun itself. All the
ideas about odes to the Sun and light go out of my repertoire right there.
One of the Gods I think of on this day is Lugh ~ a Celtic Sun-God, who
was worshipped for his arts and crafts and these become aspects I will work on for Litha. I
can let other things go and write, or sing (off key but with enthusiasm), or knit or sew or quilt. No guilt is felt for letting
other things go as I enjoy myself and my hobbies. I am connecting to my God and this takes precedence. I
thoroughly enjoy Litha for this alone.
I only have one son left at home andfor this day,
I will honour him as a living representation of the Male Aspect in my life. I will start the day by getting up early and making
him a cup of tea, taken to him while he is still in bed. I make something nice for his breakfast. I do small things for him
all day - generally keep the cuppas coming and for our evening meal what could be more appropriate than a lovely curry. He
and I love curries but what could be more appropriate? They vary in heat from mild to super hot, and the colours are all Sun
colours too. I often make more than one curry and invite one or more of his friends to join us. I have never once told him
or his brothers why I did this and I doubt if they even know which day it is. I do it all with a spirit of thankfulness for
having them and for the God’s influence in my life. The payback is my sons feel loved and appreciated and their attitude
to me shows how much they enjoy it.
This year I will be doing a ritual out in the country with my coven. The ritual is attuned to the
Male Aspect, each of the Elemental Kings is described in detail as they are called in, The Journey of the God and The Charge
of the God will be read out and then we will ask for His blessings and healing on us all.
It is also a good time to reaffirm our vows to our coven and our deities.
May the Sun shine down on you wherever you are and His Light remove all the dark areas of you life.
Blessed Be
Lynda (NZ)
SUMMER SOLSTICE / MIDSUMMER
The Summer Solstice marks the longest day of
the year. In northern European lore, the Summer Solstice marks the battle between the Oak King and Holly King, figures representing
the waxing and waning forces of Nature. On the day of the Summer Solstice the Holly King defeats his brother the Oak King.
Even though this is the longest day of the year, the days begin to grow shorter from this time forward.
In southern
Europe, groups such as the Benandanti enacted ritual battles. Fennel and sorghum stalks were used as symbols of light and
darkness in a battle over the fertility of crops and herds. In Italian Witchcraft the Summer Solstice is the celebration of
the anticipation of plenty, the bounty of Nature and the coming of the harvest season. In many modern Celtic based Traditions
of Wicca/Witchcraft the Summer Solstice festival is called Litha. The word litha is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word lida,
which means moon.
Some commentators have suggested that "aerra lida" corresponded to the month of June in the Anglo-Saxon
calendar, while "aefterra lida" corresponded to July. Some modern Celtic-oriented Wiccans believe that Litha was actually
the ancient name of the Summer Solstice although there is no historical evidence to confirm this. In the popular fictional
work titled The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien, the author uses the word Lithe to denote Midsummer's Day. In modern
Wicca the use of the word Litha for the name for the Summer Solstice first publicly appears in the late 1970's in such works
as the Spiral Dance by Starhawk.
The eve of the Summer Solstice is a night of celebration for the Faery Folk because
they are of a lunar nature, and the Summer Solstice marks the beginning of the sun's decline in the Wheel of the Year. What
we are seeing here is an archaic remnant of older rites (and concepts) that existed before the rise of agrarian society.
St.
John's Wort has been, since ancient Greek times, believed to possess the power to banish evil spirits and to protect against
harmful magic. It's interesting to note that the Christianized name for the Summer Solstice is St. John's Day (or Festival).
The old belief held that the Faery Folk blessed St. John's Wort during their rites, and the herb could then be harvested on
the morning of the Summer Solstice. This required one cutting stroke, and one only. The harvester was not to look back over
his or her shoulder (particularly not the left one) and could then leave the area after collecting the herbs (but no cutting
could be taken where any Faery Ring stood or where even any solitary mushrooms appeared). The harvested herb was then placed
over the door of the home, upon the hearth mantle, or was carried in a pouch until the next Summer Solstice (when it could
be renewed).
