Midsummer Incense
Tag Archives: Midsummer
Litha altar
Share with us what items you like to put on your Litha altar. Better yet share with us a picture of your lovely Altar )O(
*Some of this information was found in Llewellyn’s Sabbat Essentials Midsummer*
The Litha Altar
The Altar decorations that are suggested for Litha would be items like: Balefire, Cauldron, Dried Herbs, Drums, Faeries, Fire, Love Amulets, Mirrors, Oak trees, Potpourri, Rattles, Roses, Rosettes, Sea Solar Cross (Sun Wheel), Spinning Wheels, Spirals, Sun, Sunflowers (Both the flower and seeds), Wand
Colors: Blue, Gold, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, White, Yellow
Share with us what items you like to put on your Litha altar. Better yet share with us a picture of your lovely Altar )O(
*Some of this information was taken from Llewellyn’s Sabbat Essentials Midsummer*
**Image for the altar post:https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/184647653455730912/**
Litha Deities
During Litha it is believed that the male deity you worship is in the prime point of his growth, strength and abilities. This is represented by the fact that the days are longer than the nights.
The Midsummer festival celebrates the kingly aspect of the God. It is a festival of passion and glory, a time to go outside and commune with nature and her creatures such as sprites and fairies. In some Celtic traditions it is also a celebration of the Mother Goddess who is showing that she is with the child she will bare during Yule.
The archetypes that are typically appealed to during a Litha ritual are: Earth Mother, the Fairy King, the Fairy Queen, Fire Gods, Goddess in the form of the Mother, Goddess of fertility, “Leafy” Gods (such as Green George, Jack O’ the Green, the Green Man, the Holly King, the Oak King or Pan), Love Goddesses, the Sever-Year King, Sun Gods and Goddesses, and Thunder Gods.
Here is a list of a few deities by name: Aestas, Agni, Aine, Amaterasu, Amaunet, Amun-Ra, Anuket, Aphrodite, Apollo, Arani, Artemis, Astarte, Athena, Aurora, Baal, Balder/Baldur, Bast, Belinos, Bochica, Bona Dea, Brighid/Brigit, Cerridwin, the Dagda, Eos, Epona, Freya, Frigga, Gaia, Hadad, Hathor, Helios, Hera, Hestia, Hoder/Hodur, Hu, Huitzilopochtli, Hyperion, Iarila, Inanna, Ishtar, Janus, Juno, Jupiter, Kupalo, Lleu Llaw Gyffes, Llew, Loki, Lugh, Marduk, Maui, Mithras, Odin, Orunjan, Perun, Phoebe, Prometheus, Ra, Rhiannon, Saule, Sekhmet, Shamash, Sol, Solntse, Sul, Sunna, Surya, Taranis, Thor, Thunar, Venus, Vesta, Vishnu, Woden, Xiuhtecuti, Yemaya, Zeus
Which deity do you like to include in your Litha worship?
*Some of this information was taken from Llewellyn’s Sabbat Essentials Midsummer and Llewellyn’s complete book of correspondences by Sandra Kynes*
**Image found here:https://www.pinterest.com/pin/155937205819143007/ if you know the artist please let us know so we can give credit**
Midsummer
The next Sabbat on the Wheel of the Year is Midsummer
This Sabbat is one of the four Lesser Sabbats or Quarter ceremonies. Typically they contain the Solstices and Equinoxes representing the astronomical beginnings of the seasons. Midsummer’s day is the longest day of the year.
It is believed that during Midsummer the Sun God has reached the moment of his greatest strength. He is seen as being seated on his greenwood throne for he is also lord of the forests.
The dates Midsummer is celebrated are on June 20th – 22nd
Some other names this Sabbat is known by: Alban Hefin, Enyovden, Festival or Feast of Baldur/Balder, Festival of Jani, Feill-Sheathain, Gathering Day, Ivan Kupala Day, Juhannas, Litha, Mean Samhraidh, St. John’s Eve/St. John’s Day/Feast of St. John/Johnmas, Sankthansaften, Sonnenwende, Summer Solstic, Sun Blessing, and Thing-Tide.
Holidays/Traditions occurring during Midsummer in the NH (Northern Hemisphere): Vestalia (the Festival of Vesta), Gwyl o Cerridwen, St. Alban’d Day, and Golowan.
*Some of this information was taken from Llewellyn’s Sabbat Essentials Midsummer*
*Image found here: https://arcandemy.tumblr.com/post/177694916928/wheel-of-the-year*