5 Simple Summer Solstice Rituals

Litha, or the Summer Solstice, is one of the four solar festivals, celebrating the height of the season. Summer Solstice, of course, celebrates the height of summer: the longest day of the year.

This solstice is about honoring the vibrant, healing energy of the sun. But it’s also about honoring the duality of light and dark as we start to shift into the days getting shorter.

Honoring the sabbats with rituals is a beautiful way to tune into yourself, nature and connect with Mother Earth. You can learn more about honoring each sabbat by reading this past post. Scroll down for five summer solstice rituals to help you celebrate this day! And if you want more ritual ideas you can click here to check out a past post.

Burn Herbs on Your Altar

Fire, naturally, is heavily associated with the summer solstice. One beautiful way to honor this sabbat is to burn herbs on your altar. As you burn them, give thanks for the bounty of Mother Earth and for the healing, vibrant energy of the sun. Some herbs traditionally associated with Litha are:

• Lavender

• Vervain

• Mint

• Basil

• Fennel

• Rosemary

• St. John’s Wort

• Mugwort

• Iris

• Honeysuckle

• Mistletoe

Explore Your Relationship with the Sun Archetype

The sun represents the ego, the self, and the way you shine in the world. Try this five-card tarot spread (you can also use oracle cards if tarot isn’t your thing!) to explore your relationship with your ego and how you show up in the world.

• How is my ego keeping me stuck?

• What is my ego telling me that isn’t true?

• How can I be more visible in the world?

• What blocks me from sharing my gifts with the world?

• My mantra and medicine for working with my ego

Charge Magical Tools in the Sun

At this solstice, the sun is said to be at its most healing and revitalizing. It can be powerful to charge any divination tools in the sun during the day, including (but not limited to!) crystals, tarot and oracle cards, and any talismans you have.

And on that note, don’t forget to get outside and soak up the sun’s powerful rays for yourself! Your magical tools aren’t the only things that can benefit from spending time outside. Lay on the grass and savor the feeling of the sun on your skin.

Meditate

Connect with your inner sun by meditating on your solar plexus chakra. Find a comfortable seat and breathe deeply into your belly. Visualize a golden sun growing brighter and stronger on your solar plexus chakra with each exhale.

You may like to incorporate the bija mantra for the solar plexus chakra, Ram (pronounced RUM), into your meditation by chanting it either mentally or out loud with each exhale.

Make an Altar

Making an altar is a beautiful way to honor Litha. Get creative and make it yours! Some ideas of things you might like to put on your altar are:

• Elderflower

• Any of the herbs from the list above

• The sun tarot card

• Tiger’s eye, goldstone, and/or citrine crystals.

• Summer fruits and vegetables

• Any summer flowers you’d like (try sunflowers if you have them)

• Yellow, orange, and/or red candles

• A mirror

Your altar is the perfect place to meditate, to give thanks to the sun, and to manifest what you want to create in the next 6 months.

To learn more about the different sabbats on the wheel of the year (plus, get a free printable), click here.

What is the Wheel of the Year & How to Use It // With Free Printable

Learning more about the Wheel of the year will not only help you feel more in-tune with nature, but it will give you rituals to use year-round to connect with yourself and Mother Earth. This topic can seem a little overwhelming when getting started, so I will provide you with a quick overview with this post. I'll cover what the Wheel of the Year is, who uses it, how to use it, and some resources, including a free printable of a wheel that I created. Keep scrolling to read more and find a link to your free copy.

What is the Wheel of the year?

The Wheel of the year is comprised of eight Sabbats or festivals that occur on or around the same day each year. The eight Sabbats include four solar events, i.e., the Summer Solstice, Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox, and Fall Equinox. The remaining four festivals are based on seasonal changes and farming. Here's a rundown of the eight Sabbats, what they align with, and their dates:

Yule: December 21st - January 1st // Winter Solstice

Imbolc: February 1st // Holiday is known as Candlemas, which signifies the first signs of Spring

Ostara: March 20th // Spring Equinox (first day of Spring)

Beltane: April 30th - May 1st // A fire ceremony that signifies the midpoint between Spring and Summer

Litha: June 21st or 22nd // Summer Solstice

Lughnasadh: July 31st - August 1st // Marks the first harvest of the year

Mabon: September 21st - September 23rd // Fall Equinox

Samhain: October 31st - November 1st // Samhain is considered the witch's New Year. It is the third and final harvest season and ends the seasonal Wheel.

© Cassie Uhl 2015-2022. Please properly credit when sharing.

Who Celebrates the Wheel of the Year?

You don't have to subscribe to a specific religion or label to use or observe the Wheel of the year. Most notably, Wiccans, Pagans, Neo-Pagans, and practicing witches reference the Wheel of the Year for festivals and rituals. If you don't identify with any of these labels, but like to dabble in ritual or spellwork, that's perfectly fine! You'll still be able to find many uses for this powerful tool.

Where did the Wheel originate?

The Wheel of the year is rooted in several cultures and combines festivals from Romans, ancient Greeks, Germanic cultures of northern Europe, and the Celts. It's for this reason that you'll see a variety of names for some of the festivals and differing dates. For example, Lughnasadh also goes by Lammas or Lughnasa, and Litha also goes by Midsummer.

The full Wheel of eight festivals is a relatively new creation that came about in the 1950s. The groups listed above each celebrated some of the eight Sabbats, but the evidence is lacking that any of them celebrated all eight. Combining all eight into a wheel was a way to honor and streamline all of the celebrations that many Pagans and Wiccans hold dear.

