Category Archives: Litha/Summer Solstice

June 11, 2011 · 2:55 pm

Witches Protection Bottle…….

Merry Meet friends! Well Summer has hit here in Ohio with a loud HOT bang! We went from weeks of cool, stormy weather  to 95* Hot and steamy days. That is just the way it is here in Ohio.  The good thing about the hot weather though was that finally the ground dried up and we were able to get out and get dirty working in the yard!  I got my herbs planted in pots and scattered around the yard. We re-did a whole bed in our backyard adding a Weeping crabapple tree and some red-pink knock -out roses.  I planted patio pots with a red/white/blue theme this year that has the most gorgeous deep red geraniums.  There are now  rows of impatience in our front beds,  with  rosemary and lavender for protection and luck.  We still have some space at the side of the porch we want to plant some holly bushes and a couple of hydrangea bushes..one of my favorites.  I am trying to talk hubby into removing a few excess boxwood bushes in the backyard so I can plant a moon garden….white flowers and silvery greens that will glow in the light of the moon.  He isn’t crazy about the idea but I’m working on him LOL !  I will talk him into it for sure! Here’s a few pictures…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Litha or Midsummer is coming up fast now and I need to get busy getting ready.  I’m on the search for the perfect altar cloth to get my altar ready.  I also am starting to collect items I need to make my witch’s protection bottles.  I do these every year at Litha.  Because it is warm out and I can be out at night and be warm and comfortable, I think it’s the perfect time to set out new protection for my home and those I love who dwell within.  If you haven’t ever done a witch’s bottle, you should seriously think about it.  I feel part of my practice is to protect what is mine and what I love and as a Witch I have the capability of doing that.  I like to think of myself as a Warrior Witch..ready to do battle to keep evil away from my door! 

A bit of history….

Witch’s Bottles have been in use in England and the United States since at least the 1600’s. Spell bottles were originally created to destroy the power of an evil magician or witch thought to have cast a spell against the bottle’s creator. They were often ceramic vessels and some had a face on them. They were also walled up into new homes as magical guardians. Spell bottles of this type continued to be used well into the 19th century. These bottles were apparently of English origin. Still, one example made from a glass wine bottle dated at 1740-1750 was found in Pennsylvania in 1976. And so, such protective devices certainly found their way from England to the United States with the colonists. There are over 200 Witch’s Bottles in known museums and they continue to be dug up during construction or gardening projects. 🙂 I always hope I’ll come across one sometime! LOL! The ceramic type of bottle is not made anymore so now it consists of a container, usually glass, filled with various objects of magical potency.

Witch’s bottles are made for a variety of purposes, and are used in numerous ways. Some are buried or otherwise hidden, while others are placed in windows of the home or in other prominent spots. All are concentrations of energy, created and empowered for specific magical purposes. It is a very powerful means of protecting your space and is buried on your property in order to attract all negative things to it, where it traps them. If you move, by all means, then dig it up and either destroy it or bring it to your new home. Now I actually choose to leave mine in place and just put out a new one each year..I like to think of the future residents of this house, happily gardening and coming across my wonderful jars LOL Makes me laugh to think what they might be thinking. 🙂

This Witch Bottle ritual is really great to do on a Full Moon night..the one closest to the Solstice.  The first thing you want to do is decide where you are going to bury it.  I like to put one right at my front porch steps, and one by the back door steps. Some people will put them at the four corners of their property or at the entrance of their driveway.  Live in a condo or an apartment?  No problem.  Just store it in a closet closest to your entry door…out of sight or bury it in a big pot of dirt with a houseplant in it in your entryway.   Once you decide where you are going to put it, dig a hole big enough to sink a your jar into the ground and cover it up well enough that it isnt’ too obvious something is buried there.  Now, get a jar or two…I use  Ball canning jars.  But you can use a snapple bottle, a mayo jar, olive jar..use what you have by all means.  Now it’s time to start collecting your supplies. Put the items on a tray or something that you an keep them all together..don’t put them in the jar yet.   Here is the ritual and what you’ll need……                                                

-A Sturdy, clean, wide-mouthed bottle or jar with a tight lid.
-Soil or sand from the area surrounding your home.
-Something sparkly or shining like small tumbled crystals, beads, sea glass  *I use small crystal pieces with protective qualities*

-A rusty bent nail or two 
-Pieces  of broken glass
-Dried herbs-  Mint, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme
-A new penny or other coin
-Some loose hair from any pets in your home
-Some hair from all living in the home

-A magickal spell candle
-Salt  

 

 

         Create and open sacred space. Light your working candle while you do your work. If you haven’t already dug your hole,  Dig the hole in the earth, try to keep the top sod in good shape to replace over the hole. Sprinkle with salt. Ground and Center.   When ready, say these words:

With the Goddess and God working for and through me
according to free will and for the good of all.
I now fill this bottle.

