Where the Low Mead Moon Meets the High Litha Sun
Summer Solstice Celebration
I’m Jo, a maker, grower, photographer and practising witch, nurturing a life-long devotional path of weaving nature and ritual into the everyday.
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This past week, the full Mead Moon hung so low in the sky I could barely see it above the horizon. A pink glow emanated over the buildings which the moon seemed to rest on. Night flowers and bats made good company, whilst Aquila and Cygnus decorated the rest of the sky. In this half light, with the the fullness of the heavens and the sheer expanse of it stretched out beyond my comprehension, it felt like nothing belonged to anyone. We are all just waiting to return to the celestial vastness.
Litha, the Summer Solstice
In Wiccan tradition Litha is the name for the summer solstice which usually occurs around June 20th to 22nd.
The summer solstice is an astronomical event:
At the exact moment that the Northern Hemisphere is most tilted towards the Sun, the Northern Hemisphere experiences its summer solstice. The Southern Hemisphere, by contrast, has its winter solstice. 1
It marks the midpoint of summer, with the longest day and shortest night of the year. Rather than the summer solstice being a day, it is actually an exact moment in time that falls on that day. This year the summer solstice happens on Saturday 21st June at 03.42 BST.
Why is it sometimes called Litha? It is a Wiccan name for this astronomical event, which has now become popular in non-pagan circles. Although the word Litha has Anglo-Saxon origins, this particular Sabbat was named Litha in 1974, by Aidan Kelly, an influential figure in Wicca2.
As with the other Sabbats that make up the Wheel of the Year, Litha is a modern pagan festival which has increased in popularity during the last 50 years. It is not an ancient Celtic festival. Does this matter? Personally I don’t think so. Just because a festival isn’t ancient, doesn’t mean it isn’t worthy of veneration.
Equally, a festival (and the celebrations which form part of it) can have a much greater impact when reaching a broader number of people rather than it staying within a smaller group. For example, the increasing interest in seasonal living and the adoption of the Wheel of the Year from Wiccan circles into secular culture is a good thing. Particularly as it encourages reverence, love and care for the natural world.
Ritual and Celebration
This time of year lends itself perfectly to outdoor revelry and celebrations. Warmer weather and longer days bring joy and excitement to many. The opportunity to spend more time in nature whether that’s in the garden, woods, balcony or park is a welcome relief after the never-ending months of woollens and darker days.
Litha is a time to give thanks for the gifts of abundance in the natural world. From the flowers spilling their colours out of beds, to the first fruits ripening, to the grains gradually turning to gold. It’s also a time to take stock of the tasks, projects and life changes which we may have been through in this waxing half of the year.
If you’d like to create your own small celebration that you can do on your own or with others, you’ll find a ritual with a spell and blessing below. It’s for bringing the light of the year with you into the darker moments. You’ll need a candle, a flower, and a pinch of salt added to a small container of water (an egg cup size is more than enough). Any size candle will do and you can use any flower. If you’re able to, hold the ritual outdoors so you can feel nature around you. Somewhere safe and comfortable where you won’t be disturbed. But if you need to, you can do the ritual indoors. It won’t be any less effective.
The salt is to purify and protect for this next phase of the year, so begin by taking your salted water and sprinkle a little over the flower, the unlit candle and yourself.
Then light the candle, holding in it one hand and the flower in the other hand. Say the words out loud, while feeling your way into them.
Summer Solstice Spell May the strength of this summer’s light bring bliss to this enchanted night From seed and soil my intention grew into flower to spread and renew Now towering tall, with roots so deep I reach my branches wide and steep My gifts on others I will bestow so love and joy will overflow This fullness, growth and burning sun I wish for all with harm to none As the wheel turns from wax to wane I remember this joy to feel again This solstice fire will light the dark with water, earth and air the spark Bless this moment, to store within my heartfelt thanks, a place to begin Summer Solstice Blessing For the swifts and their streams of flight To the skylarks and their ribbons of song To the garden rose scenting the air with its heady perfume For the sweet rain soaking dry beds Poppies, meadows and swallows Swelling fruit and ripening grain To elder and her sweet starry clusters and rowan for its shelter and shade Blessed be (all words © Joanna Morris 2025)
Light and shadow Card Spread.
At Litha, the sun is at its highest. Abundance in the landscape can be seen from gardens to hedgerows to fields. The heat and light stretches upwards and outwards.
But at the moment of the solstice, when the light reaches its zenith for another year, the sun imperceptibly starts pulling back towards the dark. Slowly enough for us to still enjoy weeks and months of warmth and sun, but nonetheless the waning of the year begins. It is this turning point that symbolises the beginning of another transition.
Below you’ll find a Light and Shadow card spread, for times of transformation and flux: when you’d like to find opportunities and not just obstacles.
You can use tarot or oracle cards for this. Shuffle your cards and then place them in the pattern below. Reversals aren’t used for this particular spread, so just turn all the cards into the upright position before starting.
Card one: Nothing stays the same. How to prepare for an upcoming period of change.
Card two: Clarity in the confusion. What might lead to growth and new opportunities.
Card three: What might help to ease the challenges in this process of transition.
Card four: Guidance for how to respond in a way that doesn’t compromise your needs.
Card five: Reaffirmation. A reminder of how far you’ve come, what you’ve already achieved and what you’ve overcome.
I’d love to share a bit more about what I’m creating in this little corner of the world. Click here to discover more magic.
I’d love to know, do you celebrate the summer solstice? What do you do?
Solstice Blessings, and thank you for reading.
Until next time,
Jo
https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/time/summer-solstice
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/aidankelly/2017/05/naming-ostara-litha-mabon/