Longest Day Spell

Since the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, this magical day
may be observed with activities throughout the day. In the morning, before
sunrise, light a tall orange candle, and from its flame light four smaller white
candles to represent the four seasons, saying: “Father Sun, you illuminate
the year.” Then, fashion a small hoop from a thin branch. Ignite the hoop and
let it burn out in a heat-proof dish. As the Sun rises, snuff out the
candles. At noon, the solar hour, go into a garden or wooded area and select a tree
to honor. Trees are living beings who, although connected to Mother Earth,
reach toward Father Sun to complete their growth cycle. Honor your chosen tree
with a gift of compost or water. At sunset, light your candles again, and
thank the Sun for returning. You may seek visions by sprinkling the area with
larkspur, or you can simply meditate. When done, snuff out the candles. After
dark, near midnight if possible, harvest any herbs for future magical use. As
a final gesture on this longest day, sprinkle the ashes from the hoop you
burned near your front door.

By: James Kambos

Midsummer Magic and Divination

Midsummer is a day of very potent magic, a time when the otherworld
is close, and it is possible to see into the future.

In the past, a wide variety of Midsummer divination techniques were
employed by country people. In fact, many of these techniques are
employed even today–farmers view the weather on the solstice as a
potential indicator of the bounty of the harvest. Rains on this day
indicate a poor and wet grain harvest, but a large crop of apples and
pears.

Midsummer Love Divination

In bygone days, young girls would take the opportunity on the Summer
Solstice to perform various acts of divination, usually to discover
whom they would marry. You might like to try some of these yourself–
after all, you don’t have to be a young girl to be interested in
potential lovers. But be forewarned, some of these techniques
are pretty scary, designed to conjure up an appartition of the lover
rather than a rosy-cheeked warm-blooded person.

Midsummer Activities

his is a good time for clearing away non-useful energies, and
establishing a stable base. Cleansing may include leaping a fire (a
low one, please), or putting herbs symbolizing (or charged with) the
non-useful energies into a fire. You may leap a fire not only for
purification, but to re-energize yourself.
Litha is a time for healing of all kinds, and protection rituals.
Some work can and should be done alone, but there is room for more
social gatherings.
Get all your friends together with some drums and rattles, and dance
the whole night through. A Spiral Dance would be nice, too. “Sing,
Dance, make Music and Love, all in my Presence…”
Have children make their own “Green Man” mask. Cut eye-holes in a
paper plate. Let them glue on real or construction paper leaves.
Go berry picking. Have the children chose their best berry and throw
it back into the berry bushes as they thank the Goddess and the
bushes for the fruit.
Make a Wicker Man and burn him in your Litha bon fire
Burn a Wreath in the bon fire or try using Wreaths of Vervain and
Mugwort which were burned in ancient times at the end of the
festivals to burn away bad luck.
Many families placed roses on the altar, as this is the Goddess
flower for this time of the year. Try this yourself for a beautiful
and fragrant decoration.
Leave out milk and honey as an offering to the Fae folk
Have a mock battle between the Oak and Holly King. Remember that
this is part of the cycle and as the wheel turns the Holly King will
rise again at Winter Solstice
Put a ring of flowers around your cauldron or around a bowl full of
mugwort
Hang a bundle of fresh herbs out to dry and use them to spice up a
Litha feast of cooked summer vegetables
Light a white candle and place it in front of a mirror. Say your own
Litha prayer over it, and then let it burn out
Make a charm to hang around your neck with a seashell
Have an outdoor breakfast picnic to welcome the Solstice
Stay up and watch the sun come up on the longest day of the year!
Draw a picture of the sun at sunrise and sunset
Try a fire divination, stare into the coals of your bonfire as it
settles or look for forms in the leaping flames.
Create a ritual to bring healing and love to Mother Earth
Make a Catherine Wheel, or frame of sticks and withies (slender,
flexible branches) with flammable material among the spokes. At the
climax of your ritual, ignite the wheel and send it rolling down a
hillside into a pond or lake. (obviously the hillside should be
stone, bare earth, or covered with moist vegetation–no dry grass or
underbrush!)
Make protection amulets for friends and family dispose of last years
in the Litha bonfire
Couples who handfasted the year before at Beltane, tend to marry in
a more formal handfasting at Midsummer or Lughnasadh

Midsummer’s Day Herb Gathering Spell

Midsummer’s Day is a traditional time for Witches in all parts of the
world to gather herbs from their gardens or from the wild to use in
potions, dream pillows, poppets, and other forms of spellcraft.
To be recited on Midsummer’s Day, thrice before and thrice after
gathering your herbs for magickal workings:

“Herbs of magick, herbs of power,
Root and bark, leaf and flower,
Work for me when charms are spoken,
Potions brewed and curses broken!”

author unknown

Garden Magick for Litha

As Litha is a celebration of the God’s power and blessings on the
crops, Garden Spells are popular at this time.

*An old spell against weeds*

Under a waning moon, break a leaf from your garden’s tallest weed.
Crush it between your teeth (Make sure it’s not poisonous, of
course!) and spit it upon the earth, saying:
“Malum Depuo, Hostem Veneno Caedo Caedo.”

Cut off the rest of the weed stalk or stem with a Boline or silver
knife and spread a handful of salt over the hidden weed root. All
the garden bears witness to the act and it’s enemies must then
withdraw.

