Pagan Blog Project - L is for Litha

Sekmet's Day
LuniSol - Moonth 7, Day 9
Metonic - Year 17, Lunation 204, Day 27
Dreamspell - White Overtone Mirror (5 Etznab) - Kin 18
Mayan Tzolk'in - 10 Chuen (Blue Planetary Monkey) - Kin 231
Mayan Ha'ab - 14 Zotz

Litha or summer solstice will occur June 20th, 7:08 PM EDT for North Hemispherians. Not sure where the name Litha came from but it may be an old name for the month corresponding to June and July in the old days. Litha is also known as midsummer. Why midsummer and not the secular 1st day of summer? When I was a kid, it made no sense to me for the 1st day of summer to be the longest day of the year followed by days progressively getting shorter. Back in the old days, the equinoxes and solstices marked the the middle of the season, not the beginning. The 1st day of summer was Beltane or May Day which would make Litha midsummer.

Colors for this sabbat are fiery colors like reds, oranges, and yellows. I'm not sure about the other correspondences since mine aren't the traditional ones. Ancient Egyptians marked the summer solstice with the annual flooding of the Nile. Tropical astrology has the sun at 0 deg Cancer.

I don't know about you but I get a little sad around this time. Knowing that the days are going to get progressively shorter depresses me. I'm trying to combat this feeling. Having a pagan outlook on things helps me to look forward to the different spokes of the Wheel of the Year. Each spoke has a purpose. Meanwhile, it's time to plan for the Litha cookout next week.