A Lesser Sabbat and a Sun Quarter Day

Northern Hemisphere June 21st

Southern Hemisphere December 21st

Seasonal Relevancy

Litha marks the longest day of the year and the zenith of summer. The sun blazes down, the ground below us holds its heat, the grass is rampant and the baby birds are now flying on their own. 

Mythological Relevancy

The Holly King is born of the Goddess and the Oak King (his father) dies. This symbolic cycle is repeated each year as new life takes over from old.

In synopsis, the King marries the Goddess (who is his mother) fathers his own child, then dies in sacrifice so that his son might take over. 

Popular Traditions

With the sun at its zenith, this is traditionally the time when magic is at its full strength. Many rituals incorporate some form of magic at this time.

                Because the sun has reached its peak and will be slowly growing dim from this point on, this is also a great time of year for banishing magic. Banish away the behaviours or the issues and situations you have that no longer serve you. Rid yourself of aspects of your life that bring you down rather than support you. 

A Contemporary Summer Solstice - Litha Ritual

Decorate the altar and mark the circle perimeter with summer flowers. Have on the altar a prepared daisy (or other weed) chain, an orange candle and some bergamot oil. Have a cauldron in the centre of the circle. Ideally this ritual should be conducted at midday on the year’s longest day. Cast the circle as normal if there are no visitors present, otherwise, omit the circle casting.

The High Priestess moves to the South and says; “We gather here before you, the blazing God of summer’s sun, to honour you and bathe under the strength and light that is yours. The Wheel of the Year is turning again, as it does year after year. From the time of Yule when you were reborn of the Goddess, through Ostara you grew and now you light the days with the magnificence of your full strength. Tomorrow we will see you slowly wane toward the Autumn Equinox only to once again be sacrificed to the darkness of winter. But as the Wheel of the Year turns, we know you will always return to us. As you blaze in the skies before us now, may our lives blaze in glory below.”

                The High Priestess dresses the candle with the bergamot oil saying; “As the zenith of the sun God’s power reaches its height so too does our magickal will and intent. And as the sun God’s power wanes from this point, so too do our misfortunes. I infuse this candle with the power of the sun God at the height of his reign and command that as it burns, any misfortune and unhappiness we bare will burn away.”

                The High Priestess places the candle in the cauldron and lights its flame saying; “May the power of the sun God above be as the power of the flame below”.

The maiden takes the daisy chain from the altar saying; “As this daisy chain symbolises the weeds of summer, may it also hold the bad habits, the misfortunes and the wrong doings of our summer. As you take the weeds of summer amongst you, let them hold all that you want banished from your lives”.

She spends a moment pushing any of her own banishment requirements into the weed chain and then passes it to the person on her right (so that it will travel around the coveners in a widdershins fashion). As each person takes the weed chain, they too send anything they want banished into it. When the weed chain reaches the maiden again, she holds it up to the sky in the south saying; “Weeds of summer, weeds of misfortune, weeds of poor judgement, as the summer’s zenith passes and the light slowly dies, may our sadness and misfortune die with the fading sun.”

She turns and throws the weed chain on the candle flame in the cauldron letting it burn away. As it burns she says; “Summer fades now, weeds die now, misfortune be gone now. So mote it be!” Everyone says; “So mote it be!”

                Consecrate and then have the cakes and ale then close the circle. Follow up with a feast. 

Smiles and blessings, Amethyst