The Wheel of the Year
Eight tender turns of light — rituals, herbs, foods, and prompts for the great soft circle.
Next
Litha
in 17 days
Sabbats
Eight
across the year
Today
June 4
Upcoming · Litha
Jun 21 · in 17 days
Summer solstice — the longest day, full of golden abundance.
The Wheel
Tap a sabbat to read its lore, rituals, and correspondences.
wheel of the year
Litha
Litha
/ LEE-tha /
Jun 21 · Fire · also: Summer Solstice, Midsummer, St. John's Eve
Summer solstice — the longest day, full of golden abundance.
History
Litha was the Anglo-Saxon name for the months of midsummer, recorded by Bede. Across Europe, the summer solstice was a peak festival: Slavic Kupala Night, Scandinavian Midsommar, Celtic and Saxon bonfire vigils. Communities gathered medicinal herbs at their most potent, lit hilltop fires to honor the sun at its zenith, and stayed awake to greet the dawn. Christianized as the Feast of St. John the Baptist (June 24), but the bonfires, herb-gathering, and all-night vigils survived almost unchanged.
Lore & folk story
It was said that the herbs gathered at midsummer — especially St. John's wort, mugwort, vervain, and yarrow — held magic for the whole year. Throwing a sprig of St. John's wort onto the fire was said to drive away misfortune. Sleeping with mugwort under the pillow on Midsummer Night was believed to bring prophetic dreams.
Honored deities
Sól · Helios · Áine · Lugh
Themes
abundance · vitality · light · peak power
Rituals to try
Sun Water
- Fill a clean glass jar with filtered water and add a few clean petals: chamomile, calendula, or rose.
- Cover it and set it in direct sun from morning until late afternoon.
- Strain and use the infused water to bless your face, water plants, or add to a bath.
Herb Bundle for the Year
- Snip a small bundle of fresh herbs — lavender, mugwort, yarrow, thyme — at midday.
- Tie them with twine and name a wish for the bundle to hold all year.
- Hang upside-down in a cool, dark place to dry. Use a pinch in tea or as a sachet.
Other rituals
Sun-charge water and herbs · Gather midsummer flowers · Watch the sunset (or sunrise) in stillness
Ways to celebrate
Picnic at golden hour · Sun tea with chamomile · Sleep with herbs under the pillow for vivid dreams · Stay up to watch the sun rise
Herbs
chamomile · St. John's wort · lavender · mugwort · vervain
Flowers
sunflower · lavender · calendula · elderflower
Foods
berries · summer salads · iced honey tea · fresh herbs · stone fruit
Colors
gold · pale yellow · blush · sky blue
Crystals
citrine · sunstone · amber
Symbols
sun · oak · bonfire · bee · wheel of fire
Nature connection
Long gilded evenings, lavender humming with bees, fireflies at dusk.
Foraging connection
Elderflower, chamomile, wild raspberries, lavender, yarrow, St. John's wort.
Journal prompts
- · What feels most alive in me right now?
- · Where am I being asked to shine?
- · What abundance am I ready to receive?
- · Where can I let warmth be enough on its own?
- · What dream am I asking the long light to grow?
- · What does my joy want to do with this season?
All Eight Sabbats
The full circle — four solar turns and four cross-quarter days between them.
Walking the Wheel
The Wheel of the Year is a soft rhythm, not a strict calendar. You don't need to mark every sabbat — choose one or two that resonate, light a candle, write a small intention, and let the season carry you. Each turn is a tender invitation to notice what's blooming, what's ripening, and what's ready to be released.
- · Begin with the next sabbat — a single candle is enough.
- · Pair each turn with a journal prompt and a slow walk.
- · Bring a seasonal flower, herb, or food to your altar or table.
- · Read the lore aloud; let the old stories soften into new meaning.