...
LITHA
Some thoughts on Summer Solstice
...We are nearing the apex of power in the cycle of the year. The Sun God was born at Yule and has traveled through infancy at Imbolc, wonderment of youth at Ostara, sown wild oats at Bealtaine, and now has reached maturity at Solstice. He is at the peak of his energetic potential. Not so say his potential is over after this holiday, no...but like a burst of fireworks, you have a spark, there is ignition, lift off, sailing up into the air, then POW, they make a beautiful spray, and all the little sparkles trickle down until you can't see them any more. Yule, the spark, Imbolc the ignition, Ostara the lift off, Bealtaine sailing up into the air. The POW at solstice is as a bright flash of white light in the explosion of the fire cracker, Lughnasadh the beautiful spray , Mabon the sparks trickling down, and finally Samhain as the sparks disappear from view.
The time between the Holidays meld together much the same as layers of the rainbow. The way they bleed together. There is no defined line. Recently I have looked at the wheel of the year like a color wheel, with black at Yule. Red, orange and yellow on the energenitc waxing side of the year. White at Litha, followed by green, blue, and purple on the reflective waning side of the year. I know it isn't like your typical color wheel, but it has inspired my creative mind. Which is what Litha also embraces. One's full creative capabilities.
- The color wheel of the year, by Firebird
Being creative isn't about being perfect, it's about tantalizing the brain. I hear folks say all the time, oh...I'm no good at crafts/art. The healing it has on one's self is not in the outcome but in the process. Sure that's great if it looks, sounds, smells, feels, or tastes wonderful in the end but it is the journey in the process that gives us power.
When you think of Litha, there is the literal creation of new life as in procreation ...sure, but we were born to create not ony new life, but all the beautiful and amazing things we have in life. Talents will remain latent unless exercised. I would encourage all to explore the arts and at least try dabble in the wide variety of options and perhaps in the process even finding you excell in some area.
A small list, ...drawing, singing, painting, baking, sewing, construction large scale or small, writing, designing...you get the idea, the point is the more you try the more options you have open to you.
- The Sun of Litha, work in progress by, Firebird
With this in mind Solstice is a good time to recharge our creative tools. Magical tools and mundane tools. Get your athame, wand, cauldron, or pentacle as well as your paintbrushes, cameras, mixing bowls, chisels, guitar etc.. etc..into the ritual space for a charging with the bright rays of the Summer Solstice.
Some tratitional activities are :
Fairy sightings, as they are particularly active at Litha.
Fertility dances much the same as the maypole....but
Bonfires are probably the most common, this is to mimic that great energy associated with this time, by the way, ash left from the Solstice bonfire is protective and ash worked into the earth makes for fertile ground. There are many in the plant kingdom that cannot sprout without the help of fire. Frequently these fires are held in the fields so the fertile ash is right there. There were Bone-fires in which the effigy of man is assembled then burned. Barbeque, feasting and merry making around the fire is a great Summertime activity and our ancestors liked it too!
- This is the backyard firepit, Fire is one way I celebrate Solstice
Wikipedia has a nice variety of different cultures celebrating Summer Solstice
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsummer#
Many blessings,
summerbird