litha

Summer Solstice 2025 – Midsummer

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Today is the Summer Solstice, which is the longest day of the year and one of the eight holidays that I celebrate throughout the year. This day marks the ‘official’ transition into summer and a shift from days that become longer and longer through the spring into days from here on out will grow shorter and shorter for the next six months.

Litha

This holiday is often called Midsummer or Litha, although I usually just refer to it as the Summer Solstice. On my path, it celebrates the turning point of summer, where the build-up of creative energy from the spring crests into a time of abundance as we travel into the depths of summer in much the same way that the growing energies of the full moon crest before beginning to wane each month.

Like with new moons and full moons, I usually do a spread to check in with myself and give myself some direction for the next couple of months on each solstice, equinox, and other Sabbats. This spread is an adaptation of my Self Care Saturday spread, so there are sure to be  some similarities in how it is read. The focus of this spread, though, is not about Self Care, but rather about progress and my path. The time period is also longer, reaching through the next handful of weeks until the celebration of the First Harvest (aka, Lughnasadh, Lammas, Lughnasa, Lugh) on August 1st.

Summer Solstice Tarot Reading with the Pagan Otherworlds Tarot, Healing Herbal Oracle, Jahreskreis Orakel der Keltischen Feste, and Compendium of Witches Oracle

Theme of the Season – Litha’s Sonnenkraft, Waning Crescent Moon, Cassia senna

Sonnenkraft means solar power, and speaks of Midsummer/Litha’s greatest strength. Through the warmth of the sun, abundance has sprung forth. Animals and plants bloom and propagate, and everywhere we look there is new growth and the bright shimmer of life in full bloom. This time of growth and abundance is the Sun’s gift, and in many cultures is attributed to the Sun God and his arrival in the spring and growth to full power now as summer has arrived.

The Waning Crescent Moon is all about finding balance through letting go, release, banishment, and atonement. It is a time when we seek to exhale the dregs of energies used in our lives, so that with the upcoming New Moon we can then inhale fresh energy into our lives that will stir up creative juices and invigorate. Now is the time to make room, cleansing away those last lingering leftovers in your life and passion projects, and releasing what is finished and needs left behind.

Cassia senna‘s seed pods are a strong purgative and laxative that has been used for thousands of years to treat constipation and clear the bowels in preparation for certain procedures such as colonoscopies. It is not surprising, then, that metaphysically it is a purging herb, used in spellwork to purge energies, mindsets, people, and unhealthy habits from one’s life. It is also used in a variety of love spells from keeping a current love faithful, to attracting a new love to you that doesn’t realize you are interested in them.

When looking at these three cards together, the theme that steps forward is an encouragement to purge from your life those things not working for you in preparation for the abundance of gifts that the summer is eager to offer you. You cannot accept abundance without first releasing from your life something else in order to make room.

Earth – Ace of Swords – Time for some new ideas. Get out and communicate with others and see what new ideas and innovation can be stirred up from the interaction.  The consequences in not doing so can result in you stuck in a rut.  Remember, as much as you love stability, too much of it is called stagnancy, and is not good for you.

Air – Page of Wands – Building on the Earth’s position above, it’s time to find something to inspire you and light a fire under you to explore something new. Look for what teases your curiosity and let it draw you in.

Water – Queen of Swords – Nay-saying by your emotions is not allowed at this time. Remember that emotions are fickle and not a true reflection of reality. Check in with your shrink for impartial input as needed.

Fire – Three of Cups – Invite others along for the ride. It will make the exploration more interesting and fun. Not just for you, but for everyone. As much as you are an introvert, there is no denying that having others participating creates bonds you enjoy, and an overall increase in the amount of smiles and laughter involved in most activities.

Waning – The Soothsayer and Cauldron – No stirring the shit right now.  Spellwork needs to lean away from themes that have to do with teaching others lessons or seeking vengeance. You are not judge and jury, so don’t try to put yourself in that role.

Waxing – The Reconciler and Sickle – Patience and self-control are an important part of staying on your path right now.  Ensure that you are not reacting before taking a moment of pause to moderate your reaction.