How to Celebrate The Wheel of The Year

Learning to implement the Wheel of the Year can feel overwhelming, but the way that you work with it can be as simple or complex as you want it to be. There are countless ways to celebrate each celebration on the Wheel of the Year. Check out the list below for a general list of ways you can enjoy the Wheel of the Year. For specific rituals and celebration suggestions, check out The Goddess Discovery Book V2 or search our blog for the Sabbat you'd like to learn more about.

• Spend time outside in nature.

• Attend a local celebration or create your own for some or all festivals.

• Conduct a ritual for each Sabbat. You can find several ritual examples for each Sabbat by searching the Sabbat on our blog.

• Add decor and scents to your house based on the Wheel of the Year.

• Cleanse and update your altar or sacred space for each Sabbat.

• Cook specific foods for each of the Sabbats.

• Enjoy crafts with your Goddess circle or kiddos based around the Sabbats.

• Go within and try journaling for each Sabbat.

• Perform a unique tarot or oracle card spread.

Here's an example of how I often perform my altar update for a new Sabbat.

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Additional Resources

Want to dig deeper into using the Wheel of the year in your practice? Here are three ways to learn more:

1. Click here to get access to the free Wheel of the Year printout.

2. Click here to purchase Understanding The Wheel of The Year, which goes into detail about the Wheel of the Year and contains wheel images for both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, rituals, card spreads and journal prompts for each Sabbat.

3. Find links to blog posts specifically for each Sabbat below.

• Samhain

• Yule

• Imbolc

• Ostara

• Beltane

• Litha

• Lughnasadh

• Mabon

Here are other books that I love about the Wheel of the Year: The Magical Year by Danu Forest, The Great Work by Tiffany Lizac, and The Modern Witchcraft Guide to the Wheel of the Year by Judy Ann Nock.

I hope you find the Wheel of the year as special and magical as I do! It has so many positive and powerful applications to bring life to your sacred practices.

Tap Into the Wisdom of Your Ancestors with Meditation and Breathwork

Samhain, the sacred festival of the dead, occurs on October 31st and the 1st of November. It marks the beginning of winter and the season of the crone. This holiday reconnects us to the cycle of death and rebirth.

It is believed that the veil between the spirit world and our world is thin during Samhain, making it easier to communicate with spirits. That’s why it is the best time to honor the wisdom of your ancestors during this time.

This meditation and breathwork will take you within, to honor the wisdom you possess inside and the wisdom from those whom you come from. 

1. Set the stage for your meditation with crystals and EO’s (optional)

There are many different crystals you can use to help you connect with your ancestors. Your energy is unique, so choose the crystals that have worked for you in the past or that you feel drawn to.

Here are 8 crystals that can help you connect to your inner wisdom and wisdom from your ancestors. Choose one or several of these stones to wear or place next to you for your meditation.

Lepidolite will help you get into a calm state and connect you to your third eye chakra, the center of intuition.

Celestite opens your energy to connect with the spiritual realm by helping you relax and transition into a dream state. Rose quartz a crystal of love, creates a safe and welcoming space for both you and the spirits.Amethyst helps to open your third eye chakra and can help you connect to your intuition.

Charoite will help you connect with your ancestors. It is another powerful stone for communicating with and channeling spirits. It helps you receive information from them using your intuition.

Blue Lace Agate raises your vibration to make a connection with the spirit world easier. It helps you connect with the spirits as it keeps you balanced, allowing you to receive messages without getting overwhelmed.

Selenite increases telepathy and opens the crown chakra, making it a great stone for spirit communication.

When using any of these crystals, make sure you also have obsidian, hematite, black kyanite, or black tourmaline for grounding and protection. These crystals will keep you safe and rooted to the Earth, leaving your mind and spirit free to wander.

You can also use essential oils in your meditation. Mix them with water for a mist to spritz around the area, dilute with a carrier oil such as coconut or olive oil, and massage into the skin, or even burn these scents as candles.

Here are a few essential oils to recruit for this meditation. Use one or all of them during your meditation.

Clary Sage for connection to the divine.

Rosemary for remembrance and love.

Cedarwood for purifying, grounding, and calming.

2. Start with the breath

Start with Nadi Sodhana, also called alternate nostril breathing, to balance the nadis, or energy channels, in the body. This breath brings you into the present moment, calms and centers the mind, and helps you release fear.

Sit in a comfortable seated position and place the left hand on the knee with the palm facing upward. This hand position creates an energy of receptivity. Place the index finger and middle finger of the right hand on the third eye center between the eyebrows, with the ring finger and pinky finger on the left nostril and thumb on the right nostril.

Throughout this breath, use the thumb to open and close the right nostril, and the ring finger and pinky finger for the left nostril. As you exhale, close the right nostril and breathe out of the left nostril. Inhale through the left nostril, and then close the left nostril to exhale through the right. Alternate breathing in this way for ten cycles of breath, holding your inhales and exhales steady and even.

3. Sink into Meditation.

Once you’re centered in a place of presence and balance, begin the meditation by taking a few deep, cleansing breaths. Follow these steps to tap into the wisdom of your ancestors for this meditation.

1. Visualize the support of the Earth underneath you, connecting you to the vast wisdom of Mother Nature. Feel her energy enter your body as you inhale, and run down the spine as you exhale.

2. Think about who you are and where you are in this moment. Remember that every part of you has been woven together by the fabric of your ancestors, the good and the bad. Their blood, their experiences, their pains, their joys all run through you and shape you.

3. Begin to visualize your family line, starting with a parent. Traditionally this is the father, but allow either parent to come to mind. Visualize them in front of you. As you inhale, they breathe the white-hot light of their wisdom within you. As you exhale, you breathe the white-hot light of your gratitude into them.

