Rosewicket Wicca Coven

I love the summer solstice. Here is some information I found on the subject (It's not uncommon for me to reffer back to it every year for celebrating ideas)

Litha Correspondences~

Litha, Summer Solstice or Midsummer

Date: On or around June 21st Northern Hemisphere

These are the longest daylight hours of the year and the Sun God is at his strongest. The Goddess is heavy with pregnancy just as the Earth is ready for harvesting. It also marks the waning of the year as each day becomes shorter, heralding the onset of Autumn and then Winter. The Summer Solstice is a time of triumph for the light.

In many Wiccan celebrations, this is when the Oak King, who represents the waxing year, is triumphed over by the Holly King, who represents the waning year. The two are one: the Oak King is the growing youth while the Holly King is the mature man.

Purpose/themes:

Crowning of the Sun God, Death of the Oak King, Assumption of the Holly King, End the ordeal of the Green Man, Rededication to the Lord and Lady, Beginning of the harvest, Honoring the Sun God, Honoring the pregnant Goddess.

Colors:

gold, yellow, red, orange, blue, green, white

Incense:

cedar, heliotrope, saffron, orange, frankincense & myrrh, wisteria, cinnamon, mint, rose, lemon, lavender, sandalwood, pine, sage

Activities, Customs, and Rituals:

bonfire leaping, processions, all night vigils, singing, feasting, herb gathering and drying, luck, health, transformation, community, career, and relationships, cutting divining rods, dowsing rods & wands, handfastings, weddings, Druidic gathering of mistletoe in oak groves, leaping between two fires, mistletoe (without berries, use as a protection amulet), women walking naked through gardens to ensure continued fertility, enjoying the seasonal fruits & vegetables, honor the Mother's fullness, richness and abundance, placing garlands of St. John’s Wort over doors/windows & a sprig in the car for protection. Nature spirit/fey communion, planet healing, divination, love & protection magicks. The battle between Oak King, God of the waxing year & Holly King, God of the waning year (can be a ritual play), or act out scenes from the Bard’s (an incarnation of Merlin)"A Midsummer Night’s Dream", rededication of faith, rites of inspiration.

Tools/Symbols/Decorations:

drums, rattles, bonfire, mirrors for reflecting the sun or bonfire, Earth circles of stone energy, oak, birch & fir branches, sun flowers, lilies, red/maize/yellow or gold flowers, love amulets, summer fruits, feather/flower door wreath, sun wheel, fire, sun dials and swords/blades, bird feathers, Witches' ladder. The spear or sword of the sun god and the bountiful cauldron of the goddess ringed in flowers, solar cross or sun symbols, fireworks, sea shells

Herbs/Plants/Flowers:

Apple, chicory, chickweed, heather, anise, mugwort, chamomile, rose, wild rose, oak blossoms, lily, cinquefoil, lavender, fennel, elder, mistletoe, hemp, thyme, peony, houseleek, larkspur, nettle, wisteria, vervain( verbena), St. John’s wort, heartsease, rue, fern, wormwood, pine, yarrow, oak & holly trees, rowan

Stones:

lapis lazuli, diamond, tiger’s eye, all green gemstones, especially emerald and jade

Animals:

wren, robin, horses, cattle, satyrs, faeries, firebird, dragon, thunderbird, butterflies, caterpillars, sea creatures

Deities:

Mother Earth, Mother Nature, Venus, Aphrodite, Fortuna, Arinna, Bast, Yemaya, Astarte, Freya, Hathor, Ishtar, all Goddesses of love, passion, beauty and the Sea, and Pregnant, lusty Goddesses, Green Forest Mother; Great One of the Stars, Goddess of the Wells, Father Sun/Sky, Oak King, Holly King, Arthur, Gods at peak power and strength.

Foods:

all early summer fresh fruits and vegetables, ale and mead, honey cakes, rose ice cream, melted cheese dishes, whipped cream on fruit, red wine, honey, pumpernickel bread, carrot drinks

Resource: http://www.odess.biz/litha.html - copyright free.

Remember, when the Northern Hemisphere is celebrating Litha, many of our Southern Hemisphere friends are experiencing Yule

Found Here, at MagickaSchool, posted by Amethyst.

All About Litha~

The Midsummer Sabbat

"The gardens are blooming, and summer is in full swing. Fire up the barbeque, turn on the sprinkler, and enjoy the celebrations of Midsummer! Also called Litha, this summer solstice Sabbat honors the longest day of the year. Take advantage of the extra hours of daylight and spend as much time as you can outdoors...."

By Patti Wigington, About.com Guide

I highly suggest people visit this site, it has a ton of information on Litha, and celebrating ideas for those in covens or still in the broom closet! At the verry least, I'd say you should take a look at her 10 different ways to celebrate Litha page, especially if you're really busy this year and aren't sure you have the time.

Click here to read more

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