*As you say the words, put the items in the jar…… 

Earth anchors this magick in the ground.
This rusty nail, bent, now repels anything and anyone negative or life-denying.
The sparkling, shiny small pieces of crystals hold the light for me and my deities.
A broken piece of glass to deflect harm to anyone it is intended for.

These herbs infuse the bottle with their living properties;
Mint for money and protection
Parsley for protection
Sage for wisdom and protection
Rosemary for love, healing, and health
Thyme for health, love, and courage.

This new penny manifests abundance in my home.
 Hair from my beloved pets to protect them.
Hair from my loved ones who dwell here, to protect and draw away negativity.

This home is divinely protected and effectively safe.
Nothing and no one can enter without my permission
Only those people and beings through whom the Goddess and God work
Can stay here, can visit, can touch this place.

Only Positive Magick lives in this place
In safety, protection, abundance, love, and joy
According to free will and for the good of all!

Put the lid on the jar tight.  If you like, you can use old candle wax or sealing wax to seal the jar closed as well. Start to bury the bottle, and replace the sod you dug up before hand and then say:

I now bury this bottle
It is invisible to all but me
And its magick continues
And so mote it be!

     By the time you have finished this spell, the bottle should be buried. Cover with leaves or something appropriate to make it truly invisible. Under the ground, it will continue to work until you choose to remove it.

I love this spell….on a Full Moon Night..burying a jar filled with lovely witchy items….it is magickal indeed!   After I’m done with this ritual I spend time with the Moon Goddess while the candle burns down a bit. You can also draw a pentacle in the air over the burial spot with your wand, or protective runes for some added protection.  

Now for some other ideas of what you can put in the jar.   I throw some sea salt in my jar as well.  I also like to put lots of little sharp things, like old pins or needles, used razor blades,  rose thorns etc.  For the dirt and nails, you can use graveyard dirt and coffin nails.  Some people will add holy water or wine to the mix.  You can use fingernails instead of hair.  You can use your own urine in the bottle or even blood.  I read in a book somewhere that you can use the broken glass to cut a finger a bit and drip some of your blood into the jar.   You can write down on parchment using dragon’s blood ink, the names of those who are in your home often, to protect them as well. In my case, my sister and married daughter and grandchildren spend a lot of time here too, so of course I want them to be protected as well.   Anything you want to put in there that you feel will add to the protection of your home or family is a good thing. 🙂

Another really simple Protection Jar Spell is this:

Gather rosemary, needles, pins and red wine. Fill a small jar with the first three, saying while you work:

Pins, needles, rosemary, wine;
In this witches bottle of mine.
Guard against harm and enmity;
This is my will, so mote it be!

Visualize these doing just that. Then pour in the red wine. Then cap or cork the jar and drip wax from a red or black candle to seal. Bury it at the farthest corner of your property or put it in an inconspicuous spot in your house. Draw the banishing pentagram in the dirt above it. The witches bottle destroys negativity and evil ; the pins and needles impale evil, the wine drowns it, and the rosemary sends it away from your property.

I hope you take the time to do this on this next Full Moon..right before the Solstice.  You will love the ritual of it and you’ll feel great about the Power you have as a Witch to put out protection for those you love most and the home you care for.  I will be out on that night ..right with you all….

Soon, I’ll post pics of my altar and I’ll post pics of my witches bottle items as well.  Til then, Have a blessed weekend!

