I am the fire that burns within your soul
I am the Holy light that fills and makes you whole
I am the Flame within, that never dies
I am the sun that will ever arise
One of the eight pagan sabbats of the year, "Litha", otherwise called "Midsummer" or the "Summer Solstice", represents more than just the turn-over of the seasons, the beginning of seasons, and has thus been celebrated by many a culture throughout the ages. Litha, the summer solstice, is the day where the light has its most length and the dark is at its shortest. This can be seen as the battle between light and dark, as many believed the Oak God, ruler of the light, reigned from the winter solstice until summer solstice, only to once again battle for soveriegnty with the Holly King, ruler of the dark, who begins his reign on summer solstice as the days begin to shorten until the winter solstice(Yule). As it is then, Litha can be experienced as a battle between the light and the dark within and without. Thus, as the daylight dawns on June 21st, 2022, we find ourselves basking in the immense light, rejoicing as it were, but also with the realization that in that much light nothing can be hidden, nor should it.
Power of the Sun we honor you this night
We leap across the fire to keep our spirits bright
Power of the Sun, fire in the night
We leave behind, that which blinds, to restore our sight
But as we examine ourselves and that of the exterior freely, we must also seize the moment to honor and celebrate all of ourselves, for there is light and dark in us all and balance is achieved when we gift them both their rightful purpose of teaching within. Traditionally, a way to celebrate was through elements of fire ritual, whether it was rolling a burning wheel down a hill into a large body of water or through bonfire,where it was believed to be good luck if you were able to jump over or even through the fire itself. However, one chooses to celebrate, it is a moment to pause, take in a deep breath of the energetic vitality of solar abundance, allowing that essence to fill to overflowing all of the flaws and the perfections of ourselves allowing healing and life to truly begin. As always, it is important on these holidays, holy sabbats, to embrace the seasons and cycles of all of life so apparent on a day such as Litha.
I am the fire that clears away the old
I am the holy light that guides you to your soul
I am the Flame Of Love for which you yearn
I am the sun that will always return
In the ancient traditions, it was believed that the Gods and Goddesses were not stagnant but transformed throughout the seasons, such as a young woman to a mother then to a crone, and back to a young woman. Similarily, a god is born and dies, traveling from a young child to a lover, a symbol of the rise and fall of crops, and back again endlessly. Some may see these gods and goddeses as archetypes and others may see these as literal, either way they are provided for us to glean, to grow, to heal, and to evolve, as the cycles of the earth are ever-present so to are the cycles within all.
During Litha, the goddess is full with child and the god at his most virile, both full of the abundance of life and energy ready to emerge. So, in this pause of momentary reflection, witness the abundance that has transpired in the months previous as well as what is to come in the months unfolding.
A special Litha message from yours truly: Journaling Through The Years, Episode 50: Summer Solstice & Philosophy Lessons! #journal #solstice
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