Take Away – Your path at this moment needs to focus on release. Let go of the things that aren’t working for you in anticipation for the good that’s coming down the line. You don’t want to get stuck with no room for these good things to arrive.  This includes emotionally.

Invite friends to explore new ideas with you. They’re interested and will enjoy the adventure, even if it’s your path they’re joining you on and your faith they’re exploring.

DECKS USED: JAHRESKREIS ORAKEL DER KELTISCHEN FESTE, PAGAN OTHERWORLDS TAROT, COMPENDIUM OF WITCHES ORACLE, HEALING HERBAL CARDS VOL 1 – 3

Summer Solstice 2024 – Midsummer

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Today is the Summer Solstice, which is the longest day of the year and one of the eight holidays that I celebrate throughout the year. This day marks the ‘official’ transition into summer and a shift from days that become longer and longer through the spring into days from here on out will grow shorter and shorter for the next six months.

flower

This holiday is often called Midsummer or Litha, although I usually just refer to it as the Summer Solstice. On my path, it celebrates the turning point of summer, where the build-up of creative energy from the spring crests into a time of abundance as we travel into the depths of summer in much the same way that the growing energies of the full moon crest before beginning to wane each month.

Summer Solstice Oracle Reading with the Seasons of the Witch Litha Oracle

Horse / Courage – What can I do to build up my courage to live life with more honesty and integrity?

Fruit Wine – Celebrate and take pride in yourself, but also take time to listen to others opinions of you instead of hiding from them or shrugging them off. Those opinions are far more complimentary than you think, and far more genuine than the negative narrative whispering lies in your head would like you to believe.

Daisy / Innocence – How can I insert more innocence and purity into how I view the world?

Sun Salutation – Focus on your physical needs. Get out in nature. Do your meditation. Give yourself the space to breathe deeply.

Lapis Lazuli / Self-Awareness – How can I be more honest with myself about my good and bad traits?

Mermaid – Listen instead of assuming. Don’t be so eager to drown out the voices of others or ignore what they have to say. This also echoes back to the previous card in the Daisy position and being open to compliments.

Citrine / Self-Expression – In what ways can I work at expressing my creativity more?

Lightworker – Don’t nay-say your skills and abilities, nor those things you create with them. Your creations aren’t just beautiful, but often breathtaking. Compliment yourself more instead of looking at perfection (or as close as you can get to it) and saying “it’ll do”.

Snake / Creativity – How can I use creativity to help foster fresh energies and a sense of rebirth?

Sunset Dinner – Step outside your comfort zone in gentle ways. You don’t have to push yourself off a cliff to explore new ideas and experiences. It’s okay to take a more gentle approach.

Heather / Good Luck – How can I invite more good luck into my day to day life?

Paper Boats – There are always going to be things in life that will set you off kilter. Instead of letting them drag you under and capsize your efforts, the experience, or your mood; roll with the waves and keep going.

DECKS USED: SEASONS OF THE WITCH LITHA ORACLE

Summer Solstice 2022 – Midsummer

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Today is the Summer Solstice, which is the longest day of the year and one of the eight holidays that I celebrate throughout the year. This day marks the ‘official’ transition into summer and a shift from days that become longer and longer through the spring into days from here on out will grow shorter and shorter for the next six months.

summersunrise

This holiday is often called Midsummer or Litha, although I usually just refer to it as the Summer Solstice. On my path, it celebrates the turning point of summer, where the build-up of creative energy from the spring crests into a time of abundance as we travel into the depths of summer in much the same way that the growing energies of the full moon crest before beginning to wane each month.

Like with new moons and full moons, I usually do a spread to check in with myself and give myself some direction for the next couple of months on each solstice, equinox, and other Sabbats. This spread is an adaptation of my Self Care Saturday spread, so there are sure to be  some similarities in how it is read. The focus of this spread, though, is not about Self Care, but rather about progress and my path. The time period is also longer, reaching through the next handful of weeks until the celebration of the First Harvest (aka, Lughnasadh, Lammas, Lughnasa, Lugh) on August 1st.

