Litha Summer Solstice

Information and Correspondences for Litha

Summer Solstice in the month of June

Beautiful time of growth

Longest day and shortest night of the year. It's the first Sabbat of the

waning year. It's when the Mother is at her peak sexually and fertility

wise. 

Everything is in full bloom and the promise of the harvest is still a

ways away. Persephone goes to rejoin her grandmother Hecate in the

underworld. Her Mother Demeter distraught by her absence stops all growth and death

begins. The Goddess who was born at Yule has now grown to maturity. 

Midsummer Incenses

The Complete Book of Incenses, Oils & Brews

By Scott Cunningham

Midsummer Incense #1

2 parts Sandalwood 

1 part Mugwort 

1 part Chamomile 

1 part Gardenia petals 

a few drops Rose oil 

a few drops Lavender oil 

a few drops Yarrow oil

Burn at Wiccan rituals at the Summer Solstice (circa June 21st) or at that time to attune with the seasons and the Sun.

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

Another like the above recipe.

Litha Incense  

From The Real Witches' Kitchen by Kate West

2 tsp. Sandalwood 

1 tsp. Wormwood 

1 tsp. Chamomile 

1 tsp. Rose petals 

a few drops jasmine oil 

a few drops lavender oil 

Sweet Summer Incense 

2 Parts Sandalwood 

1 part Mugwort 

1 part Chamomile 

1 part Gardenia petals 

a few drops Rose Oil 

a few drops Lavender Oil 

a few drops Yarrow Oil

***************************************

Litha, Midsummer, Summer Solstice Ideas

Wear green, white, blue, and yellow to celebrate the Sun and the Earth.

Burn candles that are blue or yellow - as with the Spring celebrations, use candles with embedded flowers and herbs if possible. Your incense should be a Midsummer mixture of chamomile, lavender, mugwort and rose or rose petals.

Decorate your altar with a green or white altar cloth and symbols of the sun and Earth.

Mark the Quarters with small potted trees decorated with Sun symbols and blue and yellow ribbons. As you tie the symbols and ribbons to the trees, say something like this:

From Earth below to Sun above

I honor the Lord and Lady with love

The fertility and warmth you bring

Blessings upon me, your praises I sing

For this bounty and all that you grow

Accept these tokens and candles aglow

Each ribbon of yellow and blue that I tie

Symbolizing the bond between Earth and sky

When you cast the Circle use your wand, but tie small chimes to it beforehand so that they gently tinkle and ring to appease the fey.

Your Midsummer Circle is a good time to make your seasonal candles. Before the Sabbat:

determine how many candles you want to make - at least one for each season;

list all the herbs and flowers you will need;

make note of the colors that will work best for each candle;

then buy a quantity of pre-made beeswax sheets, wicks, and herbs

when you are in your Circle, make the candles by spreading the herbs and/or flowers onto the individual wax sheets, then place the wick on the outer edge of the sheet and roll them up tightly while saying something like this:

Herbs and flowers, wax and wicks

In you, the power and magick I fix

When next your called and made aglow

Let your power and magick flow

Next you need to offer them to the Lord and Lady and the fey. Try saying

something like this:

With these candles offered you

Comes my awe for each season new

Let your work be eased and light

With love and cheer and flame so bright

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!

Summer Magical Cleansing Bath 

This is wonderful for emotional and physical pain... (add one more part Thyme and 3 parts red clover for a healing bath to wash away female cycle pains) 

3 Parts Sweet Marjoram 

3 Parts Thyme

Original Summer Solstice Blend

3 drops Basil Oil    

1 drop Clove Bud Oil    

1 drop Ginger Oil    

3 drops Neroli Oil  

2 drops Orange Oil  

3 drops Petitgrain Oil  

Note, for best effect (and for a skin soothing balance to the irritant spice oils) this blend should be diluted in a deep orange Calendula Infused carrier oil.