Love and Light, Autumn

*Sources:  Scott Cunningham, my BOS, the internet and various other books I’ve read 🙂 I am not sure where the rituals came from I’m afraid..I’ve just had them for a long time 🙂

 

                                                                                                                                               

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May 22, 2011 · 9:12 pm

Litha Recipes……

Merry Meet friends!  I hope you are all having a wonderful Spring so far.  Our Spring has been on of the rainiest ones I can remember in a long time.  Cool weather and rain and gloom much more then sunshine this year.  But the last 3 days have been sunny, summer-like and wonderful!  I have soaked it up as best I can.  Its the kind of weather you want to sit on the porch, work in your garden, take a walk, go get ice cream, read a book under a shady tree, watch the sun rise with a cup of coffee, and watch it set with a glass of wine.  I love this weather. Tonight though, the storms came back and the next few days it’s going to rain again.

I don’t really mind the rain as I’m going to be very busy.  My grandson, Charlie Matthew, is going to be born sometime tomorrow!  My daughter will be induced early in the morning..doc says it’s time and so does Kate.  I can not wait to hold the little guy in my arms, see what he looks like, pray that he is healthy, and welcome him into our family.  We feel so blessed and we all can’t wait for Lily to meet her new little brother.  I pray to the Goddess for an easy delivery and a healthy, bouncing baby boy.  We are all so excited!

I was thinking about Summer and decided to go ahead and post my recipes for Litha tonight for you.  Remember in my Countdown to Litha post..I talked about the correspondences for food for the Solstice.  Fresh fruits…especially citrus and in-season fruits, all vegetables, summer squash, honey, fresh herbs like thyme and lavender, pumpernickel bread, ale and mead were all on the list of yummy foods that represent Litha.  I found and have some wonderful recipes ..hope you like them!

Stawberry Lemonade

*1 pint small strawberries, hulled and halved

*A few sprigs fresh mint

*1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar

*6 cups water

*12 lemons, juiced

Directions

Add the berries and mint to a glass pitcher and smoosh (LOL yes that is a term ) with a wooden spoon.

In a  saucepan add the sugar, to taste, and 2/3 cup of water. Cook over medium
heat until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the strawberries.

Stir in the lemon juice and fill the pitcher with the remaining water. Chill or pour over ice and serve.

Mushroom Appetizers

 *1 jar mushroom slices

*½ cup Hellmans mayo

*1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese

*Small can French fried onions

*Cocktail sized pumpernickel bread

*Dash of salt

Mix ingredients well except for bread.  Spread mix on bread slices.

Bake at 350* until Mixture is brown and bubbly….

Orange-Spinach Salad

*1 tablespoon orange marmalade

*1 lemon

*1/4 extra-virgin olive oil

*Salt and freshly ground black pepper

*2 to 3 cups fresh spinach

*2 to 3 cups arugula

*1 orange, peeled and thinly sliced into discs

*1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced

*1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted

Directions

In the bottom of a shallow salad bowl, combine the marmalade with the juice of 1 lemon then whisk in extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss greens with
oranges and onions and season with salt and pepper. Top with hazelnuts.

Autumn’s Greek Pasta Salad

*1 lb bag tri-colored pasta or pasta of choice, cooked, drained and cold

*1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into small cubes

*1 -2 tomatoes..cut into small cube

*1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

*1/2 – 1 cup crumbled or cubed feta cheese

*1/2 cup sliced black olives

*salt and pepper to taste

*a bottle of italian or greek dressing or homemade if you have it.

Mix all ingredients well.  You may have to add more dressing after it has chilled as pasta will absorb it.

*this is a light and delicous salad..a favorite at our house!

Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey Yogurt Dressing

*2 cups plain yogurt

*2 tablespoons good honey

*1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

*Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean, optional

*1/2 orange, juiced

*1 banana, sliced

*1/2 pint fresh blueberries

*1/2 pint fresh raspberries

*1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in half

*1 bunch seedless green grapes, halved

Directions

Combine the yogurt, honey, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds in a bowl and set aside

Combine the orange juice and banana slices in a separate large bowl. Add the berries and grapes and gently mix the fruit mixture together.

Spoon the fruit into serving bowls and top with the yogurt.

Glazed Carrots and Sugar Snap Peas

*2 pounds carrots, peeled and coarsely grated

*1 pound sugar snap peas, ends trimmed and cut into three strips lengthwise

*2 tablespoons butter

*3 tablespoons honey

*2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

*1 tablespoon lemon juice

*salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook carrots 1 minute, add peas and cook another minute. Drain under cold running water to stop cooking. In a large skillet heat butter with honey over medium high heat until honey is melted and runny. Stir in1 tablespoon lemon zest and lemon juice. Add carrots and peas and cook until they appear glazed about 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with remaining lemon
zest.

