Blessed Litha: Summer's Solstice

Halfway Through in The Wheel of the Year

Litha or Gathering Day( Alban Heruin in Druidic) is celebrated to honour the astronomically longest day of the year (and shortest night), today 21st of June is Summer's Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.

Bornfires, feasts and rejoice for the life and abundance.
Girls collect wild flowers and do garlands on their hair.
The Sun God is at its peak, the Goddess pregnant with Child (the life of Earth). This is a perfect time

Bornfires are made to honour the full power of the Sun, and people usually stay awake to welcome dawn. Some herbs are added to the fire as a blessing to animals, cattle and plants, the remnants and coals are scattered in the fields to grant a good harvest. And ashes are applied as poultice to cure skin affections.

People would leap over them (usually an odd number of times) as a purifying act or dance and sing.

The Oak King and the Doorway into Summer Halls

The Oak King, which represents strength, courage and endurance has ruled this first half of the year...Oak in Celtic is Duir (Treshold) a doorway into the waning part of the year where each night will become longer untile reaching Yule
By the way I have a baby "Oak tree". It even has a name *suuri tammi" (big oak in Finn) born from the acorn of a very old and dying Oak King in my region.

^{Above: Picture of me.... "Spring entering the Halls of Summer"}

A MidSummer Night's Dream

Time go to bed... maybe to read Shakespeare well known play "Midsummer Night's Eve". Below an illustration made by one of my favourite illustrators Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) which is actually the copy of this play I own.

^{Titania sleeping by Arthur Rackham. Public Domain}
Long Summer Days, warm Nights full of fragance...