Litha (MidSummer) Sabbat
History and Lore
Litha is known by many names worldwide. Some of the more common names for this sabbat are Summer Solstice, Alba Hefin, Sun Blessing, Gathering Day, Vestalia, St. John’s Day, and Midsummer.
Litha is viewed as one of the ‘Lesser Sabbats’ or ‘Lower Holidays’ along with the other solstice and the two equinoxes. Litha is celebrated on June 20, 21, 22, or 23 depending upon the cycle of the sun. It falls on the day of the year that has the maximum amount of daylight hours. Litha is opposite of Yule (which is the shortest day of the year) on the Wheel of the Year. The journey of the sun across the heavens has long been examined and chronicled by many cultures the world over.
According to the old folklore calendar, it showed that summer started on Beltaine (May 1st) and came to an end on Lughnassadh (August 1st), with the Summer Solstice designating the middle of summer (or Midsummer). To me, this actually makes much more sense, rather than having summer begin on the day when the sun’s power has climaxed and will now continue to wane until Yule.
Ancient Litha rituals were rambunctious festivals where members of the village would come together for singing, dancing, storytelling, fanfare, and feasting by the village bonfire and torch lit parades after dark. Many people would wear a crown of flowers which almost always included the yellow blooms of the St. John’s Wort.
A lot of Midsummer bonfires used oak and fir because it was believed that burning these woods would drive away all negative influences.
This was also a time for handfastings (weddings) and couples would hold hands and jump over the Litha fire together three times. This was to guarantee an enduring and blissful marriage, financial good fortune, and numerous babies.
It was a common belief that the Litha fires had control of an immense force of energy, and that by leaping over the bonfire, this would bring you, your family, and your clan prosperity and protection.
It was also tradition for people to take scorched embers from the Litha bonfire and to use these as charms against harm, foul weather during harvest, and some would distribute the embers around the crops and orchards trusting that this would protect the crops and would guarantee a profuse harvest.
Other people would bring a Litha fire ember home with them and position it atop the hearth, while others would decorate their home with birch, fennel, St. John’s Wort, and White Lillie's for blessings and protection.
Ancient Celts celebrated Midsummer with large hilltop bonfires and took time to show their respect for the space between the earth and the heavens. They viewed this as a time to once again recognize the balance between fire and water. Various European cultures would celebrate Midsummer by setting giant wheels on fire and then propelling them down hills into bodies of water.
When the Saxons came to the British Isles, they carried their customs with them, one of which was called ‘June Aerra Litha’. They marked Midsummer by creating large bonfires and rejoicing in the power of the sun over darkness.
The Romans considered this day sacred to Juno, who was not only the wife of Jupiter, but also the Goddess of women and childbirth. She was also known to be called Juno Luna who blessed women with the honor of menstruation. This day was also a blessed day for showing reverence to Vesta, who was the Goddess of the hearth. Numerous Matriarchs would visit Vesta’s temples and leave gifts of salted meal. They would continue to do this for eight days, anticipating that Vesta would bestow her blessings upon their homes.
Some Native American tribes in the Great Plains of North America saw the sun as a physical expression of the Great Spirit. They would perform a Sun Dance to not only venerate the sun and the Great Spirit, but also to bring visions to the young warrior dancers, and to test the strength and vigor of these young warriors. The Sun Dance would go on for several days, and during this time the dancers would refrain from eating.The dancers would dance until they fell to t