Summer solstice, also known as Litha or Midsummer, is a significant day on the pagan calendar. It represents the peak of the sun's power and the longest day of the year. The term "solstice" comes from the Latin words "sol" meaning sun and "sistere" meaning to stand still. This is because on the summer solstice, the sun appears to stand still in the sky before beginning its descent towards winter. Litha, the pagan name for the summer solstice, has roots in ancient Celtic and Norse traditions. It is a time of celebration and festivities, marking the height of summer and the abundance of nature.
Names of the Summer Solstice
Oh Summer Solstice! I love you as Midsummer! I also sometimes call you Litha, and can sort of appreciate you as the Feast of St. John the Baptist, but why do you have so many names? And the middle of Summer is early August, not June! You aren’t quite a vexing holiday, but I can see why you might be confusing to some people.
The other day one of my friends asked “Why is Midsummer called Midsummer?” I had an answer all lined up for her, but it was my wife’s birthday, and the World Cup was on. I’ve got priorities. Most of us probably acknowledge the Summer Solstice as the first day of Summer, but that’s not always been the case, which is how the first day of Summer came to be known as Midsummer.
A lot of early calendars (such as the Icelandic and Anglo-Saxon) only had two seasons in them-Summer and Winter. When Midsummer (and Midwinter) are looked at from that perspective they live up to their names. If the two seasons of Summer and Winter begin on the equinoxes then the solstices are true midway points.
There’s also another way to look at Midsummer and that’s by beginning the seasons at the Cross-Quarter holidays. If Imbolc is the start of Spring then Beltane is the start of Summer and Lughnassa is the start of Autumn. That puts the Summer Solstice back in the cross-hairs of being “Midsummer.”
People have never really let celestial events completely define the seasons to begin with. The agricultural cycle of a particular area determines “Summer” and “Winter” to some extent, as does culture. In some ways “Summer” stars when school lets out and “Fall” begins when kids have to go back. That’s how it worked for me growing up. American Civil Religion has turned the Fourth of July into a Patriotic Midsummer Holiday, and fire in the sky (fireworks) isn’t all that different from fire in the fields.
Only in the last five or so years have I consistently referred to the Summer Solstice as Midsummer. Before that I used the Modern Pagan alternative title of Litha. The word Litha comes to us from the English historian Bede writing in the early 700’s. In Bede Litha isn’t the name of a particular holiday it’s the name of an Anglo-Saxon month of double-length roughly matching up to the modern months of June and July. According to Bede the word litha means: “gentle or navigable, because in both those months the calm breezes are gentle and they were wont to sail upon the smooth sea.” Because the old Anglo-Saxon calendar was lunar and not solar it was sometimes necessary to extend Litha into a third month, in such cases Litha became Trilithi.
Why do we use the word Litha in some Modern Pagan traditions? Well some people use it because it simply sounds more Pagan; for those attempting to recreate Anglo-Saxon traditions it’s certainly more Germanic than Midsummer. I’m not exactly sure, but if I had to credit any one particular group for introducing the word Litha into Contemporary Paganism I’d say it’s most likely The New Reformed Orthodox Order of the Golden Dawn (NROOGD) and Aidan Kelly*. Kelly is responsible for (or guilty of) most of the cool Pagan sounding name at the equinoxes and solstices, especially Mabon.
There’s another source for Litha that may have inspired Kelly and others and that’s J.R.R. Tolkien. Yes, that Tolkien, the guy who wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The Hobbits of the Shire celebrated Lithe as their Midsummer holiday. Between Lithe were the two months of Forelithe (June) and Afterlithe (July). Tolkien was inspired by Bede, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find a few Pagans out there inspired by Tolkien.
For a solid millennia (and most likely longer) Christians continued to celebrate the Summer Solstice after converting the majority of the pagans. They did this by moving most Midsummer traditions into the celebration of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. Popping up as an official feast day on the Christian calendar 500 years after the death of Jesus (and John the Baptist) the holiday has always been a clever ploy to give the pagans something to do around the solstice.
St. John’s Feast Day is customarily celebrated on June 24 so it’s a couple days after the solstice (and depending on how messed up a calendar was during any particular era sometimes longer than just a few days), but that’s of little consequence. Most of our holiday traditions over the centuries have been shuffled around a little bit, what’s a few days? Bonfires, sacred smoke, and magical operations became a part of St. John’s Feast, with St. John’s Eve being just as important to many revelers and cunning-folk. St. John’s Feast Day is also regularly called Midsummer and was another holiday the Christians just couldn’t shake the pagan out of.
Whatever you celebrate and however you celebrate it, I hope your Midsummer is great!
*That hunch is backed up in this article, which I found while re-reading John Halstead’s Mabon, Mabon Not.
The Sabbats: The Pagan Wheel of the Year
The Pagan Wheel of the Year is marked by eight Sabbats, spaced approximately every six weeks. Four of these Sabbats are marked by the solar calendar, either by a solstice or an equinox.
Solstice is the time twice yearly when the Sun reaches its maximum or minimum declination, marked by the longest and shortest days. Conversely, the equinox occurs twice annually when the Sun crosses the equator, and day and night are everywhere on earth of approximately equal length.
Cross-quarters make up the other four Sabbats, marking the middle of each season.
