Litha - A Celebration of Light
Wiccan on the go. Let’s make a Litha Mini Altar. When I started practicing, I thought I needed all these tools and …
Litha holds a special place in my heart. Not only is it the welcoming of summer and the earth coming back to life, but it is when I started on this witchy journey.
This was my first Sabbath and Ritual.
A ritual, to me, is a ceremony completed in honor/respect of the Goddess/God or a point in time. It is a series of prescribed actions done with a specific purpose usually with a set of verbiage, prayer, or spells You can complete a ritual at any time, but there are times of importance when you can perform the ritual, or other actions of honor. They can be simple or complex.
I perform rituals on the Sabbats and Esbat. If I feel called to or feel the need for it, I will also incorporate spell work. You can complete spell work at any time, but again there is a certain time that can increase the power of the spell.
Sabbaths
Sabbaths are holidays that focus on the wheel of the year while Esbats are a celebration of the moon. There are eight (8) holidays: Yule (December), Imbolc (February), Ostara (March), Beltane (May), Litha (June), Lughnasadh (August), Mabon (September), and Samhain (October). Each holiday represents a different natural transition. We will get into each of these as the wheel turns.
This month is Litha who falls between June 20th and June 23rd and in the northern hemisphere, it marks the Summer Solstice. This is the first day of summer and is the longest day of the year.
This is the point of the year where we celebrate the god and goddess in full power. The lands are fertile and growing. This is also the point of the battle between the Oak King and the Holly King that represent the light and dark phases of the god. The Oak King/Sun God/Father is in full power as the sun is at its highest, but the Holly King/Son begins the path to dark as we rotate into the colder months. The Oak King has aged, and the Holly King is young and gaining power. This holiday is thanking the earth for its abundance and calling forth the warmth of the sun.
How to celebrate Litha?
You can do many things. If you can get into nature or incorporate fire that is best for this time of year since we are welcoming the blooming of nature and the power of the sun.
Here are some examples to simply celebrate.
1. You can take a long nature walk.
2. Sit in the sun.
3. Hosting a bonfire or BBQ.
For me, I took to the sun, with a little sunbathing by the pool. I completed a meditative ritual, thanking the god and goddess for the sun and the greening of the earth. I ended the night with a little tarot.
On every Sabbath, I try to do a tarot spread. See the Litha spread HERE.
Litha is a time of abundance. If you, have it, then share it. otherwise open yourself to it. This may mean you need to let go of somethings to gain something new. As a continuation of my Litha celebration, I will be doing just that. Letting go of somethings (physical item, emotion, and relationships) that no longer serve me positively, to make room for the abundance to come. Sometimes we have to close a door to open a new one. Now is the time to start opening yourself up for the abundance the universe has planned for you. Just close that one door.
Remember your practice and your celebration is just that. Yours. You do not have to have these elaborate rituals or if that is what you want and it feels right to you, do it. Your Craft, Your Way.
May you have a blessed Litha and enjoy the solstice.