4. Ask if this spirit has anything they need to share with you.

5. Continue moving up your family line with this conversation, receiving knowledge, and offering gratitude by exchanging breath, taking as many breaths as you need with each spirit.  

6. When you reach the end of your family line as you know it, sit in silence as long as you like and allow the messages to come to you. These can come in the form of images or sounds in your head, a feeling, or even a smell.

7. End with this simple phrase: “I thank all those who have helped shape and create me. I honor your divine wisdom.” Take a few moments after your meditation to let out your thoughts and emotions in a journal. Release anything that came up for you onto the page, and continue to sit with your crystals for as long as you need

.You can find more rituals for Samhain here and meditations for the Wheel of the Year here.

How to Perform a Samhain House Cleansing & Blessing

Around Samhain and Halloween is the most magical and powerful time to bless and cleanse your house. So, if you haven’t performed a house cleansing and blessing ceremony, now is the time to do it! If you’ve stumbled upon this blog during another month, don’t worry, you can still perform a purposeful house blessing and cleansing any time of the year. Just be sure to perform another one at the end of October for Samhain.

Why Cleanse & Bless for Samhain?

With winter slowly creeping in, it’s the perfect time to move out any stagnant, stale, or negative vibes before the cold sets in.

October 31st and November 1st, this year, ushers in the pagan celebration of Samhain pronounced Sow-win. Samhain is the birthplace of Halloween. Modern-day Halloween has taken a bit of a different turn with its kitschy decor. Samhain is still celebrated by many and is considered by most to be a more solemn time and reflective time, perfect for divination, cleansing, and blessing.

During Samhain, the veil between the spirit world and the physical world is at its thinnest, so it is believed that spirits and ancestors come back to visit during this time. Performing a house cleansing and blessings gives a welcome space for all of your ancestors. You want to come back and protective energy for any spirits you want to keep out.

How to Perform a House Blessing & Cleansing

This is a thorough house blessing and cleansing. Give yourself adequate time and space to fully devote yourself to this exercise. If you have a large house, you may want to chunk your house into floors or rooms to perform this spread out over a couple of days.

What You'll Need

• Cleaning supplies

• Cleansing herb of choice (frankincense, mugwort, lavender, or sagebrush make good options)

• Besom (optional)

• White candle for cleansing and a black candle for protection

• Saltwater in a spray bottle or a bowl

• Altar offerings

• Optional: protection symbols, crystals, cauldron, broom, herbs, etc.

Steps

1. Clean physically: First, you’ll want to clean your space physically. Remove things that are no longer serving you. Objects that don’t bring you joy anymore are most likely carrying old and stagnant energy that you don’t need cluttering up your energetic space. Try gifting, recycling, or finding a purposeful way to reuse these items.

2. Cleanse with smoke or incense: Use your preferred smoke cleansing tool for this step. I suggest using an herb or plant that's in alignment with your cultural heritage. If you're using something outside of your cultural heritage, like palo santo, I encourage you to ensure that it's sourced from an ethical supplier. I like to use mugwort, lavender, and frankincense.

With your cleansing smoke of choice, walk from room to room to let the smoke float through your space. As the smoke touches, each area of your house asks it to cleanse any energy that isn't aligned with your highest good or something similar.

3. Cleanse with a besom: A besom is a tool used by witches to cleanse a space's energy. You can make one yourself or purchase one around the season of Samhain (Trader Joe's always sells affordable cinnamon brooms!) For the practice of energy cleansing, you're not intended to use the broom as a physical tool, although you can if you'd like. Open a door and begin sweeping, holding your besom slightly above the floor. Visualize any negative energy not serving you being whisked out the door.

4. Cleanse and call in with candles: Using a white candle in a fireproof vessel, walk around your house, shining the light in each room. Imagine each room filling up with white. Ask the light to clear the space and bring in energy that serves your highest good. This is also a good time to call in any ancestors or loved ones who have crossed over into your space. Once you’re finished, place your candle on your stove to burn all the way through. The hearth (our modern-day stove area) is an important area of the home, which aids in transformation, so this is a great place to let your candle(s) burn as you complete your house cleansing blessing. If you'd like to call in a specific kind of energy, you can also light a candle for that as well. Black candles are ideal for this season and offer protection. 

5. Protect with salt water: Just like salt can protect your aura, it can also protect your space. Doors and windows are important areas to focus on with your saltwater because it’s where energy comes and goes in and out of your house. Spritz a bit of your saltwater in each room, focusing on windows and doors. As you do this, ask the salt to protect you and your space from unwanted energies. I like to visualize an energetic forcefield being enveloping my space during this step. 

6. Add symbolism for protection: If you’re looking for a fun and effective way to add an extra layer of protection, you can decorate with protective symbols. Runes, specifically the Algiz Rune or a protective charm bag, are potent options. Learn more about making a protective charm bag here or click here to learn how to make a protective Rune hanging.

7. Cleanse and consecrate tools: If you have tools you often use for rituals, this is an ideal time to cleanse them as well. You can take a few extra moments with your cleansing smoke, white candle, and saltwater to cleanse your tools. 

8. Create a welcoming altar for yourself and your ancestors: Once you’ve completed your house cleansing and blessing, prepare an altar space as a reminder and sacred container of the energy you shed and invited in. This altar will also serve as a welcome invitation to any ancestors or loved ones who have passed on. If you don’t have an altar space, you can also do this on or near your stove, which is our modern hearth. Here's a video of how I cleanse and prepare my altar for the season of Samhain.

