• This Month's Holiday

    Summer Solstice/Litha Correspondences

    Wed, Jun 21, 2023 10:57?AM Also known As: Midsummer, Midsommer, Summer Solstice, Litha, Alban Hefin, Sun Blessing, Gathering Day, Feill-Sheathain, Whit Sunday, Whitsuntide, Vestalia, Thing-tide, St. John’s Day Purpose Rededication to the Lord and Lady, beginning of the harvest, honoring the Sun God, honoring the pregnant Goddess Dynamics/Meaning Crowning of the Sun God, death of the Oak King, assumption of the Holly King, end the ordeal of the Green Man Tools, Symbols & Decorations The sun, oak, birch & fir branches, sun flowers, lilies, red/maize/yellow or gold flower, love amulets, seashells, summer fruits & flowers, feather/flower door wreath, sun wheel, fire, circles of stone, sun dials and swords/blades, bird feathers,…

  • Monthly Columns

    Stellar Applications

    Current Astrology Using Hermetic Applications   Welcome Back to Stellar Applications…. In this issue of PaganPagesOrg we are celebrating Litha, the abundance of summer’s peak and the brilliance of light that fills this space of transition. Astronomically this is the date of the Summer Solstice and sits as one of two points on the Witch’s Wheel where the scales tip in balance towards the growing of light or darkness, as the sun waxes or wanes, respectively.   This year the Summer Solstice occurs on June 21st at 10:38am (EDT)and astrologically, Cardinal energy abounds creating the product of what has been quickened and set on the path towards manifesting in its…

  • Crafting Articles

    WitchCrafting: Crafts for Witches

    Shell Wind Chime   Merry meet!   This issue’s WitchCrafting column is connected to a favorite summer activity: collecting shells at the beach. I have a difficult time not filling my pockets with these marine mollusks. Holding them, I can feel the energy of earth, water, fire, and air.  Litha is a special time for capturing the essence of summer, in this case with a wind chime. I used shells that had naturally occurring holes, but instructional videos can be found for drilling them. Thin wire, dental floss, cotton twine, and other fibers can all be used to tie the shells into strips. Arrange them any way that pleases you.…

  • Monthly Columns

    Mindful Living: A Connection of Mind, Body and Spirit

      As I sit down to write this article for Midsummer, we are blessed with a beautiful warm sunny day in central Ohio. Birds are singing, crab apple blossoms are on the tree and there is about 30 seconds of ideal blissful mindfulness. Then the children screech as they realize the creek water is still icy cold and the dogs begin to bark when they realize the electric company has workers across the backyard. This scenario is typical to anyone not living alone who wishes to practice mindfulness and meditation. Photography, social media, YouTube all show these ideal studios with perfect surroundings to perfect our practice. Most of us cannot…

  • Spells & Rituals

    The Rite Way

    A Ritual to Honor the Fae     It is perhaps most common to work with the sun on the summer solstice because, after all, it’s the day with the most hours of sunlight. Litha, though, is also a good time to work with the fae. It is one of the “between times” along with equinoxes, dawn, and dusk. The veil between the worlds is thin, and they often cross over to take part in the battle between the Oak and Holly kings. That makes this a good time to reach out to them. I wrote the ritual below for the solo pagan to do just that – by leaving…

  • Monthly Columns

    Peeking in the Shadows: Crafting a Book of Shadows and Light

    This month I want to offer something a little different. We have had stressful and draining experience since the beginning of the COVI-D-19 Pandemic. I would like us to stand in the light of the Summer Solstice; anticipating this longest day and the hope that this light will bring. This is a writing that I return to again and again as I call to the Sun’s brilliance and the hope that it brings. Perhaps this is something you would like to add to your BOS. Rework, rephrase, rewrite it in any way that speaks to you. (Photo by Adrian Pelletier on Unsplash) Mother’s Flowering- The Summer Solstice The night is…

  • Crafting Articles

    Planning with Avalon Video

    Sabbat: Midsummer Planning with Avalon Sol the Sun God is at the height of his virility. The Goddess is now full and pregnant with child. This is the peak of the Solar year and the Sun is at the height of its life-giving power. The Earth is awash with fertility and fulfillment and this is a time of joy and celebration. As the light reaches its peak so this is also the moment when the power of the Sun begins to wane. From now the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer and we are drawn back into the dark to complete the Wheel of the Year. The Oak…