LithaMoon's Profile at Vampire Rave.

A lesser known Pagan holiday, Litha occurs during the Summer Solstice between June 19 -22. More commonly referred to as Midsummer’s Night, Litha is believed to be a time when faerie folk pass into the human world at Twilight and offer blessings. Litha is a time to celebrate the abundance and beauty of Mother Earth. Flowers are in bloom and gardens are producing fresh vegetables and fruits. Gather family and friends to celebrate the longest day of the year and coming harvest season.

Midsummer Night is the longest night of the year and has been celebrated in some fashion since ancient times. In Pagan tradition, Litha marked the end of the Oak King’s reign and the rise of the Holly King, who oversees the world as the days gradually get shorter as the world descends into the cold dark of winter.

Like Beltane, fire is an element of Litha. Bonfires were lit to assist the sun as it journeyed across the sky, changing course and shortening the days. It was believed that the faerie realm was the most accessible during Midsummer Night.

Litha was also a celebration of the Celctic goddess Danu (Anu) who represents earth and fruitfulness. According to Irish mythology Danu was the Universal Mother of Tuatha De Danaan - a tribe of ancient people in Ireland believed to have invaded Ireland and ruled until being defeated in war on midsummer’s day, after which they retreated to the hills and eventually became the Faerie folk.

SETTING INTENTIONS AT LITHA
Litha is a good time to align yourself with the powerful energies of the sun and summertime. Everything is growing and expanding and now is the time to expand your ideas, business, goals or desires. And like all Wheel of the Year Sabbats, Litha is an opportunity to show gratitude for all that you have and thank Mother Earth for her bounty.

Litha is also a time to acknowledge your successes thus far in the Wheel of the Year.

Litha has often been a source of contention among modern Pagan and Wiccan groups, because there's always been a question about whether or not Midsummer was truly celebrated by the ancients. While there's scholarly evidence to indicate that it was indeed observed, there were suggestions made by Gerald Gardner, the founder of modern Wicca, that the solar festivals (the solstices and equinoxes) were actually added later and imported from the Middle East. Regardless of the origins, many modern Wiccans and other Pagans do choose to celebrate Litha every year in June.

In some traditions, Litha is a time at which there is a battle between light and dark. The Oak King is seen as the ruler of the year between winter solstice and summer solstice, and the Holly King from summer to winter. At each solstice they battle for power, and while the Oak King may be in charge of things at the beginning of June, by the end of Midsummer he is defeated by the Holly King.

This is a time of year of brightness and warmth. Crops are growing in their fields with the heat of the sun, but may require water to keep them alive. The power of the sun at Midsummer is at its most potent, and the earth is fertile with the bounty of growing life.

For contemporary Pagans, this is a day of inner power and brightness. Find yourself a quiet spot and meditate on the darkness and the light both in the world and in your personal life. Celebrate the turning of the Wheel of the Year with fire and water, night and day, and other symbols of the opposition of light and dark.

Litha is a great time to celebrate outdoors if you have children. Take them swimming or just turn on the sprinkler to run through, and then have a bonfire or barbecue at the end of the day. Let them stay up late to say goodnight to the sun, and celebrate nightfall with sparklers, storytelling, and music. This is also an ideal Sabbat to do some love magic or celebrate a handfasting, since June is the month of marriages and family.

Midsummer is the time when we celebrate the bounty of the earth and the power of the sun. Our fields are flourishing, fruits are blossoming on the trees, herb bushes are fragrant and full of life. The sun is at its highest point in the sky, and it has bathed the earth in its warmth, heating up the soil so that when autumn rolls around, we'll have a rich and bountiful harvest. These prayers celebrate the different aspects of midsummer. Feel free to modify them to suit the needs of your tradition.

Litha is the season of the summer solstice, and the longest day of the year. This means that the very next day, the nights will begin getting longer incrementally as we move towards Yule, the winter solstice. Many ancient cultures honored the sun as significant, and the concept of sun worship is one nearly as old as mankind itself. In societies that were primarily agricultural, and depended on the sun for life and sustenance, it is no surprise that the sun became deified. Celebrate the sun while there's time, and let its warm energy and powerful rays envelope you.

Litha Prayer to the Sun

The sun is high above us
shining down upon the land and sea,
making things grow and bloom.
Great and powerful sun,
we honor you this day
and thank you for your gifts.
Ra, Helios, Sol Invictus, Aten, Svarog,
you are known by many names.
You are the light over the crops,
the heat that warms the earth,
the hope that springs eternal,
the bringer of life.
We welcome you, and we honor you this day,
celebrating your light,
as we begin our journey once more
into the darkness.

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