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Place items on your altar that would attract ancestors that have passed on, like foods or drinks they liked. Light your remaining candle in the color of your choice. Adorn your altar with any crystals, jewelry, herbs, or symbols that you see fit. Here are some options:

• Crystals: Labradorite, obsidian, onyx, garnet, hematite, amethyst

• Candle Colors: Purple, black, orange, silver

• Tools: Besom (broom), cauldron, any divination tool

• Plants and Scents: Mugwort, cinnamon, clove, patchouli

• Foods: Apples, pomegranate, pumpkins, nuts, meat

• Runes: Algiz, Daggaz, Ansuz, Perthro, Othalo

• Gods and Goddesses: Lilith, Persephone, all crone Goddesses, Callieach, Cerridwen, and Hecate

9. Say a prayer or invocation: When your cleansing and blessing is complete, and your altar is set up. Grant yourself a few quiet moments at your altar to reflect on this experience. Offer a prayer to ancestors that have gone before you, an invocation to a deity that is important to you, or both.

Sleep soundly and perform your intuitive work confidently during this season, knowing that your house has been cleansed, blessed, and protected. Find more rituals for Samhain here and meditations for the Wheel of the Year here.

Create Your Own Protection Rune Wall Hanging with Free Printable

With Samhain and Halloween around the corner, it is the ideal time to perform spells and divination of all kinds. The veil between the physical world and the spirit world is at its thinnest during this time.

It’s also a time that communication between you and the spirit realm will be the easiest, because of this some believe that it’s an important time to build in extra protection from unwanted spirits.

Using Runes can cover all of these magical bases! You can use them for spellwork, divination, and as a protective tool.

What are Runes?

I’m sure you’ve seen these interesting symbols before, maybe you even know what a few of them mean, but beyond wearing them you’re not really sure what to do with Runes. While wearing them is a great way to utilize their power, their uses go far beyond that.

Their roots can be found in Old Norse, and they make up an ancient runic alphabet containing 24 symbols. Rune symbols have been found to date back as far as 150 AD. They have been discovered on spearheads, charms, and even on headstones in the form of spells! It is said that the word “rune” has come to mean “secret, something hidden,” and many people believe the symbols were used as a form of divination. Some people continue this practice today.

How to Use Runes for Spellwork & Intention Setting

Simply carrying or wearing a Rune symbol can hold great meaning. Place your Runes together though, and you’ve got a powerful magical tool. Many wear talismans like this with Runes together, but for this time of year, a banner for the home can not only serve as a meaningful reminder and spell but also a timely decoration!

Rune symbols can be placed together in different orders to mean different things, create a spell, or set an intention. Placing Runes in a particular order for magical purposes is called a Runescript. They can serve as a powerful reminder of what you need help with the most.

To use a Runescript for creating a spell banner, you simply need a basic understanding of what some of the Runes represent, appropriate ordering of your Runes, and some time to get a little crafty. I have created a free printable of Rune images for you to use to create your very own Runescript wall hanging! Click here to grab yours now.

How to Make Your Wall Hanging

To create your wall hanging you’ll need:

• Printer or drawing tool

• Paper (white cardstock recommended)

• Scissors

• String

• Glue or tape

• Optional: salt, herb or smoke tool of your choice for cleansing, candle, water, stick, and protective crystal or stone

1. Print Your Runes

Click here to get your free printable Rune images to use for your Runescript. Alternatively, you can draw your own if you’d like. If you’re using our free printable I suggest printing them on white cardstock.

2. Gather Your Supplies & Prepare Your Workspace

If you want to keep this a simple crafty decoration you can leave out all of the optional tools listed above. If you want to bring more magical meaning and ritual to this project, I’ll outline how you can use the salt, herb or smoke tool for cleaning, candle, and water while you create your wall hanging to bring each of the earth elements in the next step.

3. Prepare the Four Elements

Place your bowl of salt North of your workspace, your herb or smoke tool East, your candle South, and the bowl of water West. Each element coordinates with a direction, and by placing each element in its cardinal direction you invoke their protective powers as you create your Runescript hanging.

4. Select Your Runes

The number of runes in your script should also be well thought out. Runescripts are usually made of 3, 5, 7, or 9 Runes, so if one of these numbers is particularly meaningful to you that would be a good number to go with.

Creating your Runescript is a very personal act. Though you can use a pre-made script they always hold more meaning and power when you create it on your own. Use the guide below to select the Runes that you feel you need most for the kind of protection you are seeking. You can learn more about the meaning of each Rune on the website www.RuneSecrets.com or in the book A Practical Guide to The Runes by Lisa Peschel. I reference the website and the book very often and find them to be helpful resources.

That being said, If you do want to borrow my Runescript shown in the pictures you’re welcome to!

5. Order Your Runes

According to Lisa Peschel, author of A Practical Guide to The Runes, your first and last Rune placed are the most important ones.

The first rune says “this is how I want the operation to start,” the final rune says “this is how I want things to end up.” The runes in between elaborate on the subject … [it] must start out right and end up right in order to be truly effective. Making a correct choice is not really something that can be taught in a fixed sense. It must be very a personal choice based on the needs and wants of the Individual.

6. Cut Out Your Runes for Your Desired Runescript

7. Place your Runes in Order on Your String, Spacing Them Out Evenly

Your Runescript can hang simply on your string or you can use a stick or dowel rod to wrap the string around. This makes it easier to hang and adds a nice earthy element.

8. Tape or Glue the String to the Back of Your Runes

9. Incorporate the Four Elements into Your Runescript

Once your Runescript hanging is complete sprinkle a bit of salt over it, waft the smoke of your herb over it, pick it up and pass it over the top of your candle taking care to not get it too close so it doesn’t catch fire, and sprinkle a few drops of water on it.

