Summer Solstice/Litha marks the beginning of Intense Energy Period

Our up coming Summer Solstice marks the start of a few months of intense energy ahead of us. The solstice not only represents the longest day but the time that our beautiful sun's rays are shining most directly and vertically down upon us. We can benefit from this wonderful energy and use this time, building upon the enhanced energy that we feel within ourselves and emanating all around us.

You can make sun water at the time of the Solstice, sun water made at this time is especially potent and can be used for all sorts of remedies and energising uses. Find out how to make it here

Following on quickly from the Summer Solstice we  have full moon on July 2nd and then a trio of three super moons in a row in August, September and October

The July full moon on the 2nd is the Full Buck Moon, Thunder Moon or Hay Moon, named for the abundance of nature at this time of year. This moon follows hot on the heels of the Litha or the Summer Solstice, our earth will literally will be crackling with super charged energy.

The Supermoon in September comes the closest to us for 2015, being only 357,098 km or 221,890 miles away.

What is a super moon

Why do Supermoons Occur?

Why does the super moon affect me?

Litha Summer Solstice Blessings, Free e cards for friends and family

So it's the Summer Solstice or Litha this weekend 21st June 2014. A lot of us are not fortunate enough to live near to our closest family and friends. Or perhaps we have a lot of Pagan friends that we have met over the internet who we would like to send a Litha greeting to.

I have therefore made a couple of free e-cards for you to send to your family and friends that you are not able to be with this Litha, please feel free to right click on the image and send your Litha greetings via the internet. Send a little love this Summer Solstice!

Although I can't be with you on this longest day of the Summer Solstice I send you love and warm wishes to light your days. May your heart be filled with sunshine and happiness today and all days.

Litha Summer Solstice Blessings to you. May the sun's rays penetrate your crown chakra and fill your whole body with warmth and strength whilst like the sunflower you remain constantly rooted and grounded upon our Mother Earth. 

Enjoy the wonderful light that the longest day brings into our lives this summer solstice. Wherever you are enjoy the friends and family you have near you and send out thoughts and good wishes to those that cannot be with you on this wonderful day.

Litha blessings to you all, AstarteAlison

Ten fun facts about the Summer Solstice or Litha

Ten fun facts about the Summer Solstice

The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year and is  generally celebrated on the 21^st June. So those are facts that you knew already! Below are a few facts that you may or may not know about this wonderful time of year, a celebration of the wonderful strength of our amazing sun.

The common name used amongst Pagans for the Summer Solstice is Litha. Other names for Litha include: Lithia, Alban Hefin(Gaelic for light of the shore), Sun Blessing, Gathering Day, Feill-Sheathain, Whit Sunday, Whitsuntide, Vestalia(Roman), The Feast of Epona(Ancient Gaulish) Thing-Tide, Sank Hans Aften(Denmak) and St. John's Day. If you have heard of any more I would love to hear from you!

The word Solstice comes from the Latin ‘solstitium’ meaning 'Sun stands still' because the apparent movement of the Sun's path north or south stops before changing direction.

Litha is often synonymous with Midsummer and is said to be associated with Faeries or the fey folk. Offerings of milk and honey were often left out for them.

Transformed by Ruth Calder Murphy

As well as faeries there were thought to be evil sprits around at this time of year therefore our ancesters wore garlands of herbs and flowerflowers to protect themselves. The most popular of these was St Johns wort which was known as ‘chase’devil’

Litha was known as Sankt Hans Aften in Denmark and was an official holiday until 1770.

Litha was celebrated with bonfires as a reflection of the sun. Folk would jump through the fires and it was said that the height that they jumped would be the height of their crops the following year.

The Chinese celebrate this time of year by honouring Li the Goddess of Light

The Druids celebrated the day as the wedding of heaven and earth. They believed this to be a very sacred day, seeing the wonderful long day as a blessing given to us by mother earth. Handfasting ceremonies became very popular during June and even today it remains popular to have a June wedding.

The full moon that occurs near the time of the Summer Solstice is often termed Mead moon, name for the drink made from honey, often served at handfasting ceremonies.

In Poland the night of merrymaking - also known as St. John’s Night or “Noc Świętojańska” - is still observed in some areas and some Polish communities in the United States

Litha, Summer Solstice Honey Cake

Litha, Summer Solstice Honey Cake

Honey is a wonderful food to represent Litha. One of the names often given for the Full Moon at Litha is Honey Moon' or ' Mead Moon' as this is a time when the  bee hives are rich with honey. The honey can be used in many ways, one of which is to ferment it and make into a traditional Midsummer drink called "mead", hence the name 'Mead Moon'.

Baking a cake at Litha would be a fabulous way to celebrate with friends and family and using honey is particularly pertinent to the season. I am particularly minded to think about bees when there is such a threat to their very existence at the moment.  

"Scientific evidence that common pesticides are harming bees has risen in the last year and, along with huge public protests, culminated in the European commission (EC) imposing the ban on three neonicotinoids. Bees and other insects pollinate three-quarters of the world's food crops but have suffered steep declines due to habitat loss, disease and pesticide use."Guardian May 2013

So if you do make this cake, spare a thought for the bees that made this cake possible, and pray for their continued existence on our planet as they are so important to us.

Here is a very simple recipe for Litha Honey cake. 

8 oz Margarine

8 oz Honey
3 Eggs
12 oz Self Raising Flour

Cream margarine and honey.
Add eggs with a little flour and beat well.
Fold in rest of flour
Put in greased 8" cake tin and cook about 1 1/2-2 hours in medium oven,
or until skewer comes out clean.

You could drizzle with a little honey icing- 20z icing sugar, 1 tablespoon of honey and a little hot water . This will perfectly finish off your Litha honey cake.

A yellow bow around the cake and perhaps some bees to decorate it would look lovely, share with your friends, family,  and neighbours so that everyone may take part in the 

joy that is the Summer Solstice

Photograph bbcgoodfood.