Summer Solstice Tarot Reading with the Pagan Underworlds Tarot, Herbal Healing Deck, and Compendium of Witches Oracle

Theme of the Season – Summer Solstice, Last Quarter Moon, Grass Lily (Ornithogalum umbellatum)

This year’s Solstice card shows an explosion of verdant growth under the nurturing rays of a radiant sun. It speaks of the abundance of the season and all of the growth that goes on during this time of year while the sun is shining bright and the earth is warmed into fertile ground.

The Last Quarter Moon is a phase that is dedicated to the energies of release and letting go. It is a time for gratitude, generosity, and for cutting ties with those things (and people) that are no longer benefiting you and your life.  As the moon has waned, we have examined what these things (and people) might be and it is in this phase of the moon that we now take action to cut those ties loose.

The Grass Lily (Ornithogalum umbellatum) is associated with themes that have to do with innocence, purity, honesty, hope, and forgiveness.  The flowers and bulbs contain cardiac glycosides, which make them toxic to humans and livestock. Although toxic, in certain regional areas they are (in moderation) eaten and/or used in homeopathic remedies.

When looking at these three cards together, the theme that I see here strongly echoes the phase of today’s moon and making sure that when you let go of those things that are no longer suited to you that you truly -let go- and don’t secretly cling on some internal level.  Make it a clean break so that you can foster the growth of new and better things.  These new and better things need room in which to flourish that can’t be cluttered with regrets or clinging to what’s being cut loose.

Earth – The Empress – With all that’s going on in your life and all you have plans to accomplish, make sure that you are not losing sight of what is really important. Take care of yourself. Take care of others. These things should come first.

Air – Justice – What goes up must come down and what goes down will bounce back up. Don’t let the ups and downs of life in the process of seeking balance frustrate you. Ride them like ocean waves instead.

Water – Three of Pentacles – “That penis didn’t erect itself, it had help.” (Quoting the voice in my ear.) A relationship is a group effort, not a solo mission. Take time to appreciate all that you and Gideon have accomplished together.

Fire – Ace of Wands Rx atop Page of Cups – No entertaining new ideas or inspirations right now. Explore what is already before you more thoroughly instead.

Waning – The Scholar and Goat – Your time of intellectual contemplation and stewing on plans in the background has come to an end. It’s time to start acting instead of thinking about it.  Movement is your friend.

Waxing – The Preserver and Pomegranate – Begin reaching for those things you value and moving into making sure that they are being cared for properly.

DECKS USED: SABBAT THEMED ART CARD, PAGAN UNDERWORLDS TAROT, COMPENDIUM OF WITCHES ORACLE, HEALING HERBAL CARDS VOL 1 & 2

Summer Solstice 2021 – Midsummer

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Yesterday was the Summer Solstice, which is the longest day of the year and one of the eight holidays that I celebrate throughout the year. This day marks the ‘official’ transition into summer and a shift from days that become longer and longer through the spring into days from here on out will grow shorter and shorter for the next six months.

This holiday is often called Midsummer or Litha, although I usually just refer to it as the Summer Solstice. On my path, it celebrates the turning point of summer, where the build-up of creative energy from the spring crests into a time of abundance as we travel into the depths of summer in much the same way that the growing energies of the full moon crest before beginning to wane each month.

Like with new moons and full moons, I usually do a spread to check in with myself and give myself some direction for the next couple of months on each solstice, equinox, and other Sabbats. This spread is an adaptation of my Self Care Saturday spread, so there are sure to be  some similarities in how it is read. The focus of this spread, though, is not about Self Care, but rather about progress and my path. The time period is also longer, reaching through the next handful of weeks until the celebration of the First Harvest (aka, Lughnasadh, Lammas, Lughnasa, Lugh) on August 1st.

Litha Sabbat Art Card, Pagan Underworlds Tarot, Compendium of Witches Oracle, Healing Herbal Cards Vol 1 & 2

NOTATION:  I did not finish interpreting this spread here on the blog.  I got some of what I needed from it at the time of the reading, but I just never got around to writing it all down.   Regardless, I want to place this on the blog to make sure I have a record of it to look back on.