10. You’re Ready to Hang Your Runescript!

Your Runescript is now imbued with the power of the four elements and the combination of Runes. Place it in a prominent place in your house or room as a symbol of protection. Add some extra protection to your Runescript wall hanging with a protective stone like hematite, lava stone, or smoky quartz.

Love this craft and want to create more? You can use this same set of steps to create any kind of Runescript. And I would love to see your own Runescript wall hangings, so please tag @cassieuhl on Instagram!

Tea Leaf Reading // How to Do Your Own in 7 Steps

Looking for the perfect divination tool to get a glimpse of your future and entertain guests with for Samhain and Halloween? Tea leaf reading, or tasseography is the art of using tea leaves for divination purposes. Many cultures believe that around the end of October the veil between the physical world and the spirit world is thinned, so it’s the best time to perform divination of all kinds.

What is Tea Leaf Reading?

Doing a tea leaf reading involves you indulging in a delicious cup of tea and putting your sharp intuitive skills to work. After you enjoy your warm cup of loose leaf tea, you’ll leave the loose tea leaves at the bottom, where some of these leaves will form symbols, each having its own meaning. That’s where your keen intuitive abilities come in! Anyone can see a triangle at the bottom of a teacup, but your job is to intuit what it means for you or the person you’re reading for.

Where Did Tea Leaf Reading Come From?

You might be wondering where this unusual form of divination came from, so here’s a short history about tasseography. Shortly after tea was introduced to Europe, tea leaf reading, as it’s now recognized, was born. Similar divination tools had been used with an assortment of other materials, but tea leaves seemed to be the favorite! The art of tea leaf reading spread through Europe, especially in Gypsy cultures, and is now practiced throughout the world.

What You Need for a Tea Leaf Reading

• Tea cup with a wide brim that’s light enough to easily see your tea leaves. There are a variety of specialty tea leaf reading cups available, they are beautiful but unnecessary. I created mine at a local pottery painting studio. Keep it simple, buy your own, or get crafty with it, any option will work!

• Saucer

• Loose-leaf green or black tea, preferably organic.

• Napkins

• Pen and paper

• Water

• Enough time to savor a cup of tea and get lost in the maze of tea leaf symbols!

How to Perform a Tea Leaf Reading

1. Brew Your Tea

Gather all of your materials. Boil your water. Place about a teaspoon of loose tea in your cup. Pour your water in and steep tea to your preference.For the next 3 steps, if you’re doing a reading for someone else, have them do the following steps.

2. Sip & Swirl

Before you take your first sip, gently swirl the tea counterclockwise three times. Sip and enjoy your tea, but don’t drink it all! When there’s about 1 tablespoon of tea left in your cup, swirl it again 3 times counterclockwise and think about or speak your query aloud.

3. Create Your Tea Reading Canvas

Turn your cup upside down onto your saucer to remove the remaining water, allow it a minute or so to drain, then turn it back upright, and you’re ready for reading!

4. Look for Symbols

Look over your loose leaf tea pieces and see if any symbols or shapes jump out to you immediately. Don’t fret if you don’t see anything immediately, similar to scrying with a crystal ball, it can take some time for imagery to form for you. Try looking at the inside of the cup from different directions to see shapes. Keep in mind the images formed are formed from tea leaves, so you will really need to use your imagination!

5. Record & Decipher Your Findings

If you do start to see some shapes, begin writing them down on your piece of paper so you can decipher them later, note wherein the cup they are too. Now you’re ready to decipher your findings! Here’s a guide for the most common symbols found during tea leaf readings:

6. Understand the Timeline

Where your tea leaves are situated in your cup relate to when they will happen. This is why some of the tea leaf reading cups you find have circles inside of them. Timing is broken into thirds as follows:

• Bottom third: farthest away from happening, think 3-5 years out.

• Middle third: will happen in about a year from now.

• Top third: will be happening in the near future, think within the next few weeks.

7. Form Your Reading

Like most divination tools, a honed intuition is key for success, so be sure to lean on any gut instincts as you form the story for your reading. Once you understand the meaning behind the symbols it’s time to put all of the information into a story that makes sense for you or the person you’re doing a reading for.

This divination tool is so much fun to do with friends and family! Setting in on a fall evening with some loved ones and sip, laugh, enjoy, and maybe get a little glimpse at what’s to come.

4 Ways to Embrace Your Light for Litha

I’m sure you’ve heard of the Summer Solstice, but are you familiar with Litha? Litha is the pagan holiday that is celebrated on the Summer Solstice, also referred to as Midsummer. The Summer Solstice brings with it the longest day of the year when the sun appears to hang in the sky all day long reminding us of its life-giving light. Litha is all about embracing and celebrating this light.

This year Litha falls on Tuesday, June 20th. Invoke the energy of the sun and embrace your own radiance with these Litha inspired rituals.

Enjoy Some Solar Water

Harness the life-giving power of the sun in a solar water elixir. Place a covered clear glass cup or clear glass pitcher of water outside for five hours. Fresh fruit is often enjoyed during Litha, so feel free to add some slices of your favorite fruits into your water for a tasty addition. Drink and enjoy your solar water throughout the day in honor of Litha.

Bonus, some believe that soaking your water in the sunlight can give you a subtle energy boost, and have an ionizing and antimicrobial effect on your water. Though there’s no hard proof of these benefits, it’s certainly worth trying and won’t do you any harm.

Goddess Amaterasu “Beauty Bath” Ritual

“Amaterasu is here to tell you to bask in the radiance of your own beauty.” -Amy Sophia Marashinsky, The Goddess Oracle.

