Litha bloom.
As I sit down to write this blog on Litha, my mind is a-buzz, with all the things. Cicada’s are booming their deafening summer song, the warming waters of the beaches are calling and Christmas is around the corner. Not to mention end of year social gatherings, 2025 business prep and very tired, over-stimulated children! It’s a full, busy, blooming time of the year in the Southern Hemisphere.
Litha is the neo-pagan celebration that is held on the 21st of December (in this part of the world) at summer solstice or midsummer, the longest day of the year. It’s a natural peak of solar energy, where we move with increasing speed and have the capacity to get stuff done! This wild vibe can absolutely feel exhasuting though, like holding the full-bloom energy of ovulation or the intensity of the Mother life-stage, but does contain the potential for powerful joy, connection and fruition. I visualise this feeling as a woman singing and dancing in the light and warmth, for the love of life, whose heart reaches a climax at this point and shoots radiant, golden energy, out into the world all around her.
Can you relate to this plentiful, goddess-y vibe right now? If not, I get it. Most of us do. With the pressure at this time of year and the materialism that Christmas has been reduced to, it can be challenging for the mind and body to hold onto everything without combusting! An effective but unpopular antidote, is to say NO.
No thank you, I won’t be attending the unpaid work Christmas party.
No, I can’t cook extra meals because you are too busy.
No, I won’t be doing matching Christmas PJ’s this year.
No, that doesn’twork for me.
No, I have my period.
No, my boundaries are not up for negotiation.
There is a discrepancy with holding the Christmas celebration in summer. In the North Christmas is in winter, with colder days and longer nights. One of the old biblical stories around Christmas, is (very, very, very generally) that in a time of social ‘darkness’ a ‘saviour’ was born, who brought with him seeds of light and hope for a better world. Christmas being in winter checks out. We see and feel the discomfort or even pain in the dark and search for the treasure within, then carry it with us until the sun returns in spring. It’s such a beautifully winter-y story but still it’s summer here and inward contemplation and excavation can almost seem impossible when we are all moving so fast. How can we reconcile this wonky-ness and bring meaning to Christmas whilst still moving with the natural momentum of the warm season?
Make a family wish-box at Christmas- before exchanging gifts, each person can write a self-less wish for the world or someone else on a little piece of paper, and slot it into a special box, to be read out later.
Make a summer alter in your home with all your fun summery-ness, so you can tune into seasonal vibes of blossoming and forward movement.
Practice gratitude- This is such a delicious ritual for summer! Bring awareness to and offer thanks for the abundance of goodness that is all around you at this time. Find the gold that is in your life and let the feeling of gratitude pour out of your heart. Big or small there is always something to be grateful for.
Celebrate Christmas outside in the sun or in nature. (This is also a great way to balance-out a frazzled nervous system because nature is the ultimate co-regulating partner!)
Gather with other families and nurture community in your life. We are more than just individuals or family groups; we are connected deeply with the others around us and familes helping out families in a balanced way, always shares the load.
Dance and play! See the beauty and majesty in yourself, others and the world around you and channel that into your days, in fun creative ways.
Self-care for the peak of summer
Stay hydrated- Drink plenty of fluids and include either coconut water or lemon-water with a pinch or high quality salt, in your days. Eat a variety of vegetables as they contain minerals and plenty of micronutrients that your body needs in the heat. Consume foods with a high water content like cucumbers, watermelon, celery or zucchini. Include fruit and vegetables in your diet that contain potassium like banana, potato, cooked spinach, cooked broccoli, honey dew melon and rock melon.
Eat lots of raw, cooling foods, like salads, smoothies or rice paper rolls.
Eat seasonal food, preferably local, they will always have the good stuff that your body needs.
Eat nutrient-dense, whole foods to fuel your body and soul.
Introduce a daily mentally calming or nervous-system regulating practice, like yoga, journalling or a nature walk, to lower the cognitive holding load. It’s important to feel the natural energy within you and roll with that. Summer is an active time and your body may need moving practices that prevent stagnation or lethargy. You do what works best for you.
Connect with others- BBQs and garden partys all the way! This is a great time to fill up your social cup, though make sure you have the capacity first!
Sleep! Even though the days are longer, sleep is just as important! Spontaneity may feel more natural than routine and if this is the case make a pre-agreement with yourself for a cut-off/bedtime. All the sleep hygiene things still apply and it’s so easy to fizzle-out when you push too hard.
The summer or peak-yang vibes, is also about expansion and declaring your yourself and what you want to bring into to the world. It’s a revelry of who you are and what you are about. It’s the time when your ‘inner lights’ dim and you are really a part of the outer world. It can be a point of natural productivity, social connection and achievement, where a natural inclination or power to expand out beyond the quiet of home and out of your comfort zone, resonates. You can choose to harness this time to PUSH. Push outward, above and beyond. Go exploring, find a new beach, take up an art class or organise a women-and-mini-skirts-only night out with friends! How do you want to fill this glorious time and what unique magic can you bring to it? You have the warmth, a go-to attitude, energy and social inclination, so grab these moments while you can, before Autumn begins to turn you inward again. Again capacity. Please notice when too much is too much and protect your mind and body from burnout.
December the 21st is the longest day, which is the point of climax, after that we begin the slow decent back toward the shortest day in winter. In theory, energy begins to wind down. For most, this happens after New Year’s, once all the boxes have been ticked and we can actually relax into the holiday season. Phew. Blessed relief. But there is still plenty of warmth to be enjoyed, so don’t grind down to a halt! As a side note, Vitamin D (hello energy and happy feelings) is a fat soluble vitamin and is stored in our bodies for those darker times of the year when the sun isn’t hanging around as much. This seriously helps your mood and energy and is a huge part of why we are ‘happiest’ and ‘brightest’ and most ‘lively’ in the summer. So (whilst being sunsafe), soak it up while you can!
Surprisingly, it’s only taken me 4 hours to write this blog, making it the fastest one yet! Thank you Litha vibes! I hope you have enjoyed this piece and enjoy a lovely Christmas and summer with family and friends xxx
Sending love
Keisha xx
