Litha as a Time of Confrontation

When we think of Litha, we think of the summer, sunshine, happiness and, for those of us that live near the sea and for those of you that travel to get to the beach, bathing season. But as is the case with every other Sabbath, Litha is much more complex than this.

It's true that the Sun is at the height of its power on Litha and that this is the longest day of the year because of this, but the summer solstice is also the day when the Sun (mythologically represented by the figure of the God) sacrifices itself so the Wheel of the Year could continue turning and the earth could regenerate itself after the intense heat. From this day onward, the forces of chaos grow and the forces of cosmos decline, the days become shorter and the Sun begins to lose its strength. But this sacrifice is necessary for the natural cycles to continue.

When you look at the Wheel of the Year, everything culminates on Litha - all of our plans and goals which we "planted" on Imbolc and watched grow through Ostara and Beltane to this point have now reached their full potential. So what is left for us to do? Look back at what we have done and see if we have achieved everything we planned to. Therefore, this is a time for introspection. This is not an easy task and it may lead to many emotions and facts coming to light, but it is necessary for further individual growth and evolution.

This Litha was precisely all that for me - a time of introspection. I have to admit that I have come to know a lot more about myself and my loved ones and that most of this knowledge was hard to take in. But obviously this was necessary and thanks to all of this, I now know what I have to do next and which goals to set myself.

It is normal for Litha to use the huge amounts of energy flowing around in order to face certain problems and solve them. This aspect of Litha was also present for me. Some use this energy to help others; be they humans, animals or plants. Nurturing is therefore another aspect of this Sabbath. I had some of the most touching experiences of my life in this respect. They restored my faith in people, their goodness and generosity. Generally, this period was very tumultuous for me, although I am becoming aware that these phases are also a necessary part of life. It is these shocking moments that really shake us and wake us up and point out (albeit sometimes in an indelicate way) so many novelties to us which are necessary for us to continue in life.

I urge you to stop, look back at the past few months and grasp something new! It may not be easy... This new knowledge may even be painful for you, but in the end, every why has a wherefore.

May this Litha be blessed and may it bring you wisdom, prudence, determination and courage!

Yours,

Witch's Cat