For the ultimate act of accepting your own light invite the Goddess Amaterasu into your day for Litha with this powerful “beauty bath” ritual from The Goddess Oracle:

All you need for this ritual is a mirror and the willingness to see your beauty.

Find a time and place when and where you will not be disturbed. Sit or lie comfortably with your spine straight. You may remove your clothes or do the ritual with your clothes on, whichever is appropriate for you. When you feel ready, take a deep breath and release it letting everything go . Then take four more deep breaths, focusing on the rhythm of your breathing. If at any time during this ritual you feel uncomfortable or are afraid of doing anything suggested, just take a deep breath, experience the feeling while continuing to breathe deeply, then slow down and continue at your own pace.

When you feel relaxed and ready, pick up the mirror. Look at your face. Just look. If judgments or criticisms come up acknowledge them, then let them go. Focus on the uniqueness that is you, reflected in your face. Look at your face and allow yourself to feel compassion, tenderness, acceptance, and love.

Next look at your eyes. Say to yourself: "My eyes are beautiful." Look at your nose and tell yourself: "My nose is beautiful." Then your forehead, cheeks, mouth/lips, teeth, ears, skin, bone structure. When you are finished enjoying the beauty of your face, go on to the rest of your body. When you have acknowledged your entire body, take a deep breath and look in the mirror. Tell yourself: "I (name) am beautiful." Say it over and over. Allow yourself to bathe in your appreciation of your own beauty, till you feel a tingle of appreciation and delight.

Love Spell Bottle

Many regard Litha as a time to honor the power of light over darkness, and the idea that love and light will always win. Litha is a time when marriages would often take place (and still is!), and is the perfect time to invoke some love magic. Any spells or rituals you hold on the Summer Solstice will be amplified in power.

I adore this love spell because it is easy and open-ended. It can be used for bringing more love of all kinds into your life.

Love Spell Bottle from Spell Crafts: Creating Magical Objects

You’ll need:

• Rose water

• Dried rose petals

• Dried lavender

• A glass vial or bottle (size of your choice)

Hold each of the dry ingredients in your hands before placing them in your vial and imbue them with love. Fill the rest of the bottle with rose water. Close the bottle, hold it against your chest and say these words:

Flowers drenched with love,
drench me with love.

When you’re finished, place your love spell vial in your bedroom.

Embrace Sunny Symbolism

Want a quick and easy way to honor your light and Litha? Place some of these sunny and powerful symbols on your altar, desk, or around the house.

• Fire element symbol or symbols of the sun

• Shells, or any other earthy bits that remind you of the summer sun

• Light a red, yellow, or orange candle to honor the sun

• Place fresh herbs and flowers out as a reminder of the gifts of the sun

• Light incense or diffuse EO’s containing lemon, pine, and/or myrrh

I also created an infographic for those of you who love visuals!

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A post shared by Cassie Uhl (@cassieuhl)

Embrace your light and honor your beauty so you can reflect it back into the world! I hope you found one or two tips to help you celebrate Litha and honor your light. Here in Arizona, we’re looking to top the day at 120°, though it seems fitting, I hope your Summer Solstice temperatures are a little more conducive to enjoying the outdoors! Find more rituals for Litha here and meditations for the Wheel of the Year here.

Create a Flower Crown for the Goddess in You!

Breathe it in, do you smell it? Spring is here! Sending you joyous Spring Equinox and Ostara vibes! Ostara is the Wiccan holiday that honors the Spring Equinox and its part of the Wheel of the Year. Ostara is a time to bring balance to your life, welcome the coming light, and celebrate blossoming life.

If you are looking to bring some sunshine into your world after hibernating for the past few months, wearing a flower crown will really get you in the springtime spirit and give you good reason to embrace your goddess energy.

Crowns of all sorts have adorned the heads of the most ultimate goddesses throughout time and across cultures. However, no crown seems to come close to the beauty that is the flower crown, and it’s the perfect celebratory craft for Ostara.

I’ve got a bit of floral history for you, the meaning behind some favorite flowers, and a short DIY to get you started with flower crowns.

History

Wicca

Floral crowns have been used for celebrating Ostara (Spring Equinox) and, maybe more commonly, Beltane (the celebration between spring and summer). Various Pagan religions would adore statues of their Gods and Goddesses with flower crowns during these times of the year.

Flora

The Romans held this fertility goddess in high esteem. Flora was said to wear “garlands of a thousand flowers.” In the Roman culture, a springtime festival was held to honor the renewal of the lifecycle. If flower crowns are your thing, then this was the place for you! Even the dogs were decorated with flowers! Flora was said to wear soft yellow flowers to represent the essence of spring. Honor Flora with a buttercup blossom!

Island Life

Hawaii definitely has its bases covered when it comes to tropical blossoms. Here, flowers are worn on ankles, wrists, and yes...heads, too. In Hawaii floral crowns are known as “haku lei.” You can find bronzed goddesses roaming the beaches decked out in flower crowns on any day of the week! It's also customary for the natives to gift these beautiful crowns to friends and visitors.

Flower Meanings

• Laurel: Symbol of triumph

• Buttercup: Childishness, neatness, humility

• Myrtle: Marital fidelity, good fortune

• Periwinkle: Happy memories, achieving your dreams

• Daisy: Innocence, cheerfulness

• Rose: Love

• Pink Peony: Riches, honor, prosperity

• Baby's Breath: Long lasting love, angelic

• Dandelion: Survival, spiritual intelligence

• Gardenia: Purity, love

• Laurel: Success, glory

• Daffodil: Self love

DIY Flower Crown

Crown crafting is the perfect tribe building activity! Of course, you're economical so it only makes sense for you and your besties to get together and bring your favorite bunch of flowers to share.

