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In today’s episode of Peach Pie and Lord of the Rings … err, we mean Cliffhangers and Cocktails, Shéa and Amy talk about Litha - the Summer Solstice. Make yourself a Solstice sip (strawberry margaritas anyone?) and settle in for some history, a ritual, and some divination. 

Litha Ritual - 

Sample power statements:

• “I am amazing. I am powerful. The work I have done is real and good. I do not need permission to take up space. I do not apologize for being myself. I will not be smaller. I am seen and I am exactly who I need to be.”

Reflection Science: Tramacere A. Face yourself: The social neuroscience of mirror gazing. Front Psychol. 2022 Nov 10;13:949211. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.949211. PMID: 36438331; PMCID: PMC9691426.

The name Litha, is found in Bede's The Reckoning of Time (De Temporum Ratione, eighth century), which preserves a list of the (then-obsolete) Anglo-Saxon names for the months of the early Germanic calendar. Ærra Liða (first or preceding Liða) roughly corresponds to June in the Gregorian calendar, and Æfterra Liða (following Liða) to July. Bede writes that "Litha means gentle or navigable, because in both these months the calm breezes are gentle and they were wont to sail upon the smooth sea".[34]

Avebury (/ˈeɪvbəri/) is a Neolithic henge monument containing three stone circles, around the village of Avebury in Wiltshire, in south-west England. One of the best-known prehistoric sites in Britain, it contains the largest megalithic stone circle in the world. 

The Maryhill Stonehenge is a replica of England's Stonehenge located in Maryhill, Washington, United States. It was commissioned in the early 20th century by the wealthy entrepreneur Sam Hill, and dedicated on July 4, 1918 as a memorial to the people who had died in World War I.

Lavender information: Ramsey JT, Li Y, Arao Y, Naidu A, Coons LA, Diaz A, Korach KS. Lavender Products Associated With Premature Thelarche and Prepubertal Gynecomastia: Case Reports and Endocrine-Disrupting Chemical Activities. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2019 Nov 1;104(11):5393-5405. doi: 10.1210/jc.2018-01880. PMID: 31393563; PMCID: PMC6773459.

St. Johns Wort: Moore LB, Goodwin B, Jones SA, Wisely GB, Serabjit-Singh CJ, Willson TM, Collins JL, Kliewer SA. St. John's wort induces hepatic drug metabolism through activation of the pregnane X receptor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Jun 20;97(13):7500-2. doi: 10.1073/pnas.130155097. PMID: 10852961; PMCID: PMC16574.

Midsummer Margarita 

Strawberry Thyme Cocktail Energy: Courage, Fire, and Divine Feminine Energy

Strawberry Basil Cocktail Energy: Prosperity, Creativity, Divine Feminine Energy

Ingredients (1 servings)

• 60 mL (2 oz) Strawberry & thyme simple syrup (see below) OR just strawberry simple syrup
• 60 mL (2 oz) fresh lime juice
• 120 mL (4 oz) Tequila (or vodka or gin)

Garnish: Thyme & Strawberries

Directions

1. (Basil Cocktail only) Bruise basil and put into a cocktail shaker with a couple strawberries yoinked from the simple syrup & muddle together.
2. Add simple syrup, lime juice & tequila to shaker. 
3. Add ice
4. Shake until chilled
5. Strain into an ice-filled glass. 
6. Garnish with fresh slices of strawberry and sprigs of thyme or basil

Simple Syrup Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 8 oz Fresh strawberries, hulled & quartered
• 3-4 sprigs of thyme

Directions

1. Combine sugar, water, strawberries and thyme (if using) in a small saucepan 
2. Bring to a simmer over med-low heat and cook 10-15 minutes until sugar has dissolved & strawberries have softened. 
3. Remove from heat and cool for 20-30 minutes
4. Strain

Sources

https://www.witchywellness.app/blog/litha-spells

https://paulomara.com/litha/

https://spells8.com/lessons/litha-symbols-midsummer-magic-celebration/#symbols-of-litha

https://www.sui.org/litha/

https://friendsoftheforestct.org/wheeloftheyear

https://moonfallmetaphysical.com/s/stories/litha/?srsltid=AfmBOoq2qkOw4Kg-9MYrYxvt8YvbEVoe13TwYW8pytI9FkQDAqsgy4DD#google_vignette

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