Litha: history, meaning and simple ways to celebrate

How to read the labels Historical what the old sources say. Later tradition what later writers added. Modern modern practice and my own notes.

Litha is the summer solstice: the longest day, the shortest night, and the peak of the sun’s power before the light begins to wane. It falls around June 21 in the Northern Hemisphere and around December 21 in the Southern. Many people simply call it Midsummer. In the far north, including much of Finland, the sun barely sets, and the night is a long, silver dusk.

My book The Novice’s Guide to Witchcraft gives the origin of the name and a gratitude practice. This page adds a fuller history of Midsummer customs, a solitary sun rite and a five-minute version, a fridge cold-brew herbal tea (with an important warning about sun tea), a hanging herb bundle and a Litha tarot spread.

When it is (both hemispheres)

Litha is kept at the summer solstice, the longest day. In 2027 the June solstice falls on June 21 at 14:11 UTC. In the Southern Hemisphere, Litha belongs to the December solstice, which falls on December 22, 2027 in Australia and New Zealand. Check the exact time for your own time zone.

In the Southern Hemisphere, Litha falls around December 21, close to Christmas and the summer holidays. Many Southern witches combine Midsummer with holiday gatherings outdoors. Fire danger is often extreme at this time of year, so choose LED lanterns over flames, and always observe total fire bans. Sun and heat are serious; plan rites for early morning or evening.

History: what is old, what is modern

I label each part of the history so you can see how old it is. Historical means it is recorded in old sources, Folk custom means it is recorded in later village or household practice, Later tradition means it was added by scholars, writers or occultists, and Modern means it comes from today’s witchcraft.

Historical The name Litha comes from Bede’s list of Anglo-Saxon month names in The Reckoning of Time (around 725). He says that the months we call June and July were called Ærra Liþa and Æfterra Liþa, “earlier Litha” and “later Litha,” and explains the word as meaning “gentle” or “navigable,” because the calm summer seas allowed sailing. Bede describes Litha as a month name, not a festival, and no source shows a festival called Litha.

Later tradition Aidan Kelly, by his own account, adopted Litha as the name for the summer solstice sabbat in 1974, and it is now widely used. Gardner’s early witches did not use the name. Many Pagans and Druids simply say Midsummer or the summer solstice.

Historical Like the winter solstice, the summer solstice was observed in prehistory. Stonehenge’s main axis aligns with the midsummer sunrise in one direction and the midwinter sunset in the other, and today thousands of people gather there to watch the sun rise on the solstice. What the builders did there is not known, and archaeologists debate whether midwinter or midsummer was more important to them.

In Christian Europe, Midsummer celebrations gathered around St. John’s Eve (June 23) and the feast of St. John the Baptist (June 24). Medieval and later sources describe bonfires lit on hilltops and in villages, people leaping over fires, rolling burning wheels downhill, and staying up all night. Herbs gathered on St. John’s Eve were believed to be especially powerful. St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum), which flowers around Midsummer, is named for the saint and was hung over doors against evil. [Historical + Folk]

Folk custom In Finland, Midsummer, Juhannus, is one of the biggest holidays of the year. People leave the cities for summer cottages, light great bonfires called kokko by lakes and the sea, heat the sauna, and decorate doors and boats with young birch branches. Sweden’s Midsommar, with its maypole and flower crowns, is equally famous.

Symbols, themes and altar

Modern These themes and altar ideas are modern practice. Take what speaks to you and leave the rest.

• The sun’s peak: light, warmth, energy, and abundance.
• Celebration: gathering with others outdoors, enjoying the long evening.
• Gratitude: for what has grown so far this year.
• Turning point: from here, the days shorten; a reminder that every peak passes.
• Herbs and gardens: gathering herbs at their strongest.

