Traditional Litha ritual

[Nick O'Connor]

OK, I know that it's common for many pagans in my part of the UK (South) to rush off to Avebury Stone Circle or Stonehenge to celebrate Litha, but I'd like to share an alternative. I go to a local moot, which has no more than 5-6 people at best and none of us wanted to join the cast of thousands in Wiltshire.

So, we did what many small settlements might have done thousands of years ago: we used a local field miles from anywhere (with the owner's permission) and used a portable fire pit to set up an all-night blaze. We had drums, guitars, food, mead and beer and held a short Litha ritual + prayers to the Goddess + all-night vigil, before greeting the dawn. Everyone joined in, there was much fellowship and I felt that this was the right way: a solitary or small-group act of worship, rather than the media circus that surrounds mass solstice celebrations. After all, if you visit Stonehenge now, you'll be able to buy more fuel or a cup of tea at the Solstice service station nearby. Perhaps, I'm just turning into an old grump!
BB
Nick O'Connor

[Helen]

The "old grump" bit made me laugh
I wouldn't want to join a huge gathering either, apart from anything else I would feel stressed by all the different energies and expectations of the crowd. So if I was energy working or simply celebrating, then a small group such as you describe sounds perfect.
I don't currently have anyone nearby I know of that I might work with - a group of sorts used to exist but the members had quite different aims and it fell apart - quite amicably. You group meeting sounds great.

Nice to 'meet' with you here Nick.

Blessings
Helen
)0(

[bgillis101]

I am, as someone so cleverly put, a solitary solitary! I don't currently have anyone to work with. I agree with Helen, I think it would be hard to straddle so many different energy signatures, traditions and/or aspirations for the celebration. Though I would dearly love to see the site itself and feel the intrinsic energies as well as the shadowed energies from the centuries of use.

I like the idea of bringing more than just me to ritual though. The value of the unexpected from an outside source can be illuminating and rejuvenating. I think I carry my introspection too far, lol...

[Morwenn]

I also keep very much to myself, being a HSP (a highly sensitive person) that's just how I prefer things. Otherwise I would just get caught up in other people's energies.

But I must admit that your summer solstice ritual sounds just like it's supposed to be - complete with an all night vigil, I love the idea. This truly is what hedgewitchery - whether you are on your own or with a small group - is all about: improvisation, creativity... Simple and nothing fussy about it...