It
is the longest day of the year, the day when the sun is at the height
of its power. Like Samhain, Litha is another day when the boundaries
between the worlds are thin, when mortals had strange experiences and
when fairies trooped across the land. This is because Litha is the intercalary
or "extra" month of the Anglo-Saxon calendar, added every
other year to bring the lunar months back in line with the solar year.
The nature of Litha as a "day outside of time" is vastly different
from that of Samhain. Litha has an upside down quality about it; that
is, things often reversed or mixed up, i.e., candles are floated on
water and wishes made on them. It is a time of festival, merriment,
making of wishes and of rejoicing, as the Earth Mother who receives
that energy blooms with the beauty that will become the fruits of the
harvests. However, the time for waxing is at an end and the time of
waning is at hand. The energy of the sun must go into the form of the
Mother - the corn, the grain - and die in order to feed Earth Mother's
children, to become the seed of a new cycle. It is a time that we must
look within ourselves for inner enlightenment and meaning of our times
of fulfillment, for without meaning, growth and purpose, fulfillment
is emptiness.
As is the tradition to burn nine woods for Beltane fires, it is also customary to throw nine kinds of herbs into the Midsummer fire. They are: St. John's Wort, rue, vervain, mistletoe, lavender, thyme, fennel, plantain and mugwort. Incense: Frankincense, lemon, myrrh, pine, rose and wisteria. Candle Colors: Blue and green Gemstones: All green gemstones, especially emerald and jade. Ritual herbs: Chamomile, cinquefoil, elder, fennel, hemp, larkspur, male fern, mugwort, pine, roses, saint john's wort, wild thyme, wisteria and verbena. |