Summer Begins UPDATED
Another Feast Day is upon me.
Midsummer or the Summer Solstice is the most powerful day of the year for the Sun God.
It is a Fire feast so bonfires will be lit.
My hubby's favorite part (after the feast food of course) is the bonfire.
Summer flowers all through my house and summer berries adorn my dinner table.
Bright colors of green, blue and yellow flow throughout my abode.
Suggested activities for Litha:
*Rededication to the Lord and Lady
*Divination related to romance and love
*Light a white candle in front of a mirror and say your own Lithia prayer over it, then allow the candle to burn out.
*Singing and dancing around a bonfire
*Outdoor picnic feasts
*Create crowns out of flowers
Foods: I grill almost everything. Honey and herbs play a big part in the feast. I make kabobs: ham & pineapple, shrimp, honey chicken, and kielbasa.
With the proteins I use red and green peppers and new potatoes. I also grill fresh vegetables and corn.
I make Honey Faerycakes and a Solstice Herb Bread. I also make Honey scones.
Faery Honeycakes
Recipe from Hearth and Home Witchery
1/2 cup sweet white wine
1 egg
2/3 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup of honey
1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg
Oil for frying
Beat the wine and egg in a medium bowl. Combine the flour, cinnamon, salt and sugar in a small bowl. Stir into the egg mixture. Let stand 30 minutes. Combine the honey and nutmeg in a small bowl. Heat 1/2 inch of the oil in a frying pan until hot but don't let it get so hot it smokes!! Drop the batter into the oil 1 tablespoon at a time and fry until golder brown. Drain on paper towels. Dip into honey. Makes 1 1/2 dozen
Buttermilk Scones for Litha from Hearth & Home Witchery
3 cups Flour
1/3 cup Sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
3/4 teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 cup Buttermilk
1 teaspoon Grated Orange Rind
2 Tablespoons Honey
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Use an ungreased baking sheet. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir well with a fork to mix and fold air into batter. Add the butter and cut into the flour mixture, using a pastry blender or two knives, or work in, using your fingertips, until the mixture looks like fresh bread crumbs. Add the buttermilk, currants and orange rind. Mix only until the dry ingredients are moistened. Gather the
dough into a ball and press so it holds together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly 12 times. Pat the dough into a circle 1/2-inch thick.
Glaze: Brush the dough with the Honey. Cut the dough into 18 pie-shaped pieces. Place the scones 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes or until the tops are browned.
Solstice Herb Bread
3 C. flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 pkg. dry active yeast
2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 1/4 C. hot water
2 tbsp. Crisco
Mix 2 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Add herbs, water, and Crisco. Beat slowly, stirring in remaining cup of flour until smooth. Scrape batter from sides of bowl and let rise in a warm place for 35 minutes or until it doubles in bulk. Punch down and beat with a spoon for about 15 seconds. Place dough in a greased loaf pan, patting down and forming a loaf shape with your hands. Cover and let rise again for about 30 minutes or until it again
doubles in bulk. Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes. Brush top with butter or margarine and remove from pan to cool.
Litha Devotion
Love, light and bountiful beauty granted to us through Mother Earth. On this Midsummer evening we thank our Mother Earth for giving us such gifts and so much more. Bless all on every Litha.
Blest Be.
Ahhhhh - summer. Sun, cool breeze, yard games.....my second favorite season.
drinking on the deck enjoying the scent of our lilly trees
That is what I am talking about.
Summertime...
Child, the living's easy...
It would be if I didn't have to work 5 days out of the week.
Ok, if this gets to like the dancing around the bonfire in True Blood...
We just dance and sing - mainly to good old rock & roll.
Is June 21st, the day indicated to be the first day of summer, the date of Summer Solstice as well?
According to my almanac , the summer solstuce is the 21st , midsummers day is the 24th , what a way to start the weekend .
Yes. Summer Solstice or Litha as we call it occurs on June 21 this year. It can fall anywhere from June 19th to the 24th.
I thought it might vary, which is why I asked. When it comes to traditions we live by the lunar calendar here.
I do my monthly rituals by the lunar calendar.
The full Moon is bright and pretty tonight
It was very beautiful.
The faery honeycakes sound delicious.
My family gobbles them up & I always put one out on the fairy rock for the fairies.
Litha was beautiful. A gorgeous day. We even got into the pool. I have a few pictures of my baked goods. I never got a chance to get the main course. They attacked with a vengeance. and de kabobbed my kabobs before I could snap any pics.
My pineapple upside down cake turned out PERFECT for the first time in my life.
My Fairy HoneyCakes. There were six, but one for the fairies. So five remain.
Buttermilk Honey Scones - my daughter got to them before I could take a pic.