Balsamic Glazed Butternut Squash

*1 (20-ounce) package peeled cubed butternut squash

*2 tablespoons honey

*1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

*1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning

*3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix to coat the squash.

Place squash on a nonstick baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake until
the squash is tender and brown about 30 to 35 minutes making sure to turn the squash after 15 minutes.

 

 

Grilled Balsamic Chicken Breasts

*1 pound chicken breasts

Marinade:

*1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

*1/4 cup olive oil

*2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

*1 teaspoon dried thyme

*5 cloves roasted garlic

*1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Wash the chicken and pat dry; cut diagonal slits across the chicken breast (about 1/4-inch thick), this allows the marinade to penetrate the meat; place into a resealable plastic bag.

Combine all marinade ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until smooth. Pour the marinade into the plastic bag with the chicken and seal, removing as much air as possible. Let sit in the fridge 1 hour.

Preheat the grill to the medium setting; spray the grill grates with cooking spray (while standing back!). Put the chicken on the grill; cook for roughly 15 to 20 minutes, flipping once; chicken is done when juices run clear.

 

Honey-Lavender Biscotti Recipe

*2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

*1 teaspoon baking powder

*1/2 teaspoon baking soda

*1/4 teaspoon salt

*2/3 cup granulated sugar

*3 large eggs

*3 tablespoons honey

*1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

*2 tablespoons orange zest

*1 tablespoon dried lavender blossoms
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to the middle position. Lightly grease
three baking sheets  or line with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk sugar and eggs to a light lemon color; stir in honey, vanilla extract, orange zest, and lavender blossoms. Sprinkle dry ingredients over the egg mixture; fold in until the dough is just combined.

To shape the dough into a log, lightly sprinkle flour on the work surface, on top of the dough, and on your hands. Use just enough flour to form the logs and to prevent sticking; you don’t want the logs to be covered with flour. Divide dough into six equal pieces. With your hands, pat and shape each piece into a loaf approximately 3 inches wide, 7 inches long, and 3/4-inch high. Place two rolls onto each prepared baking sheet with 3 to 4 inches of space between them.

Bake 25 minutes or until dough pops back up when lightly pressed with a finger.
(After dough has baked 10 minutes, reverse cookie sheets from front to back and
move from the top rack to the bottom one. Repeat this again after another 10
minutes). You can’t judge the cooking by the color. The biscotti shouldn’t
change color during the second baking, so poke them to tell if they’re done.
They should feel dry and offer some resistance. Remove from oven and cool 10
minutes on a wire rack.

Reduce oven to 275 degrees F. Using a long serrated knife, cut logs diagonally into
1/2-inch thick slices. Turn the slices over, onto their sides; return slices, on baking sheets, to oven. Bake another 15 minutes. NOTE: Do not crowd the biscotti slices on the baking sheet for their second baking as they need the hot air to circulate to enable them to crisp up evenly. Remember biscotti will continue to crisp up, as they cool, so do not be tempted to over bake. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire racks. Store biscotti in an airtight container. They will keep well for a few weeks.

Yields about 54 biscotti.

*These are not quite as complicated as they sound..and worth the effort 🙂 You’ll love them!

All these recipes are so summery, fresh, some are very  healthy and full of good stuff from the garden and all the foods suggested for Litha.  Now obviously you may not fix all of these THAT day but you will want to make all of them at different times over the Summer.  The pasta salad is great with burgers and corn on the cob.  The Summer squash great with the chicken.  Have your girlfriends over for strawberry lemonade, mini tea sandwiches, fruit salad and honey-lavender biscotti.  Add grilled chicken to the orange -spinach salad and you have a meal right there 🙂  Yummy!!  Make your Summer Solstice extra special this year by serving up fresh, light food for your family!  Bon Appetit!

“What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade.”                                 —  Gertrude Jekyll

Blessings and Light, Autumn

*Sources..my kitchen and the internet.  All pics from the internet.

