Traditions | How We Celebrate | Recipes | Correspondences

This Sabbat, also known as Midsummer's Day and Summer Solstice, it is the longest day of the year and 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 focus of this sabbat is again on fertility but also on strength and focus. Plans made at Imbolc, put into motion at Ostara, encouraged at Beltane should now be in fruition. It is a time to give thanks for the gifts we've been given and for our health. After this day things will change somewhat, waning again, and this must be prepared for. This is a celebration of workand of pleasurable activities. It is also a good time for a dedication rite or a re-affirmation spell.

The God and the Goddess are in their prime, and at their highest power. This is the longest day of the year and the shortest night. The Goddess is pregnant. After this day, the light begins to wane until the Winter Solstice.

The God & Goddess At Litha The Goddess and the God have sex all during the month of Beltane. By Midsummer, the goddess is pregnant. Midsummer marks the beginning of the decline of the God as his vitality is transferred back to the Goddess. In plants this is very evident. They make their fruit and seeds, giving their vitality to that which will both nurture the Earth, the body of the Goddess, and insure further generations of the parent plant. The God is now lord of the Green. He's at his strongest. Light is triumphant in this longest day, but also doomed for in the days following, the days shorten and night prevails until Yule. It is telling symbolism that at the height of our being and purpose is when we fail and die. Only room to go down. Conversely, Yule, the sun's weakest point is also the day of light's triumph over darkness. Robin Hood and Maid Marian are the archetypal images of the May King and Queen and can be found as such in early ballads. Visit Robin and Marian’s wedding feast in meditation on Beltane in honour of the sacred union of God and Goddess. Wear a garland of Mayflowers and drink honeyed mead from the wedding chalice. Dance around the Maypole with Robin and Marian and celebrate the return of the summer and the fertility of the Earth.

Until now the God and Goddess have ruled supreme, they have imposed their will upon the kingdom without challenge, but now a somber figure makes his appearance. This is the beginning of the ancient pagan theme of the battle between the brothers; the light and dark kings now begin their conflict. The Dark king attempts to overpower the Queen; the child she bears represents the realm. They fight, light against dark, but at this time the sun is still at the height of his powers, and the King drives the challenger back. In his struggle, he overthrows the userper, but is wounded, and his strength begins to decline. The light still rules supreme, but a shadow has fallen over the kingdom. The God and Goddess remain at the height of their power, yet a new force - darkness - is awakening in the world.

Litha Traditions

Some of the traditional things done at this Sabbat include singing, feasting, celebrating with others, cutting divining rods, dowsing rods & wands. Gathering herbs for drying, handfastings, leaping between two fires, women walking naked through gardens to ensure continued fertility, enjoying the seasonal fruits & vegetables, honouring the Mother's fullness, richness and abundance.

At Litha the types of rituals performed include, but are not limited to:- Nature spirit/fey communion, planet healing, divination, love & protection rituals. The battle between Oak King, God of the waxing year & Holly King, God of the waning year (can be a ritual play), or you can act out scenes from "A Midsummer Night's Dream"or you can perform a re-dedication ceremony.

Make a Witch's Ladder (another fun family project) using three coloured ribbons or yarns (red, black, and white for the Triple Goddess) braided together to be three feet long. Add nine feathers all the same colour for a specific charm (such as green for money) or various colours for a more diverse charm, tie ends and hang up. Colours are red for vitality, blue for peace and protection, yellow for alertness and cheer, green for prosperity, brown for stability, black for wisdom, black and white for balance, patterned for clairvoyance, and iridescent for insight. NB - To illustrate the basic weaving technique no feathers have been added to this ladder.

Make a Solar Wheel as a terific family project - everyone can make one for their bedroom. Wind palm or grape vine into a circle, twisting as you go. Cut two short lengths of stem to be just a bit larger than the diaameter of the circle and place one across the back horizontally and the other vertically crossing in back on the horizontal one and coming forward to the front of the circle to secure both, then adorn with symbols of the elementals (stone, feathers, ashes in a pouch, or a small candle, and a shell) and festoon with green and yellow ribbons. Hang in a tree outside or indoors as a reminder of the God's protection.

How We Celebrate Litha...