Theme of the Season – Summer Solstice, Waxing Gibbous, Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion)  – Break down each card individually, then…

When looking at these three cards together, the theme that I see here is

Earth – Nine of Cups – I’m feeling very secure emotionally I’m really enjoying a quiet time with less stress in the area of the home and health and finances.

Air – King of Swords – Focus on taking ownership of your thoughts and directing them where they need to go. Now is a good time for strategizing and solidifying your knowledge and ambitions.

Water – Six of Cups atop Ten of Wands – Watch out for feelings of overburden in the area of familial responsibilities.

Fire – The Devil – Don’t retreat from those overburden feelings by turning to work and trying to bury yourself, as is your usual habit of dealing with things that are unpleasant. Now is not a time to be burning yourself out with these things.

Waning – The Dusk Child atop The Priestess –

Waxing – Offering –

Take Away –

DECKS USED:  LITHA SABBAT ART CARD, PAGAN UNDERWORLDS TAROT, COMPENDIUM OF WITCHES ORACLE, HEALING HERBAL CARDS VOL 1 & 2

Summer Solstice 2020 – Midsummer

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Yesterday was the Summer Solstice, which is the longest day of the year and one of the eight holidays that I celebrate throughout the year. This day marks the ‘official’ transition into summer and a shift from days that become longer and longer through the spring into days from here on out will grow shorter and shorter for the next six months.

This holiday is often called Midsummer or Litha, although I usually just refer to it as the Summer Solstice. On my path, it celebrates the turning point of summer, where the build-up of creative energy from the spring crests into a time of abundance as we travel into the depths of summer in much the same way that the growing energies of the full moon crest before beginning to wane each month.

Summer Solstice Tarot Spread

Like with new moons and full moons, I usually do a spread to check in with myself and give myself some direction for the next couple of months on each solstice, equinox, and other Sabbats. This spread is an adaptation of my Self Care Saturday spread, so there are sure to be  some similarities in how it is read. The focus of this spread, though, is not about Self Care, but rather about progress and my path. The time period is also longer, reaching through the next handful of weeks until the celebration of the First Harvest (aka, Lughnasadh, Lammas, Lughnasa, Lugh) on August 1st.

Theme of the Season – Midsummer, Spiral Moon, Owl – Midsummer offers the opportunity to alter one’s course, tipping one’s balance in order to alter reality to deepen one’s connection with their chosen path.

Honeysuckle resides on the center card and speaks of love, while the Spiral Moon reminds us that this is a time of deepening connection to the self.  A connection that is found through peeling back one’s inner layers to reveal the softer bits within.   Through that process, you reveal vulnerable bits.

The presence of the Owl reminds us to be certain to stay on course and focused on what you want. It can be easy to get lost in the weeds of uncertainty and old habits, especially when feeling vulnerable.  Don’t allow distractions to hinder your path or turn you away from where you want to go.

The combination of these three center cards speak of a time of growth and deepening connection with the self.  There will be vulnerability and it may be hard to stay on task with the changes you want to manifest through the season, but stay on task with your self care and your desire to deepen that connection, and you will travel through this time of growth and adjustment with grace.

Earth – Ten of Cups – Even though the upcoming weeks are a slow time for the business, this time will also allow you a sense of emotional fulfillment concerning where you are and how things are going.  Enjoy this time, and take time to appreciate the sense of ease you feel concerning your work and home life.  It won’t last forever and should be cherished.

Air – Ace of Cups and Six of Cups – There’s always a bit of messiness involved when you mix emotions with intellect.  With all these new feelings and emotional growth going on, make sure that you’re not smothering the carefully unfurling lotus within you.  Hold the flowering growth with care and foster it’s development rather than allowing your logical mind and inner critic to have free reign.  In other words?  Give yourself the room you need to grow emotionally by shutting up negative thoughts and recriminations.

Water – Queen of Wands – Be open to the joy that comes from those things that inspire you. Making space doesn’t mean you have to be bored or sedate, it means that you allow pleasure and the spark of fun into those places that are usually dry and feeling a bit boring.  By allowing this spark to flourish and joy to bloom, your growth will continue and not be half so stressful as your intellect keeps trying to make.

