Spirit Work for Litha

Litha, also known as Midsummer or the Summer Solstice, is one of my favorite sabbats. It is the longest day of the year and a perfect time to incorporate the Sun into your magical practice and thank our beautiful Mother Earth for the bountiful fruits she and the Sun are producing for us to eat. This is also a great time for dream magic, recharging, and using St. John's Wort for divination and protection purposes. Below are three ways to conduct spirit work on Litha.

1. Seek spiritual guidance by interpreting your dreams.

Litha is a perfect time for dream magic and interpretation. Prior to going to bed place amethyst by your bed to increase prophetic dreaming and open you to spirits and tell the spirits you are open to receiving their message this night. If you'd like, drink a dream stimulating tea, like chamomile or mugwort. Be sure you have a journal by your bed to record everything when you awake. About every 3-4 hours you cycle through REM sleep. It is during this time that you are most likely to dream. If you are particularly keen on recording as many dreams as possible, you may want to set an alarm, otherwise, sleep through the night and record everything the moment you wake. The longer you wait to record your dreams, the less you will remember. Once you have recorded everything you remember, you can begin interpreting the meaning. I find that this usually takes me a day or two, and I don't often rely on dream books or online sources to tell me what they mean. Instead, I compare what I dreamed with my personal life and personal correspondences to figure out what the spirits are trying to tell me. They speak the same language as you, so pay attention to your own intuition. Looking for other ways to stimulate prophetic dreaming? I wrote two articles about the topic here and here.

2. Recharge your inner spirit by soaking drawing in the Sun.

I know this isn't speaking with spirits directly or seeking advice, but this is a really great thing to do for yourself to increase your personal power and recharge. The more inner power you possess, the easier it is to communicate with the spirit world as spirits will naturally be attracted to you. This is one of the simplest rituals you could ever do. Just go outside at high noon with as little clothing on as possible and soak in the Sun. I like to stand, arms spread wide, face toward the sun with my eyes closed, and feel the warmth enter into my body. I see my personal energy growing and glowing bright golden yellow, filling with the Sun's radiance and power. If you can, do this on a beach. It is a truly magical experience!

3. Harvest St. John's Wort for divination and protection.

A historical tradition on Midsummer Eve or Litha is to pick St. John's Wort and hang it above each sleeping person in the house. It was believed that the plant that wilted first symbolized who would be the first to die. A little morbid, but a fun tradition nonetheless. St. John's Wort also brings protection against spirits that wish you harm and can be burned in the Midsummer bonfire or hung above the door to bring said protection. It can also be used to exorcise spirits and banish them from your home, so if you are feeling like something unwanted is hanging around you or your home, you can use St. John's Wort to force it out.

And there you have it, three easy ways to perform spirit work on Litha! I also strongly encourage you to honor the Earth and plant spirits at this time by leaving out offerings. The Earth and Sun are working hard together, producing magnificent crops that will last through the winter. Do you have a special way you like to honor spirits or work with spirits during Litha? Please share in the comments below!