Litha (Midsummer), the Summer Solstice (btw. June 19 - 24)

Buy Herbs, Candles, Crystals, Incense, and more to celebrate Litha, the summer solstice. … Litha, Midsummer (the Summer Solstice) is a celebration of the Sun, the longest day of the year, when a battle for power and control between light and dark, between the Oak King and the Holly King, takes place. At Litha, the Holly King wins the battle and days begin to grow darker until Yule, when the Oak King regains power and days grow brighter. On Midsummer night, faerie folk pass into the human world at twilight to offer blessings. … Litha is an ideal time for a weddings and handfasting, and a time to honor the Holly King, Helios, Sol, Ra, Freya, and Celtic goddess Danu. The Catholic church adopted Litha as St. John’s Day to celebrate John the Baptist. … The Summer Solstice celebration often includes a very large bonfire (to symbolize the sun), a Summerpole decorated with flowers and leaves, a feast of foods that resemble the sun, and bright garland crowns of red, orange, and yellow flowers worn in women’s hair. The focus is on the power of the Sun. The fires assist the sun as it journeys across the sky on this longest day of the year. Partygoers often wear all white, and the women make their own crowns and decorate the Summerpole with flowers at a flower bar. Other activities involve festive music, singing; outdoor summer games and water balloon fights; writing down negative behaviors you want to end and throwing them in the fire, lively dancing around the bonfire all night until the fire goes out, making wishes or resolutions for the months ahead while jumping over the coals, then sharing some quiet time watching the sun rise (sometimes with a sun salutation). Another tradition is setting large wheels on fire, then rolling them down a hill into a body of water. Some build fairy (Faerie) houses in the woods to invite blessings. Seeds of ferns gathered on Midsummer’s Eve are said to be useful as an ‘invisibility’ amulet. Foods like grilled pineapple, lemons, oranges, peaches, mangos, yellow squash, corn, fresh greens, tomatoes, honey, fresh berries, watermelon, new potatoes with butter and dill, pickled herring, smoked salmon, fried catfish, chicken and veggie kabobs, rack of lamb, shrimp salad, guacamole with baked plantain chips, cakes and pastries, ice cream and sorbet, plenty of fruit an herb flavored spirits and cocktails like schnapps smoothies, fruity margaritas, aquavit, tequila sunrise, and sangria; and other foods that resemble or represent the sun and summer are served. Build a lavish altar or table filled with greenery; the colors red, blue, green, yellow, orange, pink and purple; brightly colored flowers like sunflowers, black-eyed susan, daisies, blanket flower, coneflower, daylily, roses, lavender, and peony as well as ferns and ivy; red, orange, and yellow candles; herbs like arnica, calendula and chamomile; and crystals like sunstone, golden/orange calcite, moss agate, jade, peridot, amber, emerald, ruby, lapis lazuli, and citrine. And light some Litha Incense. Decorate with plenty of candles, flowers, ribbons, fairy lights and lanterns, and hand out sparklers to guests to celebrate with. … When you’re ready to relax and restore, enjoy a hot herbal bath and warm cup of herbal tea.

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