Celebrate Litha - Life, Love & Happiness!

The Summer Solstice marks the Sun's movement into Cancer at the height of summertime and a time for celebrating our abundance and happiness in life! Summer as a kid always meant being happy to be out of school and running with wild abandonment for as long as the sun stayed shining! The solar radiance is providing for our growing plants and helping them push for the final productions for when we get ready for the coming shorter days when we will harvest what we've accomplished to nurture. This is a great time to enjoy an afternoon picnic, barbeque, or even a traditional bonfire celebration! At this time we count our blessings, but we can also cleanse ourselves from troublesome problems, sorrow, illness, addictions, and general negative thinking. The Solstice marks a time of coming into balance and brings the elemental strength of the fiery Sun and emotional rainy waters together! First you might want to start the day with a fresh cleansing!

• Take a shower and visualize the water bathing you in a cleansing white light. Let the water wash away any negativity. Feel the water absorbing through your body. Feel your own body's water level. After all, our bodies are nearly half composed of water. Feel the white light coursing throughout your body leaving you invigorated with life's blessings! Step out into the day's Sun and soak up more of the Earth's healing light.

or..

• If you're lucky enough to be living near a flowing body of water.. immerse yourself and allow your body to float on your back if possible. If you're not comfortable with that or the water is a little rough, just sitting in the water is fine too. Feel the water all around you and visualize the water being absorbed THROUGH you. Feel any negativity being pulled away from your body and dispersed into the water where if it is a fresh watered body, it will flow to the ocean and be neutralized by the salt, or if you're in the ocean feel any negativity instantly disintegrate away from you! Come out of the water and allow the Sun to fill you with it's light. (Hopefully you remember sunscreen too if you're outside!)

After the cleansing, make a list of the things you would like to continue to work to achieve and what you will want to "harvest" in the next few months. You may want to choose to anoint this list with some essential oil, or spray with a scent that reminds you of summer. Once you are done, say a small prayer or chant that you will continue to be thankful for your blessings received. Then roll the piece of paper up into a scroll and tie a red piece of yarn or string around it 9 times to seal your intentions. Keep this scroll handy as you'll need it at the time of Mabon also known as the Autumn Equinox! You may also want to burn a Litha inspired incense to help carry your prayers and wishes. Here is a recipe that I enjoy using!

• 2 parts Sandalwood, 2 part Chamomile, 2 part Apple Blossoms, 1 part Mugwort, 1 part Vervain, 1 part Yarrow, 3 drops Rose oil, 3 drops Carnation oil, 3 drops Lily oil

Finally; if love has been elusive, this is the BEST time to perform magick for some romance! Many old superstitions and divination methods are available at this time to find out who it is you're meant to be with! If you wash your face with the dew of Midsummer morning, the first man to gaze at you will fall in love. In Ireland, it is customary to put 9 sprigs of Yarrow under your pillow to dream of your beloved. Since a good number of weddings take place in June it has ALWAYS been an Italian custom for me to place a piece of cake under my pillow for prophetic dreams of love. This started when I was around 12 years old! The cake tradition then changes that once you have found your love, you will continue to have "sweet success" if you place a piece of wedding cake under your pillow! The following morning it's standard to toss the pieces out into the yard for the sweetness to be shared!

I hope this has given you some ideas on how you can celebrate the Summer Solstice! It's always a favorite time of mine as I know I'll be getting birthday presents in a few days time! LOL! If you need any assistance with your holiday celebration preparations, are wanting some love spell work done, or if you'd just like to chit chat, you can reach me at my email or facebook.

Have a superb Summer Solstice and many blessings!!!

Celebrate Beltane ~ Awaken to Life!

With Ostara we celebrated the Earth welcoming spring time and the start of longer days. Now at Beltane, last of the three spring festivals and also the second major festival opposite to Samhain (Halloween), things are amping up to really be invigorating! This is when life is moving into high gear! Beltane is also one of the fire festivals, which is why we see the bonfire in symbolism. Long ago it was more associated towards blessing the livestock. If you had also made your "karmic list" at Ostara, now is the time to burn it!

For a more family oriented activity, you might want to have friends and family over for a cookout! Include a bountiful, fresh salad and also luscious fruits. Enjoy some s'mores if you're able to have a little bonfire! All sweets are associated with Beltane. You can also splurge a little on some flowers to color things up. Get a few different types; I know my local grocery stores sometimes offers 3 for $10, and make up little arrangements to give to your guests! If a May Pole is feasible, give it a go! It's a lot of fun and does look rather pretty! It doesn't specifically need to be seen just as a fertility symbol, as the dance itself could be for general luck and prosperity.

Now let's face it.. we all know Beltane is also the most sexually amp'd up holiday too! It is definitely more well known as being a fertility festival and of a time when magick is done if one wants to conceive! This is very much in tune with the Earth and keeping the tribe going. You can also enjoy a bonfire, if possible, and sip some sweet wine or mead. S'mores are also a bonus! Traditionally, you're supposed to jump OVER the bonfire, but probably NOT the best thing to do in front of the kids! This is THE night for "uniting" and enjoying all the vitality, passion, and pleasures it brings.

There are PLENTY of Beltane rituals online, so I won't post my version to go with the rest of them. Really though, just take a look at a few and pull something together that's more YOU. If you're looking for something a little more low-key, mid afternoon type of thing before the night gets kicked up; you might want to try The Chocolate Ritual. I haven't known one person to NOT enjoy that one!

And finally, as the opposite of Samhain, this is yet another time when the veil is thin. Now is the time to get in touch with the Faery folk. It's very customary at Beltane to place a saucer of milk and honey and offerings of fruits and nuts for the Fey to receive their blessings! I found Lady of the Earth to have an extensive amount of information on Faeries! There is also some great recipes on Herbal Musings; I've made a similar one to the fried honey cakes, but they were called faery cakes! :)

Beltane is one of my favorite holidays because it's just a time when everything feels so alive and revitalized! It's a time to be passionate about where life is taking you!!

I can be reached for life awakening readings at LivePerson and email or facebook. If you'd like any further information on personalizing your spiritual path, or maybe a fertility spell, you can send me a message at my email or facebook.


Have a Bright, Blessed Beltane!!!