Submitted by Moonshadow - At Litha, we celebrate the power of the Sun and spend time outside as much as possible, taking pleasure in Nature as a child would. I collect Summer flowers and herbs from the garden for use on the altar and around the house. This is the time I make a health and strength protection amulet for hanging over the door we use most. Part of our ritual is to replace the old amulet with a new one and to burn the old one and give thanks for all it gave us. Litha is also a time that we reafirm our love for each other and for the Earth.

Each Sabbat we take a walk at one of our favourite beauty spots around Derby and this Sabbat is no exception. After greeting the sun we take a walk and take a picnic and just sit and 'be' feeling nature all around us. Occasionally we'll perform a small ritual outside, but generally we sit and talk or just lay in the sun and listen to the sounds of nature around us.

Other Things To Do

Leaping the fire, singly or in couples holding hands, to bring fruition to your life, whether literal, spiritual or symbolic.

Share your garden's harvest with those that are not so fortunate.

Herbs can be dried over the ritual fire if you're celebrating outdoors.

Ritually, use mirrors to capture the light of the Sun or the flames of the fire.

Make amulets (simple charms) of protection out of herbs such as rue and rowan. If you make new amulets each year you can dispose of the old in the midsummer fire.

Litha Recipes

Lavender & Lemon Biscuits Makes 16 These biscuits are delicious, I make them and take them on our picnic and we use them as part of our Litha ritual. 100g Butter 50g Caster Sugar 175g Self Raising Flour 1 Tsp Lemon Zest 2 Tbsp Fresh, Chopped Lavender Leaves 1 Tsp Lavender Flowers

Method : Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the flour, lemon zest & lavender leaves to the butter mixture. Knead well until it forms a dough. Gently foll out on a lightly floured board. Scatter the flowers over the rolled dough and lightly press in with the rolling pin. Cut into small rounds with a cutter. Place biscuits on a greased baking sheet. Bake in a hot oven 450F/230C, gas mark 7 for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove at once and cool on a wire tray. NB Ensure that the lavender you use is fit for human consumption and hasn't been sprayed with any pesticides. Buy organic culinary lavender when possible or harvest your own.

Midsummer Creamy Herb Soup - Serves 4 This soup is delicious as part of your Midsummer feast, serve with some homemade multigrain bread that's full of seeds and grains. 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter 1 Medium Onion, finely chopped 2 Tbsps Fresh Chives, finely chopped 2 Tbsps Fresh Chervil, finely chopped 2 Tbsps Basil Leaves, finely chopped 2 Tsps Tarragon, finely chopped 50g Celery Stalks, finely chopped 500ml Vegetable Stock 500ml Semi Skimmed Milk Salt and Pepper 1 pinch Sugar 1 Pinch Nutmeg, freshly ground Grated Cheddar Cheese

Method : Melt the butter over medium heat in a large heavy pot. Add the onion and celery and cook slowly, once the vegetables are transulcent add the herbs and cook through until the herbs are wilted and soft, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, milk, salt, pepper, and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. When the soup is ready for serving stir in the cheese so it melts and ladle into bowls, finish off with a swirl of cream if liked and accompany the soup with fresh crusty multigrain bread.

NB: More Litha recipes including one for incense can be found on the Sabbat recipes page.

Litha Correspondences

Litha Herbs: Basil, Chamomile, Cinquefoil, Daisy, Elder, Fennel, Frankincense, Lavender, Lily, Mistletoe, Mugwort, Oak, Pine, Rose, St. John's Wort, Thyme, Vervain, Yarrow.

Litha Incense: Frankincense, Lemon, Rose, Wisteria, Lavender, Myrrh, Sandalwood, Pine, Jasmine, Lotus.

Litha Colours: Blue, Green, Yellow, Red, White, Corn Yellow & Tan.

Litha Decorations: Dried herbs, Potpourri, Dream pillows, Summer flowers & fruits, Sun symbols and anything yellow, orange, round and evocative of Summer.

Litha Foods: Summer fruits, Iced tea, Ale, Mead, Fresh vegetables, Lemonade, Orange slice wheels, Sun-shaped breads, cake or biscuits.

Spellwork appropriate for Litha: All kinds of spell workings are appropriate at Litha but especially spells for love, healing and prosperity.