This oil can be used for the following purposes: 

As a meditation aid, anoint your chakra points (mix no stronger than a 5% dilution) 

As a personal blend to wear on pulse points on the day of the Solstice (5% dilution) 

To mix with wood-base and burn as an incense in the evening of the Solstice. 

To anoint your altar, or altar candles (10% dilution)

Sun Oil 

4 drops Frankincense Oil 

2 Drops Cinnamon Oil 

1 Drop Petitgrain Oil 

1 Drop Rosemary Oil 

a scant pinch of genuine Saffron

 

Litha Oil 

5 drops Orange Oil  

4 drops Lavender Oil  

3 drops Ylang-Ylang Oil  

2 drops Sunflower Oil

 

Midsummer Oil Recipe

The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews

By Scott Cunningham 

4 drops lavender oil 

3 drops Rosemary oil 

1 drop Pine Oil 

Use Sunflower oil as your base here.

Honey Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup honey

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup strong chamomile tea

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon apple pie spice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Assorted berries and additional honey

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9-in baking pan.

In a large bowl, beat butter and honey until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream, tea and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, spice, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture. Transfer batter to prepared baking pan .

Bake 30-35 minutes or till a tooth pick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Serve with berries and additional honey

Find another recipe here for Honey Cake

https://cherylstastyhomecooking.blogspot.com/2022/03/honey-cakes.html

June 21 - Summer Solstice (Midsummer/Litha)

Although the name Litha is not well attested, it may come from Saxon tradition -- the opposite of Yule.  On this longest day of the year, light and life are abundant.  At mid-summer, the Sun God has reached the moment of his greatest strength.  Seated on his greenwood throne, he is also lord of the forests, and his face is seen in church architecture peering from countless foliate masks.

The Christian religion converted this day of Jack-in-the-Green to the Feast of St.  John the Baptist, often portraying him in rustic attire, sometimes with horns and cloven feet (like the Greek Demi-God Pan)

Midsummer Night's Eve is also special for adherents of the Faerie faith.

The alternative fixed calendar date of June 25 (Old Litha) is sometimes employed by Covens.  The name Beltane is sometimes incorrectly assigned to this holiday by some modern traditions of Wicca, even though Beltane is the Gaelic word for May.

Tarot Cards: 

Empress, Strength or Sun 

  

Altar Decorations: 

summer flowers, love amulets, seashells, summer fruits, potpourri 

  

Herbs: 

chamomile, elder, fennel, hemp, larkspur, lavender, mugwort, pine,

roses, St. Johns Wort, wisteria 

Mugwort, Vervain, Chamomile, Rose, Honeysuckle, Lily, Oak, Lavender, Ivy, Yarrow, Fern, Elder, Wild Thyme, Daisy, Carnation.

  

Incense: 

frankincense, lemon, myrrh, pine, rose, wisteria Myrrh,

 

Gods & Goddess': 

Aphrodite, Astarte, Freya, Hathor, Ishtar, Venus, and other dietes

presiding 

over love and beauty 

  

Colors: 

blue, green, yellow 

  

Gemstones: 

emerald and jade, all green gemstones 

  

Food: 

Garden fresh fruits and vegetables are made into a variety of dishes and eaten by Pagan's who choose to celebrate this day.

fresh vegetables, summer fruits, pumpernickel bread, ale, mead 

Woods Burned:

Oak Sacred Gemstone:

Emerald Special Activities:

An Ideal time to reaffirm your vows to the Lord and Lady or your dedication 

  

Lore: 

Longest day and shortest night of the year. It's the first Sabbat of the

waning year. It's when the Mother is at her peak sexually and fertility

wise. 

Everything is in full bloom and the promise of the harvest is still a

ways away. Persephone goes to rejoin her grandmother Hecate in the

underworld. Her Mother Demeter distraught by her absence stops all growth and death

begins. The Goddess who was born at Yule has now grown to maturity. 

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