June 19th-22nd

This year, the Summer Soltice falls on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 in the Northern Hemisphere

Magical Yule to Our Witchy Friends in the Southern Hemisphere! Check out our Yule post with Winter Solstice rituals and a tarot spread.

Litha is the midsummer festival to celebrate the longest day of the year. We soak in the full warmth of the sun, giving gratitude for its nourishment and life sustaining light. We take the time to recognize the abundance which surrounds us. Our faces are dappled with kisses from the sun. We lay in the plush grasses that are growing rampant with wild flowers, soaking up the sun rays of the Solstice. Weaving flower crowns of intention, placing flower offerings on the earth, and dropping gems into the waters we honor this time of solar potency.

Litha Rituals

To celebrate Litha I have many small rituals I have done with my family. Of course, this being the height of strawberry season, one of our rituals revolves around this juicy fruit. Our beautiful valley farms are bursting with the sweet dewdrops of strawberries. We like to pick our own at our favorite nearby farm. When you go to gather up these delicious little jewels, clear your mind. Pluck with intention in your movements. Be conscious of the sun on your back, the sun that nourished these berries in partnership with the earth. Feel the warmth of the sun and thank it for nourishing you and the food you eat.

It’s summer! Let’s cool off from the heat. Go to the waters. I live within walking distance of the Mississippi river. It is the second most polluted river in the US and it lives up to its nickname. It is muddy. The indigenous Ho Chunk Nation understood that a place where 3 rivers met was a sacred power spot on the earth. The river was loved and respected. Unfortunately our river here is not at all respected anymore. The culture around the river is all party. But when we can, we go early in the morning for a quiet swim. Sometimes I like to offer the waters I frequent with a gift of a crystal. I hold the gemstone in my hands, infuse it with gratitude and throw it into the water. Go to the waters. Whatever water is near you, I hope it is respected and loved, be it lake, river, stream, waterfall, ocean, or bay. Go and feel the healing waters take every ache and emotional pain from you to bring you into the present. Close your eyes, float upon her waves and turn your face to the sun.

A few years ago we hiked to a stream where we gathered wildflowers and fallen twigs. We sat under the sun weaving flower crowns for each other. While we worked we meditated on the other person, wishing for them that they embody the light of the sun. We crafted a small boat from the twigs and foliage we had gathered. We sent our wishes down the water on our little boat. Instead of crafting a raft you could simply float a flower down a river or stream. One for each wish, intention or goal that you are casting for the summer season.

The Summer Solstice is the perfect time to make a flower essence! Making medicine with the sun is a beautiful practice. That is what I did last year and you can read about my Litha ritual here.

Today, go outside to soak up the sun’s beautiful light. Feel it nourishing your body and the body of our mother earth. Reflect on what you have done in the time from the Winter Solstice to now. How have you grown as the sun’s time in the sky grew. Do any of these sun soaked activities and rituals and then draw your cards in the sun’s full light.

Summer Solstice Tarot Spread

How do you illuminate the world?
What is abundantly growing for you?
What do you have to give thanks for?

About the Wheel of The Year

The wheel of the year is a round of festivals that celebrate the cyclical nature of the Earth. The wheel of the year integrates festivals from many ancient cultures. Living your life in accordance with the seasons and rhythms of nature will help bring you into balance and leave you feeling in tune with your non linear, cyclical self. Learn about all the other festivals on the wheel of the year in the Learning Center.