The Summer Solstice — known in the pagan wheel of the year as Litha — falls around 21st June and marks the longest day of the year. It's the peak of the sun's power, a moment of maximum light before the slow turn back towards darkness begins.
Across cultures and throughout history, the solstice has been celebrated as a time of abundance, gratitude, and the full flowering of life. Here's how to mark it with intention.
What Is Litha?
Litha is one of the eight sabbats on the pagan wheel of the year — the solar festivals that mark the turning of the seasons. It celebrates the sun at its height, the abundance of midsummer, and the fertile energy of the natural world in full bloom.
It's a time to celebrate what has grown since the spring equinox, to express gratitude for abundance, and to set intentions for the harvest season ahead.
Litha Correspondences
Working with seasonal correspondences helps you align your rituals with the energy of the moment:
- Colours: Gold, yellow, orange, green, white
- Crystals: Citrine, sunstone, carnelian, tiger's eye, clear quartz
- Herbs & plants: Lavender, chamomile, St John's wort, rose, elderflower
- Incense: Frankincense, rose, lavender, lemon, orange
- Themes: Abundance, gratitude, peak energy, celebration, love
Litha Rituals to Try
1. Sunrise or Sunset Ritual
The solstice sunrise and sunset are particularly powerful moments. Rise early to greet the sun, or gather outside at dusk to watch it set. Take a moment of stillness to acknowledge the turning of the year and express gratitude for the light — both literal and metaphorical — in your life.
2. Candle Magic for Abundance
Light a gold or yellow candle to honour the sun's energy. As it burns, write down everything you're grateful for and everything you want to call in during the second half of the year. Fold the paper and keep it somewhere safe until the autumn equinox.
3. Create a Litha Crystal Grid
Arrange citrine, sunstone, and clear quartz in a sunburst pattern on a windowsill or altar. Place your written intentions in the centre. Leave it in sunlight throughout the day to charge with solar energy.
Shop crystals for your Litha grid →
4. Make a Flower Crown or Wreath
Gathering flowers and weaving them into a crown or wreath is a traditional midsummer activity across many European cultures. Use seasonal flowers — lavender, chamomile, roses, elderflower — and wear it during your ritual or hang it above your door.
5. Burn Herbs or Incense
Burn lavender, frankincense, or rose incense to cleanse your space and invite the abundant energy of midsummer in. As the smoke rises, visualise your intentions being carried upward and outward into the universe.
Browse our incense collection →
6. Spend Time in Nature
The simplest and most powerful Litha ritual is to go outside. Walk barefoot on grass, swim in natural water, sit under a tree, or tend your garden. The solstice is a celebration of the natural world — immerse yourself in it.
7. Set Intentions for the Second Half of the Year
The solstice is a natural midpoint — a perfect time to review the intentions you set at the new year or spring equinox, celebrate what has grown, and set new intentions for the months ahead. Journal, meditate, or simply sit quietly and reflect.
Litha Altar Ideas
If you keep an altar or sacred space, dress it for Litha with:
- Gold and yellow candles
- Citrine, sunstone, or carnelian crystals
- Fresh summer flowers
- A bowl of water set in sunlight
- Images or symbols of the sun
- Seasonal fruits — strawberries, cherries, or peaches
However you choose to mark the solstice, the most important thing is to pause and be present. In a world that rarely slows down, taking a moment to honour the turning of the seasons is a radical and nourishing act.