Litha Meditation (Meditation for Midsummer)
Litha, the celebration of the summer solstice, is deeply intertwined with honoring the summer sun at its zenith. As the longest day of the year, Litha symbolizes the sun's peak power, radiating warmth, light, and life to all living things. The sun's energy during this time fuels growth, vitality, and abundance, making it a source of both physical and spiritual nourishment. Litha rituals often center on the sun's brilliance, such as lighting bonfires to mirror its light and strength or creating sun wheels to honor its cyclical journey.
This holiday reminds us to bask in the sun's gifts, to celebrate its role in the cycles of nature, and to acknowledge the balance it provides between light and dark. The sun's prominence at Litha serves as a metaphor for our own lives, inspiring us to embrace our full potential and shine as brightly as possible during this season of abundance and energy.
Meditation during Litha is a powerful way to align with the vibrant energy of the summer solstice and connect with the sun's peak power. This practice allows you to pause and reflect on the abundance in your life, offering gratitude for growth, vitality, and the warmth of the season. Guided by the themes of balance and transformation, Litha meditation often focuses on visualizing light and energy, inviting the sun's radiance to fill your mind and body. It's an opportunity to set intentions for the second half of the year, embracing the brightness of this moment while preparing for the gradual return of the darker days. Whether meditating outdoors under the sun or near a symbolic flame, this practice fosters inner harmony, renews your connection to nature, and empowers you to harness the season's vitality for personal growth and inspiration.
And if you enjoy meditating as a part of your summer solstice celebrations, there are three more Litha meditations featured in our new book, The Litha Companion.
Make yourself comfortable and let your mind and body feel calm. Let's begin.
Sun Blessing for the Summer Solstice Meditation
Welcome to this Sun Blessing Meditation. This meditation is an opportunity to connect with the sun at its peak, to honor its radiant energy, and to embrace the abundance, strength, and vitality that summer brings.
Find a comfortable position, either seated or lying down. Allow your hands to rest in your lap or by your sides, open and ready to receive. Close your eyes, take a deep breath in, and let yourself settle into stillness.
Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale, let your body soften and relax. Breathe in again, slowly and deeply, and with each breath out, release any tension you may be holding in your shoulders, your chest, or your jaw.
Now, bring your awareness to the space just above you. Imagine the sun, brilliant and golden, high in the vast summer sky. Its rays stretch outward, illuminating the world in vibrant light. Feel the heat of its energy, strong and unwavering, surrounding you with warmth and life.
Visualize this golden light streaming down toward you, wrapping you in its glow. The sun has reached its fullest power, shining at its highest point. Let this light touch your face, your skin, and every part of your being. Feel its warmth filling you with vitality, passion, and confidence, reminding you of your own inner fire, your own ability to shine brightly.
Repeat silently or aloud:
I honor the sun at its peak of power.
Like the sun, I radiate strength and vitality.
With each day, I embrace my fullest potential.
As the light surrounds you, imagine it filling your heart. Feel your heart glowing with the sun's golden energy, pulsing with warmth and life. With each breath, this light grows brighter, spreading outward from your heart, flowing into every cell of your body, filling you with passion and purpose.
Now, imagine the Wheel of the Year turning. The days are long, the earth is lush, and nature is bursting with life. You are connected to this ancient cycle, to the rhythms of the earth and sky. Feel yourself in harmony with the turning wheel, knowing that just as the sun reaches its peak, so too can you harness your energy, your creativity, and your power.
Repeat silently or aloud:
I trust the cycles of life and the wisdom they bring.
I welcome the abundance and passion of the sun.
I am aligned with the rhythms of the earth and the sky.
Take a moment to reflect on what you wish to celebrate and cultivate during this time of light and growth.
What passions will you embrace?
What dreams will you bring into full bloom?
Hold this vision in your mind, and let the sun's light fuel your intentions, igniting your spirit with confidence and strength.
As you hold this vision, repeat silently or aloud:
I embrace the fire of inspiration and creativity.
The sun's power fills me with strength and joy.
I am open to the blessings of light, warmth, and abundance.
Begin to deepen your breath, drawing in the golden light of the sun with each inhale and sending it out into the world with each exhale. Slowly, bring your awareness back to your body. Wiggle your fingers and toes, feeling the warmth of the sun still glowing within you.
When you're ready, open your eyes and return to the present moment, carrying the sun's blessings with you.
The Wheel of the Year has turned once more, and you stand at the height of the sun's power. May its light guide you, inspire you, and fill you with passion in the days to come.
More on Litha
Want to explore more about the summer solstice? You're in the right place! Here's where to start:
About Litha
About Litha: The summer solstice holiday on the Wheel of the Year, the witch's year.
Litha, also known as the Summer Solstice, is a pagan tradition of the longest day and shortest night of the year. Typically observed around June 20–22 in the Northern Hemisphere, Litha marks the peak of the sun's power and a turning point in the seasonal cycle as the sun's journey starts to move toward shorter days. This sabbat's ancient roots honors the vibrant energy of life, abundance, and the full bloom of nature. During Litha, the summer sun is at its zenith, and we are invited to pause, give thanks for the light, and reflect on how we can harness our own inner fire to grow and thrive.
