Litha, the Liminal Fire: Where Light Lingers and Change Stirs
Welcome to the Summer Solstice, to the celebration of Midsummer!
Welcome to this edition of Walking the Liminal!
I love honoring the traditions and practices of the eight Celtic/Pagan Sabbats. As I write this, I’m entering my third year of sharing these reflections. Prior ones can be found under the Wheel of the Year tab on my substack.
New this year, and in this Litha offering, you’ll find a downloadable Tarot Spread and Ritual to help you celebrate this time. Welcome to Litha! Midsummer Blessings to you all!
Litha - Midsummer
The wheel turns again… as it always does!
One season softening into another. At this time, we find ourselves at a threshold, of leaving and entering, letting go and becoming. A liminal space known as the Summer Solstice.
At the height of the sun’s reign, we arrive at Litha, the Celtic/Pagan celebration of the Midsummer. Where daylight lingers just a bit longer to stretch out towards its fullest expression.
The northern hemisphere is humming with a golden abundance. Evidenced by the profusive growth everywhere. I see this especially in my garden, for its thriving in response. Each day bringing a visible change that spills over in its wild and untamed way. The earth is alive with vitality, responding in full-bodied yes.
Litha is a time for celebration! A season of embodied joy. Where passion and vitality are made manifest. We dance, feast, and feel the pulse of the sun in our veins. We give thanks for the ripening.
But it’s also, a time to listen…
For something ancient within us stirs… Our bodies are naturally and inherently attuned to the pulse of life and nature; in ways our current mind cannot comprehend. We are sensory beings that can sense the movements of the seasons in our bones. Yet, to truly feel this, we must take that journey from the head to heart and to the belly…
At Litha, the summer solstice,
there is a sacred pause…
A still point at the peak of brightness,
as if the sun itself is holding its breath.
A great orb of fire suspended in fullness!
And then…
in the first quiet stirrings of descent,
comes the exhale…
From this point forward, the days will begin to shorten. The light begins its slow retreat. Not in fear, not in failure, but as part of the sacred movement that brings us to the coming maturation and harvest, the time of gathering and reflection.
We are not meant to bloom forever,
nor continually shine our light.
There is purpose and meaning in every step,
in the shedding,
in the pausing,
in the waning,
in the silence,
in the aging.
Like the moon, like the seasons,
each phase is sacred!
And yet, modern culture tells a different story. It worships endless growth as productivity and accumulation. Done at all costs. We are taught to shine relentlessly, even when we are burning out. We are taught to bloom even in winter.
But the Earth does not lie, the truth remains: Autumn and winter will come. The Earth will rest. No force of will or wealth can stop this sacred turning.
What we are seeing these days in our crazy world are the consequences of resisting this rhythm: burnout, imbalance, ecological harm. We see the ravaging and plundering of the earth. We see healthcare systems driven more by profit rather than by care. We see grocery stores overflowing with summer foods in winter. And we see who benefits… and who suffers.
Yet the cycles endure. After the Summer Solstice, comes the growing night. In the Southern Hemisphere, where the longest night has just passed, the light begins to return. There, it is Yule. The sun inhales. A new cycle begins.
Wherever we are, we are part of this great breathing. This rise and fall. This cosmic continuity of light and shadow, life and death, rest and renewal.
Let us honor the Solstice by remembering what it means to live in rhythm.
To pause in the fullness.
To celebrate not just the peak, but also the promise of the descent.
To trust that the darkness, too, holds life.
This year the Summer Solstice takes place on June 20th, at 10:42 pm EDT
A Litha Tarot Reading and Story
From the flowing river, a nymph rises and offers you an overflowing cup glistening with possibility. The goddess herself smiles through these waters, bestowing blessings upon your heart. Drink from this cup, for these sacred waters offer gifts. For a new beginning is stirring, one brimming with intuition, connection and joy.
From deep within the belly a guttural howl is released! Your soul is reverberating with a powerful declaration of intent and directionality. Now is the time to take those first steps.
