Midsummer Summer Solstice

Midsummer: Summer Solstice, Alban Hefin (Caledonii)
Around June 21
The Summer Solstice, the longest day, is a time of triumph for the light. This holiday represents the Sun King in all his glory. 
In many Wiccan celebrations, this is when the Oak King, who represents the waxing year, is triumphed over by the Holly King, who represents the waning year. The two are one: the Oak King is the growing youth while the Holly King is the mature man. On Midsummer night, elves and fairies abound in great numbers. Symbols to represent the Litha Sabbat are such things as Fire, the Sun, blades, mistletoe, oak trees, balefire, Sun wheels and faeries.Nurturing and love are key actions related to Midsummer. Ritual actions for Litha may include placing a flower-ringed cauldron upon your altar, plunging of the sword (or athame) into the Cauldron, bonfire leaping (outdoors) and the gathering and drying of herbs. Herbs can be dried over the ritual fire if you're celebrating outdoors. Leap the bonfire for purification and renewed energy. Ritually, use mirrors to capture the light of the Sun or the flames of the fire. Some things that are considered taboo on this Holiday are giving away Fire, sleeping away from home and neglecting animals. Altar decorations might include Summertime flowers, love amulets, seashells, aromatic potpourri and Summer fruits. Healings and love magick are especially suitable at this time. Midsummer Night's Eve is supposed to be a good time to commune with field and forest sprites and faeries.

Lammas: Lughnassadh (pronounced Loo-NAHS-ah) (Celtic), Cornucopia (Strega), Thingtide (Teutonic)
August 2 (Lughnassadh, the Celtic festival in honor of the Sun God, is held on the 7th)
This is the celebration of the first fruits of the harvest. The Sun King, now Dark Lord, gives his energy to the crops to ensure life while the Mother prepares to give way to her aspect as the Crone.
Now is the time to teach what you have learned, to share the fruits of your achievements with the world. It is considered a time of Thanksgiving and the first of three Pagan Harvest Festivals, when the plants of Spring wither and drop their fruits or seeds for our use as well as to ensure future crops. Also, first grains and fruits of the Earth are cut and stored for the dark Winter months.
Key actions associated with Lammas are receiving and harvesting, honoring the Parent Deities, honoring the Sun Gods and celebrating the First Harvest.Wheat weaving, such as the making of corn dollies, is traditional. You can create a Solar Wheel or a Corn Man Wheel using a wire coat hanger, cardboard, and several ears of Indian corn complete with the husks. Here is how: bend the wire hanger into a circle keeping the hook to hang it by. Cut out a small cardboard circle to glue the tips of the ears of corn onto. You may want to create your Corn Man Wheel as a pentagram using five ears, or a Solar Wheel using eight ears to represent one ear for each Sabbat. Attach the ears of Indian corn around the perimeter of the wire circle. Wrap the husks around and glue where necessary, leave some of the husks hanging loose to fray out from the edges and make it more decorative. Where the ears of corn meet in the center, glue them together. This is where the cardboard circle comes in to use. Bread is baked and the altar is decorated with fruits and vegetables of the harvest. It is also appropriate to plant the seeds from the fruit consumed in ritual. If the seeds sprout, grow the plant with love and as a symbol of your connection to the Divine. A cake is sometimes baked, and cider is used in place of wine.

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