Not only is June 20th the day of the full moon for this month, it is also the holiday Litha! As someone that has a spiritual connection to such holidays, I figure it’d be a good time to talk about it with all of you.
What is Litha?
Commonly known as the Summer Solstice, Litha is a celebration of the longest day of the year. The sun itself, as it is a bringer of life, is venerated on this day by many spiritual organizations such as the Druids, Christians and Pagans. For the Druids, this is the day where “the Solar God is crowned by the Goddess as The King of Summer,” while for Witches it is a time for rituals associated with the element fire. Although not typically a Christian holiday, some Christians (particularly Christian Witches) take this as just another time to be closer to God and the natural world.
There are many references to the Summer Solstice within modern day culture, the root of its history being in ancient religious texts. In "Avatar the Last Airbender," Aang could only travel to the spirit world to meet Avatar Roku during this time, as the barrier to the ‘real world’ and the ‘spirit world’ is non-existent during this time. This can be connected to the idea of the sun being the representation of the journey to spiritual enlightenment.
“But what about me?” You may ask, “What if I don’t have a practice that particularly follows this holiday? I would like to join too!” Well, to that I say, “It’s okay! There are many things you can do to participate in the fun!”
Personally, the celebration doesn’t really stop for me after the Summer Solstice. A lot of the rituals I follow can actually be done at any point during the summer, but just happen to have more prevalence on Litha.
Here I’ve compiled a list of ‘Witchy Summer Things’ that you can do this holiday season!
Refreshments:
Food is a great time. Drinks are even better. Whether you’re a kitchen witch or someone who’s just looking for something new to make, this is the place to go!
-Lavender Cupcakes with Honey Frosting (#SUPPORTTHEBEES2K16)
-Rosemary Garlic Biscuits
-Sparkling Cucumber Watermelon Sangria
-Dandelion Rosemary Shortbread
-Lemon Strawberry Layered Cake
Activities:
Have some friends that want to hang out but your Wii just broke? Have way too much construction paper that you inherited from your second cousin that used to own an art store? Have kids? Well, here are some activities for you!
-A list of not as crafty solstice things
-Another list of crafty solstice things
Spells:
The sun is hot, you’re hot, your magic is lacking some pizazz. What better way to harness the energy of the summer than with some of these spells!
-A pretty good infographic on witchy stuff about Litha
-Recreational Witchcrafts' Midsummer Masterpost!
-MagicalRecipesOnline's Litha Spell list
Clothing:
Another personal fun thing I like to do is wear clothes that are associated with the holiday. Seeing as how Litha is in celebration of the sun; golds are a must have. Slap a sun button onto your backpack, paint your nails yellow, break out that gold eyeshadow and you’re good to go! This list is of some clothing inspo that’ll help you come up with your own #OOTD!
-Cruelty Free E.L.F Gold Eyeshadow
-DIY Sunflower Crop Top
-Sun Temporary tattoo
Literally if it's got a sun or if it's gold, slap that sucker on. You can even just paint a sun right onto your body if that helps you get into the holiday spirit!
So, you see, it's not all witchy or satanic. Some of the things on this list are totally normal if you like to see it that way.
Energetic dance performance under the spotlight.
Taylor Swift in a purple coat, captivating the crowd on stage.
Taylor Swift shines on stage in a sparkling outfit and boots.
Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers sharing a joyful duet on stage.
