21st of June 2022
What is Litha
Litha is one of the eight Sabbats of the Pagan and Wiccan wheel of the year. As this blog focuses on the Pagan practices I wont be going into too much detail on the Wiccan celebration. But what is Litha? It is the celebration of the summer solstice or midsummer and heralds the start of the summer season. It is the longest day. The time when the sun is at the peak of it’s power, and it is the time of year when the nights are beginning to draw in.
Litha, known by other names has been celebrated for thousands of years all over Europe. Traditionally in my part of the world, it is celebrated outdoors on top of a hill, with bonfires, stools selling cakes and meads, and a fire wheel. A fire wheel, for those that don’t know, is a wagon wheel that is set on fire and rolled down the hill. As far as I know in my limited local knowledge, is that the further the fire wheel rolled the better the harvest was going to be that year.
How is it Celebrated?
Litha is the last of the fertility rituals of the year. Like Beltane, fire jumping and weaving flower crowns and dancing. are common. It is also a time , like yule, when the veil between this world and the next is weak. because of this it is customary to leave offerings to the Fae.
When I was a child we went to many summer fetes that are very similar to the traditional Litha celebrations. There where held at my primary school and had some very pagan events such as morris dancing. Although the fire wheel didn’t make an appearance.
Litha is also a traditional and popular time for marriage or handfasting. It is a time to gather herbs and flowers. And it is also a time that the Fae are said to emerge and play tricks and pranks on us mortals. It is a good time to practice love magic and fertility rituals. It is a good time for both fire and water magic. A time to work in the garden if you have one, and just generally spend time outside in nature. It is also a time to celebrate Fathers which might be why Fathers Day in the UK is usually the Sunday before. For me, I like to get both my father and grandfather round the pub on the Friday closest to Litha for a beer. Many Pagans and Wiccans in the UK travel to Stone Henge to celebrate and watch the sunrise. I have never been and as a sever introvert, and solitary witch I’m not sure if I would like to. I tend to like to stick close to my own neck of the woods around the Sabbats.
