Welcome to the second installment of our Summer Solstice/Litha article series. As we mentioned in the previous article, the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year and the shortest night. It has been marked by humans throughout history! Today, we modify the celebrations of the ancients with modern elements, but the spirit of the day remains the same. Abundance!
Summer Solstice/Litha Symbols
Before diving in, click here to read the first article. Today, we’re going to continue with how to get ready for the Sabbat. Pagans and Witches incorporate symbols and correspondences into magic and celebrations. The Summer Solstice has a number of associated symbols. It’s important to always keep in mind that what you use should make sense to you. There isn’t a “right” or “wrong” answer. Treat everything as a suggestion to point you in the right direction.
It’s customary to associate certain animals with each of the Sabbats. For the Summer Solstice, this includes bees, bulls and cows, butterflies, hawks and eagles, horses, and summer birds like wrens and swallows. Each of them has a connection to the season, such as the bees as symbols of abundance and sweetness, as well as being messengers of the spirits. The hawks and eagles fly so high, they seem to be able to touch the sun! And butterflies are symbols of rebirth.
Other symbols include the bonfire, circles/disks, fairies, roses, spirals, and the sun, of course! The colors of Litha are gold, green, orange, red, white, and yellow. Herbs of the day are cinnamon, chamomile, mistletoe, mugwort, vervain, yarrow, foxglove, and rosemary. Daisies, heather, lavender, and marigolds are also symbolic of Litha. You may want to include crystals such as carnelian, citrine, diamond, emerald, jade, peridot, and tiger-eye.
If your practice includes keeping an altar, choose the symbols and correspondences that call to you. Seasonal plants, flowers, and herbs could also make lovely decorations for your altar or your home.
Make it Yourself
There’s such a good feeling from making something with your own hands. You have a connection to the item that is stronger than anything you could have purchased premade. So, take this time ahead of your Litha/Summer Solstice celebration to create your own special decorations.
The sun is at the center of celebrations on the Solstice, so it makes sense to create things in its image. A sunshine wreath would be lovely as a decoration for your home or for you to wear. You could even make one to toss into the water, if you’re so lucky as to live near a water source. Just be sure to use natural materials if that’s your intent. Another fun craft could be for the summer birds. It can be as simple as a pinecone or apple rolled in peanut butter and covered in birdseed, then hung in a tree. It’s helpful to attach your ribbon or string as the first step!
Do you have a surplus of dandelions in your yard? They fit right in with the Summer Solstice/Litha. Click here to see instructions for a beautiful dandelion garland courtesy of Friendly Nettle. The Knitty Gritty Homestead also has this fun sun pendant. Maybe you’d rather make a flower wreath using felt. In that case, have a look at Lia Griffith’s project.
The internet is full of amazing ideas for crafts. Or, if you’re the sort to imagine up your own projects, go for it! Maybe you could even share it online so others can create it too. Whatever you make, the idea is to put a bit of yourself and your intentions for the year to come into that creation. It should be pleasing to you and beautify your surroundings for the celebration to come.
May Abundance Come to You
Whatever way you plan for the Summer Solstice/Litha, it should fit with your personal beliefs and vision. Add decorations of flowers, crystals, and anything that makes sense to you to your altar. Consider what you want to bring to yourself in the year to come. The Summer Solstice celebration is the start of taking action on those plans! Spend some time journaling among your bright and festive decorations.
Check back in one week, and we’ll have the final installment in this series of articles. We’ll share ideas for how to celebrate on the day of the Solstice. If you cannot celebrate on that actual day, then choose the closest day before or after. The deities don’t mind! It’s the intentions that really count.