I really wanted to create my flower crown with only flowers. Turns out, that is pretty tough. I was able to create my crown from flowers plus a little string.

If you’re using thinner, bendier stems, I think it would be possible to create a crown from only flowers. If you’re going for a statement-making crown like mine, string might be a necessity.

Supplies: Flowers, scissors, string

1. Start with three flowers and start by braiding the stems together.

2. As you braid continue to add in more flowers and their stems into your braid.

3. Once you have long enough braid of flowers to make a crown, carefully bend your braid into a circle shape.

4. Using string or a stem of a flower tie the back overlapping parts of your flower braid.

5. Fill out your crown by sticking flowers into the braid around the crown or by tying them onto the braid.

This took some time and patience. I couldn’t be happier with my end result and I felt like a goddess all day! Be bold, rock your flower crown as you welcome Ostara, the coming light, and the birth of spring. You are the peaceful warrior, a goddess, the light bringer, and the bearer of sunshine!

3 Ways to Bring Meaning to the Winter Solstice

December 21st will mark the shortest day and the longest night of the year. This sabbat is also known as Yule. I've been anticipating how to best use this time to reflect on my spiritual work and honor the coming of the sun for self-growth. What were some big shifts for you this past year? What do you aspire towards in the seasons to come? Maybe these are questions better left to the night’s sky. And on the longest night of the year, I have a few ways to help you find your answers.

Enjoy this excerpt from “A Celebration of Winter Solstice” from The Circle of Life by Joyce Rupp and Macrina Wiederkehr to get you in the right mindset for bringing meaning to the Winter Solstice.

But winter darkness has a positive side to it. As we gather to celebrate the first turn from winter to spring, we are invited to recognize and honor the beauty in the often unwanted season of winter. Let us invite our hearts to be glad for the courage winter proclaims. Let us be grateful for the wisdom winter brings in teaching us about the need for withdrawal as an essential part of renewal. Let us also encourage our spirits as Earth prepares to come forth from this time of withdrawal into a season filled with light.

As you embark on connecting with the Winter Solstice here’s a reflection to keep in mind.

Create Your Solstice Altar

Honor the Triple Goddess with the symbolism of the phases of the moon that represents the Maiden, Mother, and the Crone. As the cycle of the seasons comes full circle, you have experienced all of the faces of the goddess somewhere in your life. Do not forget what each has taught you.

Revisit these lessons by remembering where you have felt wild, abandon, or birthed a creation. Maybe you need to revisit a time of loss. Open your heart up to this life cycle and feel gratitude that you are still standing; that you have survived your darkest days.

Connect by decorating your altar with festive colors. Here’s a guide for bringing Winter Solstice colors into your sacred space.

Dig deep with red.

Red represents your root chakra. Stay grounded and humble with poinsettias, red ribbon, and cranberries.

Find faith with green.

Choose holly leaves or a miniature pine tree. It's said that once upon a time when the days grew short and cold, all of the trees withered in the sun’s absence. The Evergreen trees were the exception to this. They instead had faith in the sun’s return. Because of their faith, the sun rewarded them by allowing them to keep their green leaves all year round. Be like the evergreen, have faith that light will prevail.

Blessed is she who believes.

Stay gold.

“Oh, holy night. The stars are brightly shining.” Add some bling to your altar this solstice to represent growing daylight. Use gilded items to depict the growing sparkle in your heart and happiness in the face of adversity.

Celebrate with a Solstice Eve Ritual

Wear a Crown

On the night of the Winter Solstice, you can wear a holly crown. Holly is said to help soothe feelings of loss while ushering in new life. The red berries on the crown will awaken the root chakra as you dig your roots into the earth to meditate on the seasons of your soul.

Draw a Card

With an Oracle deck in hand meditate beneath the vast night’s sky. Let go of the past, and now see the sky as a blank canvas for your year to come. Next, draw an oracle card that will represent the theme that will inspire the next cycle of seasons in your life.

Light a Flame

Ignite the light within by lighting candles, burning a log, or stringing up lights on your altar. If you burn a log you can save a little to add to next year’s fire for continuity of the solar cycle (save the ashes to use in charm bags for protection).

I stopped looking for the light. I decided to become it instead.

Gather with Family

Spend this solstice with your family and friends. On the longest night of the year, you’ll have plenty of time for feasting, playing games, telling stories, and hopefully lots of good belly laughs! Stay warm and cheery in the wee hours of the night (and maybe until dawn) with this festive brew!

Wassail Recipe

• 1-gallon apple cider

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground cloves

• 1 tsp allspice

• 1 chopped apple

• 3 oz brown sugar

Bring cider to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and add spices. Stir until spices dissolve. Add chopped apple and brown sugar. Cook for another 10 minutes over low heat. Optionally, you can add sherry, brandy, or ale to this beverage for some extra warmth!

The light is coming, but until then, enjoy and reflect in the dark spaces. Soak up the love and gratitude from your family and friends and enjoy a warm cup of Wassail! Find more rituals for the Winter Solstice here.

How to Celebrate The Autumn Equinox

All year long you’ve been cultivating your spiritual toolbox! With the coming darkness of the Autumn Equinox, this is the time to reflect on the things you’ve been working on and maybe even transfer some of your good jujus to your surrounding community.September 22nd of this year will mark the equinox. Use this time to honor the changing of the seasons. You can do this by commemorating Mabon!

What is Mabon?