Traditionally, the summer solstice is a pagan holiday on the Wheel of the Year celebrated with fire festivals, outdoor rituals, feasting, and connection with the natural world. Bonfires are lit to symbolize the power of the sun and to ward off any lingering darkness. Herbs such as St. John's Wort, lavender, and chamomile are often gathered for their healing and magical properties, believed to be most potent when harvested on this day.
It's a time to do rituals around fertility, creativity, and personal strength—an invitation to set intentions for the rest of the year and to celebrate the beauty of life at its fullest. Whether through meditation, ritual, or traditions around simply spending time in natural settings, Litha encourages us to soak in the sunlight and embrace the joy and warmth of the season.
Litha Celebrations
How to Celebrate Litha: Ideas for your summer solstice celebration!
Litha celebrations can be a joyful and meaningful way to connect with the energy of the sun, natural world, and your own inner light. Since it marks the Summer Solstice—a midsummer night after the longest day of the year—spending time outdoors is a beautiful way to discover the season. You might light a bonfire or a candle to symbolize the sun's power, decorate your space with fresh flowers and greenery, or prepare a feast using seasonal fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
June in the northern hemisphere (December in the southern hemisphere) is also a powerful time for setting intentions, making gratitude lists, or performing simple rituals for abundance, fertility, and personal growth. Whether through meditation on Midsummer's Eve, journaling to find your inner power, dancing as you're embracing Litha, or gathering with friends in the sun's warmth, Litha invites you to celebrate life in full bloom and welcome the warmth, creativity, and joy of the season ahead.
Aine and Midsummer
The Goddess Aine: Áine is an Irish goddess associated with the sun, sovereignty, fertility, the faerie realm, and the spirit of Midsummer. Often celebrated during the Summer Solstice, Áine is deeply connected to the land, particularly in County Limerick, where legends say she resides near Knockainey Hill. As a sun goddess, she represents the height of the sun's strength and the energy that nourishes crops, animals, and people alike. Midsummer festivities often honor her radiant presence, calling on her faerie magic for blessings of abundance, love, and protection. Ancient traditions describe her as both a nurturing figure and a powerful force of feminine energy, embodying the fire and fullness of the season. Áine's connection to Midsummer reminds modern pagans to embrace joy, passion, and the light within ourselves.
The Oak King and the Holly King
The Oak King and the Holly King: A classic battle that takes place twice a year--Midsummer's Eve and Yule. According to pagan beliefs, the Oak King and the Holly King fight for dominance. When the Oak King beats the Holly King at the winter solstice, the sun's warmth begins to return and the earth begins to warm. When the Holly King beats the Oak King at Midsummer, the sun reaches its zenith, and ancient traditions have it that winter will begin to return. The sun's journey is back toward the winter solstice.
Litha Journal Prompts
Litha Journal Prompts: Celebrate the summer solstice by using these journal prompts for reflection.
The summer solstice is a powerful time for journaling because it invites reflection on personal growth, gratitude, and the intentions you wish to carry through the second half of the year. With the sun at its peak, this solstice offers clarity and magic—ideal for capturing insights, celebrating progress, and aligning with your inner light on the pages of your journal.
Litha Associations
Litha Associations: The sun, summer flowers, herbs, and more correspondences.
Litha invites modern pagans to explore some vibrant associations and correspondences that reflect the season's peak energy and abundance. It is traditionally linked with the sun, fire, strength, passion, and fertility, symbolizing both the height of light and the beginning of its gradual return to darkness. Colors like gold, yellow, red, and orange are often used to honor the sun's power, while symbols such as sun wheels, oak trees, and bonfires play a central role in solstice rituals. Herbs like St. John's Wort, chamomile, mugwort, and lavender are commonly gathered and used for healing, protection, and magical workings. Crystals like citrine, sunstone, and carnelian have correspondences with the fiery, energizing spirit of Litha. Animals such as bees, butterflies, and hawks also have significance with the season, representing transformation, vitality, and vision. These elements together help create a rich tapestry with symbolism around the fullness of summer.
The Litha Companion
The Litha Companion: Our new book! It features three more Litha meditations to honor the sun's power during the vibrant celebration at the summer solstice.
More Wheel of the Year Holidays to Celebrate
And when the Litha rituals and other Midsummer celebrations at the summer solstice are over, we have guided meditations for the other Wheel of the Year holidays too. Enjoy the powerful energy of Samhain, the winter solstice at Yule, a magical moment in darkness at Imbolc, increasing sunlight at Ostara, a powerful time of beauty at Beltane, gratitude and work at Lammas, and the harvest path at Mabon.
Find your next Wheel of the Year meditation after embracing Litha:
Yule
Imbolc
Ostara
Beltane
Lammas
Mabon
Samhain
Samhain meditation
About Samhain