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Filed under Litha/Summer Solstice, Loose incense recipe, Oil Blend Recipe, Quote, Recipe from my Kitchen, Spring, Summer

May 11, 2011 · 9:26 pm

Countdown to Litha……

Merry Meet my friends!  This last couple of days here in Ohio have been really wonderful!  Very warm, rains coming and going,  everything is so green,  flowers are blooming…. it’s starting to feel like Summer!  I actually had to turn on the A/C..yep…it was that warm 🙂  My ferns are now hanging on the porch and I’m pulling out the summer cushions and pillows tomorrow for the porch as well.  My hubby has our new shed mostly painted..it’s sooo cute….and we will finally be planting our flowers this next weekend.  This week I’ll  buy my new patio pots..big ones!….and will transplant my herbs that I grew from seed outside as well.  We are spending more time outside now that the two full weeks of rain is gone and I’m looking forward to getting Summer started!

The Summer Solstice..or Litha is June 21st this year. I love the Summer Solstice..the longest day of the year!

 “Nights are warm, and stars shimmer in the sky like a blacktop road in the noonday sun.  Roses spill over garden gates, heavy with bees and perfume; field and forest are lush and teeming with life.  Faerie-folk gather in the woodland glades, and frolic beside moss-banked streams; the fires of summer burn green and gold, and everywhere there is high magick afoot!”…………………..Michele Morgan  “Simple Wicca”

Isn’t that the most delicious description of Summer…I couldn’t improve on it so I quoted it.  

Summer Solstice, Litha or Midsummer’s Eve..whatever you call it…. means that the Sun God is at his strongest,  the height of his reign, but now He begins his decline, as the days give way in the coming months to darkness.  The Goddess is now pregnant with His child.  The Earth’s bounty is in full swing…gardens are growing, everything is green and lush, trees and shrubs are fully bloomed.  Animals are scurrying, enjoying the warmth and Sun but at the same time..collecting food for the winter. Litha is a fire festival!  It  is also when the realm of the Fae is most astir.  Faerie magick is about!  It’s a time to romp with the faeries!  Put out gifts of food and libations for the faeries.  Fresh milk or cream, butter, wine, cakes, and honey are all much desired sustenance in the realm of Faerie.  Gifts of coins, ribbon, or colorful stones are also fancied.  Leave your offerings in the garden, near a stream or pond, or beneath a tree in your woods or yard.

In ancient Norse countries, the people celebrated the battle between the Oak King (God of the waxing year) and the Holly King (God of the waning year).  Of course, the Holly King wins, for it is he who will reign until Yule, when he gives way to the rebirth of the Child of Light, the baby Oak King. 

    Handfastings, or Pagan marriage ceremonies, are commonly held at Midsummer.  Hum..I wonder if that’s where the June Brides come from?  Spells of transformation and purpose are often done on this Sabbat.   Other customs include lighting a ritual bonfire, sprinkling it with magickal herbs, and dancing round the flames, asking for the blessings of health and prosperity. Harvest your magickal herbs on Midsummer morning, and hang them to dry for use in spellwork in the coming months.  Catch a jar of fireflies, whose green glow represents faerie fire deep in the heart of the forest.  Make wishes upon the tiny creatures, and then release them to carry your wishes to the Goddess.

Litha Correspondences

*Element-Fire

*Threshold-Evening/Dawn

 *Symbolism-Crowning of the Sun God, death of the Oak King, assumption of the Holly King 

 *Symbols/Tools/Decorations-The Sun, oak, birch & fir branches, sun flowers, lilies, fire, seashells, summer fruits and flowers, sun wheel, sun dials, circle of stones, bird feathers, Witches’ ladder, love amulets.

 *Herbs-Anise, mugwort, chamomile, rose, oak blossoms, lily, cinquefoil, lavender, fennel elder, Mistletoe, hemp, thyme, nettle, wisteria, vervain, St. Johnswort, rue, fern, wormwood,  Pine, heather, yarrow, oak & holly trees.

 *Incense/Oils-Heliotrope, saffron, orange, frankincense, myrrh, wisteria, cinnamon, mint, rose,  lemon, lavender, sandalwood, pine.

 *Colors-Blue, green, gold, yellow, red.

 *Crystals/Stones-Lapis lazuli, diamond, tiger’s eye, all green gemstones.

 *Customs/Activities- Bonfires, all night vigil, singing, feasting,  herb gathering, handfastings,  rededication to the  Lord and Lady, beginning of the harvest, honoring the Sun  God and the pregnant Goddess.

 *Foods-Honey, fresh vegetables, lemons, oranges, summer fruits, summer squash, ale, mead, Pumpernickel bread

 *Gods-Father Sun/Sky, Oak King, Holly King, Arthur, God is at peak power and strength.

