Bonfire, Bloom, and the Quiet Blaze Within
Summer Solstice and the Pagan Festival of Litha
Grimrose Manor is delighted to invite our first recurring guest contributor, Erica, who is here to explore the fifth installment of our Wheel of the Year series.
The summer solstice is a moment of fullness. The longest day, the sun at its peak, the earth ripe with plenitude. This is the celebration of warmth, growth, and feral abundance—when flowers throw open their hearts to bees, fruit swells with promise, and fire speaks an ancient language that humans will likely never master. City stoop to honeysuckle holler, the light calls to us.
Growing up a wild child beneath the blistering Southern summer sun, I felt a natural pull toward something else that seemed woven through the woods around my home. It was easy to imagine flaming wheels rolling down hillsides, bodies leaping bonfires for luck, cattle shepherded through smoke for cleansing and protection. Today, these rituals echo through garden gatherings, night swims, potlucks, fire pits, and the quiet ritual of opening windows to let in the dusk.
The Magic of Midyear
Litha marks the turning of time. From here, the days slowly begin to shorten. This moment reminds us: nothing stays forever at its peak. Growth turns toward harvest. Light gives way to rest. And we, too, are invited to pause and ask: What is flourishing within me? What begs for tending before the sickle swings?
This season brings us myriad deities, such as Áine, the radiant Irish goddess of summer, sovereignty, and the sun; Manannán mac Lir, guardian of the Otherworld and protector of travelers; and solar figures like Apollo, Amaterasu, and the Green Man. Midsummer folklore includes bees, deer, foxes, hawks, and hounds—each with their own lessons in action, devotion, or cunning.
Lavender, Lore, and the Power of Plants
Litha is a traditional time for gathering herbs, believed to be at their most potent when kissed by this midsummer sun (my sunburns beg to differ). Lavender has long been a solstice staple. Burn it to honor solar deities or draw the attention of the Fae, who are said to dance freely on this night. Include it in flower crowns or bundles laid at your home altar, and use dried sprigs to invite peace, sleep, or love.
If you’re like me, you were born with a natural drive to fashion Things out of Other Things: faux “salads” of wild onions from an overgrown lawn, tiny fabric bags for all my super cool rocks... Lavender sachets from ribbon and cloth can carry that magic into the months ahead. For a tasty way to share the whimsy, try making lemon-lavender cookies. They infuse midsummer energy into something tangible, edible, and ever-so-gently enchanted.
Lemon-Lavender Cookies:
Cream ¾ cup butter with 1 cup sugar. Mix in 1 egg, 1 Tbsp. lemon zest, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Stir in 2 cups flour, ½ Tsp. baking soda, pinch of salt, and 1 Tbsp. dried culinary lavender. Roll into balls and bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes (check them early, however, as we all know how whimsy includes some trickery). Optional, but highly recommended, glaze: powdered sugar + lemon juice. Personally, I enjoy finishing it off with some extra fine, flakey salt. Share with friends or the Fae.
For the Weary
Not everyone reaches Litha with energy to burn.
If you’re reading this and can’t do much more than survive today, this moment is still for you.
If all you can do is open a window and let the light touch your face for a moment, that is sacred.
If all you can manage is a glass of water and a whisper of gratitude to no one in particular, that is enough.
If you lie still and imagine resting beneath the sun, you’ve already joined the celebration.
“I am here. I have not given up. I rise again.”
Like the phoenix emerging from cooled ash, this season reminds us: renewal doesn’t always come from raging flames. Sometimes it comes from a single spark.
Light, Vision, and Divination
Litha is an ideal time for divination and inner vision. The sun shines brightest now—not just upon the world, but within us.
To commemorate the occasion, you might consider:
Drawing a single tarot or oracle card asking: What is ripening for me now?
Gazing into a candle flame or bowl of water at dusk, letting images rise.
Taking a nature walk and noting what creatures cross your path. What messages do they bring? Litha’s critters may include:
Bees – community, productivity, sweetness
Foxes – cunning, curiosity, liminality
Hawks – sharp focus, divine messages
Deer – gentleness, listening, movement between worlds
A Simple Closing
To end your celebration, be it grand or quiet, light a candle and take a final sip of your solstice drink.
“Bright Sun, Bright Sun, I thank you.
I carry your light within me,
Just as I carry your shadow.”
Pause. Feel your feet on the ground.
Open your palms to the sky and allow the sunflower of your soul to drink.
For further reading on the Wheel of the Year:
For more from Erica:
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