Friday, June 21, 2013

Touch of Pagan: Litha - Summer Solstice

As always I preface this, with my usual statement.  You know my beliefs are those of many different religions.  There is no one religion that I practice, but pull from multiple to shape my beliefs.  If you cannot create a positive dialogue, and wish to bash or berate me for my beliefs, you will not be welcome here.

Today is a half-way point in the wheel of the year.  It is the celebration of the summer solstice, the first day of Summer (though, as I live in Florida - summer's been here a while already).  Litha, as today is often referred to is the ancient Germanic word for summer.  This is the time when the Sun God is believed to be at His strongest.  The Sun God is also known as the God of the Forest, and is often depicted seated on a throne of green wood.  It is ultimately from this, that the modern version of the Green Man has come about.  Also, during the merging of Christianity and Paganism, many visages of the Sun God wearing a mask of leaves were included in the architecture of early churches.  So, this is His day.

The themes of Litha are: sex, love, creativity, energy, luck, health and wishes.  

This is the time of year when, had I the means, would be gathering herbs and beginning the drying process. Why? Because this is the day that the herbs are the most potent when it comes to their magical properties.  Roots are to be gathered as the moon wanes and leaves and flower as the moon waxes.  Waiting too long after the solistice the herbs will begin to seed and lose potency.  Also, after each gathering or using any part of Mother Nature's resources, I thank the plant, and remember our debt to Mother Earth and Her children.

Had I the means, I would be performing my own Litha ritual, but as I'm still in the process of building my altar and acquiring things (as budget allows), and I am not near a spring (that is within easy walking distance).  I would be writing down a wish or perhaps two, adding them to my Litha inspired offering, such as a stone, feather or small flower.  Once that was done, I would meditate on the wish, keeping it focused in my mind and filled the offering with my meditation, it would be tossed with intention into the spring, or cauldron.  Once the spell was completed,ultimately the content of the cauldron would be emptied into a spring or other moving body of water.  As everything within the cauldron would be natural and not harmful to the environment, no harm would be done.

Here are some useful items for use on the Summer Solstice for your celebrations: 

Herbs:  Basil, chamomile, daisy, elder, pine, St. John's wort, tyme, yarrow, frankincense, fennel, lavender, and lily

Essential Oils/Incense: Frankincense, lemon, lavender, sandalwood, lotus, jasmine, rose, wisteria, and myrrh

Colors: yellow, white, red, blue, green, tan

Decoration: anything reminiscent of the sun, dried herbs, potpourri, fruits, summer flowers

Gemstones: Any green stone.

Foods: Mead, fresh fruits and veggies, lemonade, cookies and cakes decorated to honor the Sun, and of course plenty of ale.

Spellwork: Any maigck, but is especially beneficial for Animal Protection and Marriage & Vow Renewal spells.

Recipes and stuff: Can be found at the following link -  Litha Recipes

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