Mabon is the Pagan/Wiccan celebration of the Autumn Equinox. It was used as a time to pause and celebrate the second harvest of the season. It is still celebrated today but more often as a time to have gratitude and share abundance with others.I've gathered some celebratory tips that will get you in the mood for fall and leave your heart feeling full and grateful.

Find Balance

The Autumn Equinox brings us back to a time of equal darkness and light. Interestingly enough, this is the day that the sun moves into Libra! And guess what?! Yep, Libra’s symbol is the all too familiar balancing scales.

Creating balance within yourself is a way to feed your soul that will undoubtedly have a ripple effect on the people surrounding you. By keeping yourself in balance you shed positive light and energy...and hopefully, a little bit of good karma will come back around your way, too!

Some tips for bringing balance into your day:

• Disconnect! Make a plan to build in some tech-free downtime into your day.

• Balance your energy by taking a long walk (without your phone!)

• Invite a friend over for tea, and enjoy the lost art of conversation over tea and scones.

• Skip your vinyasa yoga class for a restorative one.

• Do a chakra balancing meditation.

Apple Picking

While most other fields are bare by now, this is apple picking season! Frolic through an orchard and reap the benefits. Apples are thought to be magical and are even used in some forms of divination!

A delicious tip for bringing apples into your home:

• Fill your home with the magic of apples by creating a stovetop potpourri! Anyone who you have over will be tricked into thinking there’s a yummy apple pie hiding somewhere!

• Ingredients: 3 cups water, 1 apple, 3 cinnamon sticks, ½ tsp nutmeg, 15 whole cloves.

• Directions: Cut apple and add all ingredients to small saucepan. Cover all ingredients with water. Keep the potpourri on low heat to fill your home with a sweet fragrance! (Be sure to turn off the heat when you are asleep or away from your home.)

Feel the Gratitude & Share the Abundance

During times when the well-being of a family rested solely on their farm’s harvest, people knew the importance of helping out their neighbors who did not have a good year in the fields. Whether it be spiritually or physically, perhaps this season has gifted you with an abundance.

Some tips for feeling the love and sharing it with others:

• First, you’ll want to get into the right frame of mind. The best way to do this is to have a gratitude ritual. Find some quiet time, grab your favorite crystals, incense, and maybe some fall-inspired bits and pieces. Lay out your items, arrange them in a grid or any way that feels right to you, and meditate on things you’re grateful for. This activity is intuitive and open, make it what you want, the most important thing is to focus on what you’re grateful for.

• Donate towels, sheets, and newspapers to animal shelters. If you have the extra time in your schedule, sign up to take your animal friends for a special walk while they wait to meet their furever family.

• Host a dinner for your friends and family. Invite some new friends, too!

Do you have a favorite Mabon or Autumn Equinox ritual that I didn’t cover? I’d love to hear about it. I hope these tips will come in handy, now go out and spread the love, happy Mabon! Find more rituals for Mabon here and meditations for the Wheel of the Year here.

2 Spring Equinox Rituals to Cleanse & Refresh

Have you ever been curious about how to celebrate the Spring Equinox, also called Ostara in the wheel of the year, or ever wondered what it is exactly? We’ve got explanations and two different ways that you can celebrate rituals for the Spring Equinox.The coming of Spring is marked by the Equinox - meaning “equal light.” The Spring Equinox, or the first day of Spring, occurs when the sun crosses the celestial equator from South to North. This special event happens every year on March 19th, 20th, or 21st. This year it is happening on March 20th. During this time, daylight and night are equal and balanced, right before tipping over to the side of light. Flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing, and birds are chirping…it’s officially SPRING!!Around the world, many different cultures hold celebrations for the Spring Equinox, and I want to share with you some of my personal favorites.

Yoga Mala Sun Salutations

More than a beaded bracelet, a yoga Mala is completed by doing a set of 108 sun salutations. It’s a great way to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit. Completing this could take as long as two hours (expect a lot of jump backs into Chaturanga), but you can always rest in downward facing dog or child’s pose. Sweaty as you may be, it’s a great way to cleanse and detoxify the body for a new season.

How to Get Involved

If you’re an experienced yoga practitioner you can set a time special time and place to do this on your own or with friends. If you’ve got a favorite local studio it’s likely that they’ll be offering something for Spring.

What to Know Before You Go

• Sign up ahead of time for this special event at your local studio.

• Come to class with an intention. An encouraging message will help you to push through.

• Be prepared to sweat! The room will naturally heat from all of the movement and breathwork of you and your fellow yogis. Bring a towel to place over your mat, or a hand towel to wipe off any excess moisture that might cause you to slip.

• Wear an inspirational piece of jewelry. I wear a hamsa hand around my neck that inevitably dangles in my face while I’m resting in downward facing dog reminding me “you’ve got this!”

Forest Bathing

Forest bathing is a Japanese tradition called “Shinrin-yoku,” or “taking in the forest atmosphere.” Unlike the vigor of a Mala, forest bathing is meant to be a calm, low-speed experience. As leaves begin to bud, and flowers begin to bloom, a forest bath is a perfect way to honor the arrival of Spring. You could do this by meditating in a lush green area, taking a hike, or even having a picnic.Not only are these ideas relaxing from a spiritual perspective, but there are actually scientific advantages behind these inspiring practices, too. Many trees give off organic compounds that decrease stress hormones and boost your immune system.

Additional Benefits Include:

• Decrease in anxiety, depression, and anger

• Increased cognitive function

• Reduced blood pressure

• Accelerated healing

• Increased ability to focus

• More energy and better sleep

Let me know if you’ve tried any of these in the past or have plans to create a new ritual this year. Happy Spring Equinox! Find more rituals for Ostara here.