Yet as you quickly find out, this path is not linear, and no map can chart it. Arriving at this sacred threshold, ancient wisdom stirs, calling you to listen and dream as the Priestess does. To descend, not away from the world, but deeper into it, where logic loosens and symbols speak. You have entered the realm of sacred remembering, where cycles and spirals invite you into a magical dance between light and shadow. Not through force, but through presence. Not by striving, but by surrender.
The cup has been offered. The path has begun. You have arrived at the threshold.
Will you cross it and enter into Her mysteries?
Rituals in Honor of Litha
Ritual roots us in the seasonal shift, grounding us through intention and devotion. It deepens our connection to nature’s rhythms and anchors us in the present moment, just as this Tarot story has invited us to do. At Litha, we honor the fullness of light, both in the world around us and within ourselves.
Ritual doesn’t have to be elaborate or time-consuming. What matters most is that it’s true from the heart. Let it be simple, sensual, and grounded in presence. Let the Earth lead for she knows how to celebrate, and she knows how to let go.
WAYS TO HONOR LITHA
Create an Altar 🪶
Making an altar is a devotional act. Carve out a sacred space in your home or make one out in nature. Place objects on it that hold personal meaning for you, like stones, flowers, feathers, symbols of the season. Spend time here in stillness, prayer, or reflection. An altar is a liminal space, a portal between worlds.
Light a Candle or Bonfire 🔥
Offer flame to the sun, a symbol of gratitude for its life-giving force. As the fire burns, add your blessings. Speak from your joys, your desires, your passions, your creative spark. Let it awaken something vital within.
Gather Herbs and Flowers 🌿
Traditionally, this is a potent time for harvesting herbs. Gather them with care and intention. As an example from my garden, lavender to soothe, lemon balm to calm, yarrow for healing and white sage for purification. Remember to pick from a place of reciprocity and offer thanks to the land.
Reflect and Journal 🌀
At this midsummer threshold, take some time to inquire and reflect.
• What is being illuminated in your life?
• What has come into full expression?
• What feels ready to shift, to compost, or quietly fall away?
Blessing with Water 💧
Balance the fire of the season with water’s sacred flow. Visit a spring, stream, lake, or the ocean. Take a ritual bath infused with flowers, herbs and/or crystals. Offer a prayer of renewal, sensing the way both fire and water cleanse and move through you.
Align with Your Inner Compass 🧭
The solstice is a natural time to realign with your soul’s path.
• What lights your inner fire?
• What do you feel called to tend in the coming months?
View a Sunrise or Sunset ☀️
Honor the sun by being present during these liminal times of dawn and dusk. They have potent magic. Thresholds of transition between night and day, day and night.
A LITHA TAROT SPREAD and RITUAL
Here is a six-card tarot spread designed specifically to illuminate and deepen your connection with Litha. As an alternative you can also just choose three questions from this and do a three-card reading. Or use these questions to journal. Make this something that works for you.
AND, here is a simple ritual for Litha that you can do outside or in your personal space. Enjoy!
Blessing
May your days be kissed with golden joy,
Your nights be wrapped in gentle mystery.
May the seeds you've sown now blossom,
And may you walk forward with clarity, purpose, and grace.
Blessed be this sacred turning.
Blessed be your radiant becoming.
And blessed be the dance of light and shadow
That makes us whole.
Blessed Be.
I offer both tarot readings and personalized one-on-one sessions. Both designed to support and nurture your inner journey, helping you gain deeper insight into the movements of your life. If you're interested, feel free to reach out to me via direct message or email. Love and Blessings to you!
For more information about the liminal and my offerings:
Please go to: https://www.liminalwalker.com/
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So much to celebrate Julie, so much light, joy and energy. Beautiful and joyful celebrations to you! xx
This felt so nourishing, Julie - thank you. And thank you for naming the waning of the light as a normal part of the cosmic respiration we are continually engaging in. Not a problem, not something to be dreaded, but a natural and necessary part of our cycles. I love the ritual and the tarot spread questions, too. Appreciation and wishes for Litha blessings to you today! ☀️💜💛🧡