History of Midsummer, Litha, and The Summer Solstice
Summer Solstice marks the longest day and shortest night of the year when the Sun is at its highest point in the sky. It marks the last day before the Sun diminishes to its lowest point at Yule. The word solstice comes from the Latin word solstitium, which translates to "sun stands still." Litha is the Sabbat that celebrates the Summer Solstice.
Litha is all about the element of fire. Ancient Pagans believed this time was when the sun god was at his most potent. In some traditions, Litha is the battle between the Oak King and the Holly King. The Oak King was said to win until they battled again in six months at Yule, when the Holly King would be triumphant. Early Europeans used to set large wheels on fire and roll them down a hill into a body of water, representing the balance of fire and water.
The ancient Romans celebrated the summer solstice as a festival for Juno, the goddess of women and childbirth. June was named for Juno and remained a popular month for weddings and handfasting.
Midsummer celebrations started around 8700 B.C. Midsummer began as a pagan ritual for fertility and a successful harvest during the Stone Age. The pagans believed plants had healing properties during the summer solstice and honored the day by showing reverence to nature with rituals.
In the fourth century, Christians renamed the holiday for St. John the Baptist called St. John's Day. Despite the name change, some of the customs from Midsummer remained.
In the fifth century, Germany and Sweden had their own Midsummer rituals. Germanic neopagans called their summer solstice festival Litha. In their traditions, the Maypole was decorated with leaves and raised on May 1, where the name comes from. Because of the difficulties finding green leaves during that time, the holiday was moved to Midsummer.
Magickal Correspondance of Summer Solstice
Element: Fire
Planet & Stars: Sun
Deities: Sun Gods & Oak King
Magick: Love & Marriage
Colors: Red, Orange, Gold
Flowers: Roses, Sunflowers
Litha History - Celebrating the Summer Solstice
Patti Wigington is a pagan author, educator, and licensed clergy. She is the author of Daily Spellbook for the Good Witch, Wicca Practical Magic and The Daily Spell Journal.
Updated on April 03, 2019It is a time of celebration and festivities, marking the height of summer and the abundance of nature. The fertility of the earth is celebrated, with rituals and ceremonies honoring the sun, fire, and the bountiful harvests to come. During Litha, pagans gather to honor the sun and its life-giving energy.
An Ancient Solar Celebration
Nearly every agricultural society has marked the high point of summer in some way, shape or form. On this date–usually around June 21 or 22 (or December 21/22 in the southern hemisphere)–the sun reaches its zenith in the sky. It is the longest day of the year, and the point at which the sun seems to just hang there without moving – in fact, the word “solstice” is from the Latin word solstitium, which literally translates to “sun stands still.” The travels of the sun were marked and recorded. Stone circles such as Stonehenge were oriented to highlight the rising of the sun on the day of the summer solstice.
Did You Know?
- Early European traditions celebrated midsummer by setting large wheels on fire and then rolling them down a hill into a body of water.
- The Romans honored this time as sacred to Juno, the wife of Jupiter and goddess of women and childbirth; her name gives us the month of June.
- The word “solstice” is from the Latin word solstitium, which literally translates to “sun stands still.”
Bonfires are lit to symbolize the power and warmth of the sun, and people may dance, sing, and make offerings to the fire. It is also a time for rituals and ceremonies focused on love, healing, and personal growth. The summer solstice holds a deep spiritual significance for many pagans. It is seen as a time of balance between light and dark, as well as a time of transition and change. It is believed that the energy of the sun can be harnessed for personal transformation and spiritual enlightenment. In conclusion, the summer solstice pagan name, Litha, represents a time of celebration and reverence for the sun and its life-giving energy. It is a time of balance, transition, and spiritual growth in the pagan calendar..
Reviews for "Understanding the Seasonal Shift: The Pagan Name for the Summer Solstice"
1. John - 1 star
I found "Summer Solstice Pagan Name" to be incredibly boring and unoriginal. The plot was predictable and the characters lacked depth. The writing style was lackluster and failed to draw me in. Overall, I was highly disappointed with this book and would not recommend it to anyone looking for an engaging and thought-provoking read.
2. Sarah - 2 stars
"Summer Solstice Pagan Name" had potential, but it fell short in execution. The pacing was off, with unnecessary slow parts and abrupt shifts. The characters felt one-dimensional and their motivations were unclear. The author had an interesting concept, but failed to bring it to life in an engaging way. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book to others.
3. David - 1 star
I regretted picking up "Summer Solstice Pagan Name" from the very first chapter. The writing was amateurish and the dialogue was cringe-worthy. The story lacked originality and was filled with cliché after cliché. The author seemed to rely on shock value rather than substance. Overall, I was deeply disappointed and would not waste my time on this book again.
4. Emily - 2 stars
"Summer Solstice Pagan Name" had an intriguing premise, but it failed to deliver. The writing was inconsistent, with overly descriptive passages that slowed down the already sluggish plot. The characters were poorly developed and their actions often felt forced. The potential for a captivating story was there, but unfortunately, it was not realized in this book.
5. Michael - 1 star
I found "Summer Solstice Pagan Name" to be a complete waste of my time. The plot was confusing and lacked cohesiveness. The characters were forgettable and their actions made little sense. The writing style was bland and failed to engage me. Overall, I was highly disappointed and would not recommend this book to anyone.