Creating Circles and Ceremonies: Rituals for All ... - reading...

212 Creating Circles & Ceremonies
our favorite things to do were inner-tubing down the river and wallowing in a “primal ooze pit.”
This was made by positioning an inflatable kids’ swimming pool over a shallow pit dug in the
sand, with a thin slick “ooze” made with water and powdered white porcelain slip we bought at
a ceramics supply store. We’d let the ooze dry on our skin, and then wash it off in the river.
Fireworks would light up the night, with drumming and dancing around the great bonfire.
At Your House
Litha is a classic time for magick of all kinds. Celebrate nature’s sacrifice and renewal,
and make changes in your own life. Make a protective solar talisman to put up on your door.
Nurture your crops, and harvest magickal herbs from your garden. Decorate your altars with
summer flowers and sun images; use a white altar cloth and candles, and fill your chalice with
water. Some sort of fire on your altar is important, so use candles or votives. Include fresh
fruits as a reminder of the Earth’s bounty. A symbol or picture of Earth on your altar is a
gentle reminder to honor her. Add flowers of gold, orange, and yellow; roses are traditional.
Litha is also a special time for honoring and blessing animals, so bring your pets and
familiars into your Circle and give them special treats and attention.
Since Litha is just before American Independence Day on July 4, you can often buy fireworks
at this time (unless they are illegal in your state, and/or you live in a very dry area with high
fire danger in the summer). My favorites are fountains, which can be safely set off at a beach,
around a campfire, or on the driveway. These have the colored sparkles and special effects of the
high-exploding skyrockets, without the dangers of shooting them into the air. Each firework can
be set off as a spell, naming the purpose before you light it. Be sure
to keep a water hose handy just in case any sparks get away!
Summer Solstice - June 21st
Also called Midsummer’s Eve/Day, Litha
T heme: Union 1
By Ruth Barrett
Summer Solstice marks the peak of the solar cycle at midsummer.
In the midst of the longest day of the year, we simultaneously
begin our return to the dark half of the year. The exact date of the
Summer Solstice fluctuates each calendar year between June 20 and 23. At Winter Solstice the
underlying energy is passive and concerns visioning, but the seasonal energy at Summer Solstice
is active: It’s about doing and expanding, living the dream envisioned in the dreamtime of winter.
At the peak point of summer bloom, prayers for blessings on the crops are asked of the Goddess.
The Earth is fertile, and the womb of the Earth Mother is now ripe with life as she begins to pour
forth her creations in the form of growing fields, trees, flowers, and animals.
Two fire traditions were practiced widely on Summer Solstice, sometimes called “Bonfire
Night.” One old Irish custom dictated that a community fire was to be lit exactly at sunset, and
had to be watched and tended until long after midnight. The communal fire was built and lit by
the inhabitants of a whole town, or several towns, and celebrated with music, dancing, fire
jumping, singing, and other ceremonies. The family fire was a smaller fire lit by members of each
household for the benefit of their particular household or farm. The family fire was a quiet affair
in which protective ceremonies were the main concern. In some villages, the inhabitants took
embers or ashes from the family fire, or from the community fire, and threw a portion into each
field, or on the four corners of each field, in order to protect them from damaging weather such
as drought or hail storms. The cattle of the farm were herded together and driven through the smoke
of an outdoor bonfire. In Ireland, this was also a traditional time for medicinal herb gathering. 2