Fire – Page of Swords and King of Swords – Strategizing is the name of the game for the next few months.  This is not surprising, as this is usually what happens during this time of year.  The summer is often a time of preparation for the busy season to come late in the fall.  Start now and take your time.  If you start early then there’s no need to rush, and you can feel more stable over all in as you work towards being in a place of preparation for the future.

Waning – Panther Spirit – Set your relentless aggression aside. Now is not the time to push and shove towards some illusive promise of perfection. Let go of the need to prod yourself constantly forward.

Waxing – Lion Spirit – Take pride in your abilities and foster your own self-confidence over the next few weeks.  You are worth far more than the business you run and the money you make.  What you offer to the world reaches beyond these trivial things. You shine as an inspiration to others… allow yourself to acknowledge and be grateful for those qualities you like in yourself as well as the opportunities you are given to help others using your unique gifts.

Take Away – The next handful of weeks need to be a time of rest and recovery.  Stop pushing and prodding at yourself.  Stop the recriminations.  Instead, it’s time to focus on fostering your inner spark and spirit, and giving yourself room to grow within your current emotional journey.  Although there’s some prep you can do for the business during this time, there is no need to rush. Instead, a better use of your time during this time is to focus upon those things that kindle that spark of curiosity and creativity within you and allow that spark to manifest some guilt-free pleasure and joy.

DECKS USED:  LIGHT SEER’S TAROT, THE GREEN WHEEL ORACLE, THE SPIRIT ANIMAL ORACLE

Seasons and Holidays

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This week’s question from the Pagan Perspective YouTube channel is about the holidays we choose to celebrate.

Untitled-1

Topic for the Week of 11/04:  “How did or do you decide what holidays to celebrate?”

Although in the wheel of the year there are eight holidays, I really only dependably celebrate two of them from year to year.  My family, as I was growing up, has always celebrated all eight.

In my case, the holidays mark seasonal transitions, and although I appreciate them and even enjoy spending time recognizing them through hiking and other activities in order to appreciate the transitions from one season to the next?   I don’t celebrate all eight holidays on a dependable year-to-year basis.

I guess, then, that I should first begin by defining “celebrate” since I did just mention that recognize each shift in seasons regardless of “celebrating them” in a traditional sense.

So, for the purpose of this post, celebrating means to include ritual and/or activities that are performed on a specific day or days surrounding the holiday in question.

The holidays that my family celebrates are Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Midsummer, Lammas, and Mabon.   Of these holidays, I dependably celebrate Samhain and Beltane every year without fail.   These are the two points in the year where the veil within liminal spaces is at its thinnest, and for me they are not just the most powerful days of the year, but also the most sacred.

So there you have it!  Although I consider the entire transition of season to season sacred and enjoyable, and appreciate them all in my own way.   As far as holidays go?  I really only go “all out” to celebrate just two of them.

Post Script Edit:    As you just pointed out to me, I also celebrate both Thanksgiving (US) and Christmas (in a far less religious way).

These two are celebrated for specific reasons.

Thanksgiving involves visiting my mother’s house, and is celebrated because it’s a holiday she loves.  A core part of her faith involves feeding others, and there is a lot of ritual and spellcraft that goes into the cooking on that day in her home.   Each year, my sister and I visit her because this day is so very important to her (and the food is so goddamn good doesn’t hurt either).

Christmas on the other hand, is not a religious holiday for me.  Instead it is something fun.  It’s a chance to give friends and loved ones gifts, show appreciation and gratitude, and get gifts from them in turn.  It’s a time for absolutely spectacular crooners music and amazing scents and sparkling lights.  I do decorate (alibi sparingly usually), and we do exchange gifts, but it’s more like the holiday is an excuse to do these things rather than a spiritual experience.

So you’re right.   Although they are not pagan holidays, nor spiritual in the sense of the other holidays that I sometimes incorporate into my year, they are absolutely holidays that I celebrate.