Litha In A Week: Customs and Correspondences

Litha is a time to celebrate both work and leisure, a time for children and for childlike play. (Remember when I told y’all the other day to go run in the sprinklers? Yup, Litha’s all about that feeling!) There are certain customs by region and correspondences associated with Litha, and you’ll notice that they all point to the celebration of the sun’s warming rays and the Earth’s endless bounty.

Customs

England

In some parts of England, if you stay up all night on Midsummer’s Eve in the middle of a stone circle, you can see the Fae. If you intend to try this, be sure to carry a bit of rue in your pocket to keep them at bay, or turn your jacket inside out to confuse them. In modern practices, should you need to escape the Fey (you had your jacket on the right way and didn’t carry rue, didn’t you!), you can take a ley line to lead you to safety.

Rural villagers also built a huge bonfire to “set the watch” and keep evil spirits out of the town. Some farmers would light the bonfire, and villagers would arrive with torches and lanterns lit by these fires and spread the flames around the town. Jumping over one of these fires (provided your backside makes it through without burning!) ensured good luck for the coming year.

Ireland

If you wish for something to happen, residents of Ireland will tell you to “give it to the pebble” by carrying a pebble as you circle a Litha bonfire, whispering your request to the stone. After your third turn around the fire, toss it into the flames. This custom can also be extended to throwing similarly-blessed stones into moving bodies of water.

Wales

Sunwheels, a wheel or big ol’ ball of straw lit on fire and rolled down hills into rivers, were used to celebrate Midsummer in Wales and other areas. Accordingly, if the fire went out before the wheel hit the water, a good crop was guaranteed during the season. Imagine having to dodge one of those suckers!

Modern Wicca

The morning after Litha, when the fires have burned out and the ashes are cold, they could be used as protective amulets by being carried in small pouches or kneaded into soft clay to form a talisman. Some Wiccan traditions believe that the Midsummer ashes will protect you from misfortune. The ashes can also be mixed in with your garden as a natural fertilizer and to guarantee bountiful crops through the summer.

Astrologically speaking, the sun is entering Cancer, a water sign. Midsummer is a time for fire magick, which may seem a little counterintuitive… but no worries, it’s a time for water magick, too! Sacred streams and holy wells are exceptionally powerful sources this time of year, and should be visited just before sunrise on Litha from the wast, with the rising sun. Circle the well or spring three times, walking deosil (sunwise or clockwise), and make offerings of silver coins or pins.

If you’re looking to get rid of problems during Litha, write them on a piece of paper and drop them into a moving body of water at Litha. (It’s best to use ecologically-friendly, biodegradable paper and ink for this purpose, of course. Remember, Mother Earth deserves utmost respect!)

Correspondences

Short List of Customs

• bonfires, needfires, and jumping between two fires
• procesions
• vigils that last all night
• singing, feasting, and celebrating with others
• cutting divining rods, dowsing rods, and wands
• gathering herbs
• handfastings and weddings
• gathering of mistletoe in oak groves (Druid) (for protection)
• women walking naked through gardens to ensure fertility
• honoring the Earth Mother’s fullness, richness, and abundance
• placing garlands of St. John’s wort over doors and windows, and a sprig in the car for protection

Gemstones

• lapiz lazuli
• diamond
• tiger’s eye
• emerald (and other green gemstones)
• jade (again, and other green gemstones)

Herbs

• anise
• mugwort
• chamomile
• rose
• wild rose
• oak blossoms
• lily
• cinquefoil
• lavender
• fennel
• elder
• mistletoe
• hemp
• thyme
• larkspur
• nettle
• wisteria
• vervain (verbena)
• St. John’s wort
• heartsease
• rue
• fern
• wormwood
• pine
• heather
• yarrow
• oak and holly trees

Incenses and Oils

• heliotrope
• saffron
• orange
• frankincense & myrrh
• wisteria
• cinnamon
• mint
• rose
• lemon
• lavender
• sandalwood
• pine

Foods*

• honey
• fresh summer fruits and vegetables
• lemons
• oranges
• summer squash
• pumpernickel bread
• ale
• carrots
• mead

*And y’all know I’ll go into greater detail about this later!