By Kat Clark Art by Morgaine du Mer
Litha is another name for the seasonal celebration of “midsummer” or “summer solstice,” which happens around June 21st in the Northern hemisphere (remember, our Pagan brothers and sisters “down under” have seasons exactly opposite to ours, so they are heading into the darkness of their winter solstice!).
“Solstice” comes from two words: “sol” or “sun” and “sistere” which means, “to stand still”. On this--the longest day of the year--the sun at noon appears to be motionless in the sky. “Litha” is the name given to the feast by the Saxons and Germanic tribes, but the most common name is “Midsummer." Why Midsummer? Doesn’t the summer start on June 21st? By our modern calendars that is true, but the growing cycle for herbs and fruits is “mid-way” to the point of harvest!
Midsummer is a time of rejoicing. The grain crops have been planted, the fruit crop is growing, and there is a momentary lull in the daily agricultural activities until the fruit harvest commences in July and August. This was the month when honey could be collected from hives and “mead” or “honey wine” brewed. As a time of seasonal fertility, it is also the traditional time for weddings. Couples would be served honey and mead to help increase their own vitality and fertility, and so these first few months of their marriage came to be known as the “honeymoon” (“Honey Moon” is also the name given to the full moon in June).
Midsummer is another fire Sabbath. Bonfires were lit in various countries as a form of sympathetic magic. The intensity of the fire would add energy to the summer sun, and help it bring crops to ripeness. The fires also kept evil at bay and purged disease and blight from people and crops. In places such as Munster, in Ireland, this Sabbat was dedicated to Aine, a goddess of the growing field, said to be the daughter of the sea god Mananan. Torches were lit from the central bonfire and thrown into the night skies, over the fields. This was to show the coming grain crops how high to grow. In other countries, dances were held and participants would leap into the air for the same symbolic reason.
Aine’s connection to land and sea has echoes in other lands. Vikings would hold large fires at Midsummer by torching and setting adrift old boats. Many cultures also saw this as a time of both fire AND water. Some held their bonfires on the beaches. Others would set them near rivers and streams, so that the future could be read in the water reflecting the sacred flames. In all, it was a time of positive magic when sacred herbs could be collected and plans made ready for the coming times of harvest.
Since the dawn and spread of Christianity, the church has adopted Midsummer as the birthday of St. John the Baptist, and celebrates it with special Masses. This is unusual, since other saints are celebrated on the date of their death. John was thought to be the forerunner of Jesus (whose birthday was moved to December 25 to coincide with the “birth” of the “sun”), so as John’s birth reminds us of the coming of Christmas, so the Midsummer reminds us that the days will now grow shorter until the Winter Solstice at Yule. The bonfires were held to celebrate the coming light of the “son of god." Although the reasons may have changed, the traditions have continued virtually unaltered. Even today, among non-pagan folks, there is renewed interest in Midsummer fairs, festivals, and fires in Europe and beyond.
Celebrate! Gather up some healing herbs, warmed by the smile of the sun. Put some honey in your iced tea, or bake honey cakes for Circle. Let your families light candles and think of the growing crops which sustain us all, either in your own small gardens or on farms across the country. Dance! Leap! Take part in the greening of the Earth!
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