Altar and home

• Sunflowers, calendula, daisies, roses, and other summer flowers.
• Gold, yellow, and orange candles, or LEDs.
• A sun symbol: a gold disc, a sun drawing, or a sunflower.
• Fresh herbs: rosemary, thyme, lavender, mint, and St. John’s wort (display and folklore only; see safety).
• Young birch branches, in the Finnish style.
• Fruit in season: strawberries, cherries.
• A bowl of water or a jar of the cold-brew tea below.
• Avoid: glass spheres, crystal balls, and mirrors in direct sunlight, which can focus light and start fires; lilies near cats.

A simple ritual

A solitary sun rite

Modern This rite honors the sun at its height and gives thanks for what has grown. It takes about thirty minutes. Do it outdoors around midday or at sunset if you can do so safely, or by a sunny window.

Preparation. Choose a spot in the sun, or partly shaded on a very hot day. Bring water to drink, sun protection, a gold or yellow candle in a holder or an LED (outdoor candles blow out and can start grass fires, so an LED is often better), a few flowers, the cold-brew tea, your notebook, and a pen.

Opening. Ground yourself. Open your space in the way you usually do, with a simple circle or just a pause at the threshold. Say: “This is Litha, the longest day. The sun stands at its height.”

Main part.

1. Greeting the sun. Face the sun, but never look directly at it. Close your eyes and feel the warmth on your face. Say: “Sun at your height, I greet you. Thank you for light, warmth, and growth.”
2. Lighting. Light the candle or switch on the LED. Say: “I carry a small sun with me.”
3. Gratitude. Name aloud at least three things that have grown or gone well since Ostara or since the start of the year. Write them down.
4. Strength. Stand tall with your arms raised or at your sides, palms open. Imagine sunlight filling you with energy and confidence. Name one strength you want to use in the coming months.
5. Turning. Turn slowly in a full circle. Say: “From today, the light begins to wane. I honor the peak and the turning.”
6. Letting go. Name one thing that has peaked and is ready to be released: a project finished, a phase completed, a worry that has run its course.
7. Sharing. Pour a little of the tea into a cup and drink it slowly. If you like, pour a small amount onto the ground as an offering, or water a plant with it.

Closing. Thank whatever you honor. Extinguish the candle. Close your space the way you opened it.

Grounding. Drink water, find shade, and eat something. Write your sabbat page.

Safety. Never look directly at the sun, even briefly. Use sunscreen and a hat, drink water, and stop if you feel dizzy, sick, or very hot. Heat exhaustion can come on quickly.

Five-minute Litha

Step outside or to a sunny window. Close your eyes and feel the light on your face. Say: “Longest day, sun at its height. Thank you.” Name one thing that has grown this year. Drink a glass of water.

Kitchen and craft ideas

Fridge cold-brew herbal tea

Why not sun tea? Many books suggest “sun tea,” made by leaving a jar of tea in the sun for hours. Food-safety experts advise against it. Sun-warmed water does not usually get hotter than about 130°F (54°C), which is not hot enough to kill bacteria but is warm enough for them to grow. Make cold-brew tea in the fridge instead, or brew it with boiling water and chill it.

Makes: 1 quart (1 liter).

Ingredients:

• 4 cups (1 liter) cold water
• 2 tablespoons dried, or a large handful of fresh, culinary herbs: mint, lemon balm, chamomile, and lemon verbena are good choices
• A few slices of lemon or orange, optional
• Honey or sugar to taste, optional

Steps:

1. Rinse fresh herbs well.
2. Put the herbs and fruit in a clean jar or jug and pour over the cold water.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours.
4. Strain, sweeten if you like, and serve over ice.
5. Keep in the fridge and drink within 2 days.

Allergens: none of the major allergens. People allergic to ragweed may react to chamomile.

Safety: Use only culinary herbs you can identify with certainty. Do not use St. John’s wort, which is for display and folklore only on this site because it interacts with many medicines, including birth control pills, blood thinners, and antidepressants. Never use pennyroyal in any form. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medication, check herbal teas with a pharmacist. No honey for babies under one year.

A hanging herb bundle

Folk custom A bundle of summer herbs, hung to dry in the kitchen or over a door, is a traditional way to keep Midsummer’s herbs through the year.