 *Goddesses-Mother Earth, Mother Nature, Venus, Aphrodite, Yemaya, Astarte, Freya,  Hathor, Ishtar, All Goddesses of love, passion, beauty and the Sea, Green Forest Mother, Great One of the Stars

 *Spellwork/Rituals-Nature spirit, fey communion, divination, love and protection, rededication of faith, rites of inspiration, nurturing, relationships, fire.

Every year, at Midsummer, I do two things.  I re-dedicate myself to my faith. It is a ritual I look forward to and doing it outside, on the longest day of the year, when the night is warm, fireflies are about, faeries are flitting, the Moon is shining….it connects me to the Goddess in a most amazing way!  The other thing I do is to make up a new witches protection bottle and my outdoor protection talismans, salt circle etc.  I usually do this on the Full Moon in June. Again, it’s all about being outside and really connecting my magick to the Goddess.  Of course a bonfire will be going at the same time and I’ll have something cool and fruity to drink 🙂  Then I will just sit under a tree, feel the warmth of the Earth beneath me, and just appreciate the humming of life going on all around me.  It’s magick!

So it’s time to think about this wonderful Sabbat coming soon and really plan for a fun, outdoor celebration!  Future posts will include recipes, my altar, ritual etc…just like I always do 🙂  If all you do is have a bonfire and have your family or friends over for a cook-out..you are celebrating! On the Solstice night, watch the Sun go down!  Consider the re-dedication, I can’t tell you how great you’ll feel afterwards….it is so rewarding and emotional!  Summer is coming and the Summer Solstice is a fabulous way to get the Summer fun started! 

 

“Dirty hands, iced tea, garden fragrances thick in the air and a blanket of color before me,
who could ask for more?”
–   Bev Adams, Mountain Gardening

 

Blessings and Light, Autumn

*Sources….internet pics, Simple Wicca by Michele Morgan, and my BOS!

 

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June 17, 2010 · 8:03 pm

Summer Solstice…

We are very close to celebrating Summer Solstice on June 21.  Summer solstice is the  longest day of the year and when the Sun is at its strongest.  The Sun god is at his mightiest, and as of this moment, will begin to decline as the days grow shorter and the winter months come.  Pagans in ancient times (and now) celebrate on this day,  the power of the Sun and his love for the Goddess, who is now pregnant with his child.  The sun causes the Earth’s bounty to ripen and grow, as those of us who garden can attest, much as the child the Goddess carries grows. 

Midsummer or Litha, is a fire Sabbat.  It is most appropriate to have a  bonfire and spend time outside.  Also, the faerie realm is very active during this time.  Make an offering to the Fae  and thank them for the help they give to you in your garden.  A gift of a crystal point or a bit of bread and honey are much appreciated by them.  Your herbs should be growing tall and you can use them in your cooking and spellwork now.   Spend time outside, have a cook out, take a walk, sit under a tree and feel the Goddess’ presence, offer up thanks for the many blessings this season is giving you.

This is a good time to rededicate yourself to the God and Goddess in your chosen path.  Handfastings are of course perfect for Midsummer.  Spells for health and prosperity will be answered this time of year.  Decorate your altar with summer flowers, a faery statue, summer crystals such as tiger’s eyes and any green stone, birds feathers, fresh fruit slices, a pot of honey.  Use the summer colors such as green as grass, gold as sun, blue as sky, yellow as sunflower and red as rose!  Lighten up and brighten up for this sumertime Sabbat!

My altar is pretty much done..though I’ll be adding slices of fresh citrus fruits and strawberries and a bit of honey on that night.  Here is a picture of what I’ve done so far…..

The ring of stones is for the fae, Gaia and Greenman, my goddess and god, faeries, my elemental representations, my ritual tools,  all there.  As I said, my natural elements of honey and summer fruits will be put on when I’m ready to use it.

My family will be enjoying a bonfire and a feast. We will  make an offering to the Fae, and enjoy each others company.  That night I will spend time at my altar privately, doing my own ritual.  Summer Solstice is a joyous celebration and I hope that you all enjoy it too!  May the sun shine on you brightly, may the faeries bestow their blessings on you and may you live everyday in Joy, Love and Light!

Bright Summer Blessings, Autumn

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