Midsummer Symbolism

Midsummer Symbolism

Symbolism:

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.