*A Chant for an Herb Garden on Solstice*

Most every Witch has at least a small herb garden- this is a
wonderful little chant to be said over your herb garden on the
Solstice sunrise. I like to say it while watering my Herbs, too.
“Thyme and sage for sore throats,
Rosemary to darken hair,
Bergamot to make a tea,
Flax for me to wear.
Cecily for sour fruit,
Lemon balm a cake,
Chive to mix with salad and egg,
Mint a thirst to slake.
The Wise Women of old with loving care
Grew herbs and gave poor folk a share,
And cottage gardens still are found
Where natures’ medicines abound.”

*A Litha prayer for the Earth.*

“Great God, Father of the Earth,
Shine down on this, your strongest day.
Blessed Goddess who gave us Birth,
Bless us who honor your ancient way.
As Summer’s light falls to the ground,
lending crops and trees it’s power,
the Summer winds blow warm and round,
touching the corn silk and the flowers.
We give you thanks, our Mother Earth,
We praise you, fire of the Sun.
We dance this Solstice day with Mirth,
from dawns’ first light ’till the day is done.”

author unknown

Midsummer Symbolism

ymbolism:
Nurturing and love are key actions related to Midsummer. If you haven’t
yet done so, Litha is a good time to perform your Self-Dedication
Ceremony… or – if you have been practicing Wicca for a while – you may
choose to perform a simple Re-dedication/Affirmation as a part of your
Sabbat celebration. The powers of nature are at their highest point.
Great time for herb gathering.
Longest day of the year, marks the time when days begin to get shorter
again.

Symbols:
Fire to celebrate the power of the sun, sun wheels, god eyes, mother
godess, ripening fruits, sun dials, feathers, and swords/blades.

Deities:
Father Gods and Mother Goddesses, Pregnant Goddesses and Sun Deities.
Particular emphasis might be placed on the Goddesses Aphrodite, Astarte,
Freya, Hathor, Ishtar, Venus and other Goddesses who preside over love,
passion and beauty. Other Litha deities include Athena, Artemis, Dana,
Kali, Isis, Juno, Apollo, Dagda, Gwydion, Helios, Llew, Oak/Holly King,
Lugh, Ra, Sol, Zeus, Prometheus, Ares, and Thor.

Magick:
Healings, growth spells, empowerment spells, and love magick are all
incredibly potent at this time

Tools:
drums, rattles, bonfire, mirrors for reflecting the sun or bonfire,
Earth circles of stone energy

Colors:
white, red, maize yellow or golden yellow, green, blue and tan.

Stones:
all green gemstones, especially emerald and jade. Other appropriate
gemstones are tiger’s eye, lapus lazuli, ruby, and diamonds.

Animals:
include robins, wrens, all Summer birds, horses and cattle.
Mythical creatures include satyrs, faeries, firebirds, dragons,
thunderbirds and manticores.

Herbs:
chamomile, cinquefoil, elder, fennel, hemp, larkspur, lavender, male
fern, mugwort, pine, roses, Saint John’s wort, honesty, wild thyme,
wisteria, oak, mistletoe, frankincense, lemon, sandalwood, heliotrope,
copal, saffron, galangal, laurel ylang-ylang, and verbena.
Traditionally, herbs gathered on this day are extremely powerful.

Incense:
a combination of any of the following or simply one of them by itself…
frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood, lemon, pine, jasmine, rose, lotus, or
wysteria.

Foods:
for Litha include fresh vegetables of all kinds and fresh fruits such as
lemons and oranges, pumpernickel bread as well as Summer squash and any
yellow or orange colored foods. Flaming foods are also
appropriate,barbecued anything, (barbecues represent the bonfires….)
but especially chicken or pork. Midsummer is also the time for making
mead, since honey is now plentiful.
Traditional drinks are ale, mead, sweet wines, fresh fruit juice of any
kind and herb teas.

Element: fire

author unknown

Midsummer Eve Pillow Divinations

On Midsummer Eve, various herbs and charms placed beneath your pillow
are capable of bringing prophetic dreams.

To dream of an absent lover, daisy roots should be placed under the pillow.

Place a piece of mugwort gathered on Midsummer Eve beneath your pillow
for prophetic dreams. Wrap a piece of wax in a stocking and place it
under the pillow. The next morning melt the wax and pour it into a vial
of water to set in the sun. It will harden into a shape that shows the
occupation of your future husband.

Oak flowers on Midsummer Eve and withers before daybreak, it is said.
Spread a sheet beneath the tree and catch the blossoms. Place them under
your pillow and dream of your future lover.

According to old English lore, yarrow gathered from a young man’s grave
and laid under the pillow on Midsummer Eve will produce a vision of your
husband-to-be.

Placing ash leaves beneath the pillow results in prophetic dreams.

A laurel leaf placed beneath the pillow brings about prophetic dreams.

Betony placed beneath the pillow prevents nightmares, the elf sickness
inflicted by malicious fairies, and even drunkenness.

If you find a cinquefoil that has seven points (they usually have 5), it
should be placed under the pillow so that you can dream of your future
partner.

Place a four-leaved clover under your pillow to dream of your perfect
partner.

According to a northern English custom, a future spouse can be
determined by putting three holly leaves, named for three suitors and
blessed in the name of the Trinity, under your pillow with the left
hand. The first leaf to have turned over in the morning would be the one.

Marigold petals placed under the pillow will give you prophetic dreams
and enable you to identify a thief or robber.

Mistletoe placed beneath the pillow is an aid to conception, and also
ensures a restful sleep and good dreams.

Placed under the pillow, rosemary ensures pleasant dreams and keeps evil
away.

Sleeping with sage leaves under the pillow encourages prophetic dreams.