Litha 2023: Summer Solstice Festival

This holiday takes its origins from the Celtic tradition. It is dedicated to the Power of Nature, love and vital energy. In the tradition of our ancestors, this day has a similar meaning and tradition of celebration with Ivan Kupala Day.

Note: The solstice always falls on June 21st and only on June 20th in leap years!

What is Lita?

Lita literally translated means: "the longest day of the year".

It is one of the 4 most important reference points in the Wheel of the Year!

On the day of Litha, the longest day and shortest night occurs on Earth.

According to the beliefs of the Celts, on this day Nature brings forth the fruits of “what was sown” i.e. In the destinies of people, the time also comes to “reap the fruits” of their actions, namely, people can receive both reward and punishment for their actions. If a person sowed Good, there was a reward, but if he sowed Evil, there was punishment.

Also in the Wiccan tradition, Litha is the day of the official marriage of the firstborn Goddess and God (the reunion of the Feminine and Masculine principles for the process of creation).

Traditions of Lita

Since the holiday is closely connected with the Forces of Nature, on this day you should decorate yourself and your home with green branches, garlands of tree branches and flowers. Mandatory plants are birch, St. John's wort, hare's cabbage, white lilies, and fennel.

A traditional ritual is also considered to be going to a green grove to communicate with the Spirits of Nature. Litha is a day when practitioners can leave offerings to the Spirits of Nature: Fairies, Elves, Forest Spirits, Leshy, etc.

You can also light ritual fires in Litu (for purification rites). On this day, couples in love have long jumped over ritual bonfires to seal their feelings by marriage.

The traditions of celebrating Lita include chants, dances and round dances, including around a ritual fire.

Since ancient times, in Lita, as on Ivan Kupala, brave souls took lighted torches in their hands and went into the forest at night to look for “blooming” ferns. It was believed that on this night the Door between the worlds thins and a person with a pure soul can discover that very “fiery flower” of the fern.

Note: We all know that fern is a plant that does not bloom! A fern flower means a certain energetic substance that manifests itself as a result of the opening of Doors from other worlds.

Modern Magic and the Festival of Litha

As I mentioned above, on the Summer Solstice Day, it is good for Litu to carry out rituals of offering to the Forest Spirits and communicating with Nature.

In particular, on this day you can go to the forest to feed the Leshy and the Forest Spirits. You can also leave offerings in the forest for the use of runic staves and runes and work with the Spirits of forest crossroads.

For offerings it is recommended to use: honey, red wine, beer, sweets, grains for feeding forest birds, nuts for squirrels, small coins.

Also, rituals of cleansing relationships (removing quarrels, etc.), inciting passion and harmonizing relationships will work well in Lita.

In Litu, you can perform rituals to remove negativity with reverse, in order to return their negativity to enemies and repay them fairly for their deeds.

Features of Lita in 2023

This year the Feast of Litha falls on June 21st.

On this day, the Young Moon will be in the sign of Leo at the age of 3 lunar day, sunrise at 7:16 and sunset at 23:57 (Kyiv time).

The length of the day is 16 hours 27 minutes.

The sun will be in the sign of Gemini, sunrise at 4:46, sunset at 21:13 (Kyiv time).

The planets that will be visible are Mercury, Venus, Mars and Uranus.

Lita in 2023 falls on Wednesday, the day of Mercury.

Which also indicates that this Lita is good for rituals to renew communications, establish trade relations and business partnerships. It is especially good to carry out these rituals on this day during the hours of Mercury.

During the hours of Venus on this day it is good to carry out rituals related to love and relationships, but during the hours of the Moon, practices related to feminine energy and work with mantic systems and intuition, the subconscious and ancestral systems, as well as witch rituals to increase Power and expand secret knowledge.

During Saturn hours on this day it is good to carry out practices and rituals to cut off negativity, and these hours are also suitable for working with the world of the dead.

The hours of Mars in Lithuania are best used for rituals of hard return and kickbacks for attacking you.

All rituals aimed at restoring Universal Justice and Balance will work very well on this day.

I also remind you that Wednesday Mercury Day is a day of working with deities such as Mercury, Hermes, Odin, Wotan and Athena.

Plants of the day: fern, lavender, lily of the valley and aspen.

Tarot cards that correspond to Wednesday: Wheel of Fortune, Eight of Pentacles and Magician.

I wish you successful magical practice and all the best!

Best regards, Margarita!

May the force be with us!