by Mary Winter When the longest day of the year arrives on June 21, it brings with it the last of the true fertility festivals: Litha. Known as the Summer Solstice, Litha celebrates the day when the sun reigns supreme. On no other day of the year will there be as much sunshine, and as much revelry, as happens on Litha. Of course, this holiday also has its practical roots. This holiday traditionally marks the change from the spring sowing to the summer hay making. Since making hay can be hot and sweaty work, summer solstice parties generally are a last chance to have fun before long hours mean rising, and setting, with the sun to ensure the livestock has enough feed for the winter.

Many summer solstice traditions include bonfires, picnics, drunkenness, and general revelry. Leaping the bonfire not only symbolizes the transition from one cycle of the wheel to another, but also helps to ward off bad spirits. Of course, given the farming and fertility nature of the rite, the summer solstice celebrations provide the perfect backdrop to romantic trysts of all kinds.

In folk lore, the summer solstice is known as a potent night for magic, especially for love magic. Maidens, and those no longer maidens, seeking suitors may perform a small ritual to help find their true love. It's also a night for short-term relationships as well as for mock, and real, marriages. There's a reason why June is the most popular month for weddings. Ritual marriages symbolize fertility and the blossoming of new life. Those plants that were sown during the spring need to bear much fruit in order to keep the people alive during the winter. Thus, like Beltane (May 1, or May Day), Litha, or the summer solstice, is a holiday dedicated to ensuring such fertility.

Our modern lives have taken us away from the turning of the wheel, and yet, among Wiccans and pagans, Litha still holds much power. For many, it's their favorite sabbat (or holiday), and that's due, in no small part I'm sure, to the celebratory nature of this holiday. Private rituals include outdoor bonfires, sharing the first fruits, good beer, and, of course, sex.

An unattached woman may wish to pick a bouquet of nine flowers and place it beneath her pillow. Then, perhaps, she'll dream about her true love. Couples may wish to renew their vows, or simply spend a night in sensual pleasure. There are many ways to celebrate this holiday, so simply do what feels right to do.

Summer is here. Let's enjoy it, because all too soon the wheel of the year will turn. Celebrate the rise of the oak king, because his reign is all too short. When he passes in the fall, he'll leave behind memories of a warmer time. And hopefully, if our fertility rituals worked, he'll also leave behind a bounty which we can share the whole year through.

Have a sexy summer solstice!

Bio

Mary Winter lives in the Midwest with her partner and a menagerie of animals including an opinionated horse, pet birds, and six cats. She's published over twenty stories of erotic romance, and makes her Changeling Press debut with the upcoming Elemental Elves 1: Horse Play. She loves blending the magical and the mundane.

Under another name, Mary has written numerous articles on metaphysical topics such as tarot, Wicca, paganism, and spirituality. She is a second level Reiki practitioner who focuses her work on companion animals and those close to her. She's practiced paganism for nearly fifteen years and believes sex combines the divine feminine and masculine into a beautiful whole.

Visit her website at www.marywinter.com or her myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/mary_winter