Materials:

• Fresh culinary herbs: rosemary, thyme, sage, lavender, oregano, mint
• Cotton string
• Scissors

Steps:

1. Cut herbs on a dry morning, after the dew has dried.
2. Shake off insects and remove damaged leaves. Do not wash them unless they are dirty; if you do, dry them thoroughly.
3. Gather a small bunch, no thicker than your thumb at the stems, so air can move through it.
4. Tie the stems tightly with string, leaving a loop for hanging.
5. Hang upside down in a dry, airy place out of direct sun.
6. When completely dry, in one to three weeks, use the herbs for cooking or keep the bundle as decoration until next Midsummer.

Safety: Check bundles weekly for mold; discard any that smell musty or show fuzzy spots. Do not hang herb bundles near stoves, candles, or heaters. If you want to use dried herbs for smoke cleansing, read the herb safety notes first.

A tarot spread for Litha

Historical Midsummer Eve, also called St. John’s Eve, was one of the great nights for love divination in European folklore. In parts of England, young people set up sprigs of orpine, a stonecrop known as “Midsummer men,” and judged a sweetheart’s faithfulness by whether the sprigs leaned toward or away from each other. In Sweden and Finland, folk custom told a young woman to pick seven or nine kinds of wildflowers on Midsummer night and sleep with them under her pillow to dream of her future spouse. These customs survive today mostly as playful traditions.

Modern The solstice, the year’s peak of light, suits a reading about strength and visibility.

1. My full light: what I am doing well right now.
2. My shadow: what the bright light reveals that I need to see.
3. What to harvest: what is ready to be enjoyed or completed.
4. What to protect as the days begin to shorten.

To try the flower-pillow custom, use only garden flowers and herbs you have identified with certainty, keep them dry and away from pets, and treat any dream as material for your Dream Log, not a prophecy.

If you are new to spreads, start with the three-card spread and come back to this one when it feels easy.

Journal prompts

• What has grown in my life since the start of the year?
• What strength did I name today, and how will I use it?
• What has reached its peak and is ready to be released?
• What did I dream on Midsummer night?

Safety notes

• Sun and heat: sunscreen, hats, water, shade. Never look at the sun directly. If you plan to watch a solar eclipse, use only eclipse glasses meeting ISO 12312-2 or a pinhole projector.
• Sun tea: do not make it. Use fridge cold brew or boiling water.
• Fire: check fire bans; LED lanterns are safest; never leave a fire unattended.
• Water: never swim alone or after drinking alcohol.
• Herbs: St. John’s wort is for display and folklore only; do not drink it as tea. Never use pennyroyal.
• Glass and crystals: keep them out of direct sun.

St. John’s wort: the Midsummer herb, with a warning

Folk custom St. John’s wort is the herb most closely linked with Midsummer in European folklore. Its yellow flowers open around St. John’s Day, and its leaves, held up to the light, show tiny translucent dots that look like pinpricks. When the flowers are crushed, they release a red pigment, which folk belief connected with the saint’s blood. It was hung over doors and windows on St. John’s Eve to keep away evil spirits, storms, and witches.

Today, St. John’s wort is also sold as an herbal supplement. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health warns that it interacts with many medicines and can make them less effective, including birth control pills, blood thinners such as warfarin, some heart medicines, some HIV and cancer medicines, and antidepressants. Combining it with antidepressants can also cause a dangerous reaction called serotonin syndrome. In this book, St. John’s wort is for display and folklore only. Do not drink it as tea or take it as a supplement. Chapter 27 has its full entry.

An honest note

The sun does not need our thanks to reach its height. But stopping on the longest day to feel its warmth, to give thanks for what has grown, and to notice that the year is turning is one of the simplest and most joyful rites there is.

Around the wheel

The wheel turns from Beltane to Litha to Lughnasadh. The Wheel of the Year page shows all eight festivals together, and the moon pages cover the smaller monthly rituals in between.