Litha Light Ritual + Tarot Spread for Radiant Growth

June 10, 2025By Sheila Ellis

Celebrate the Summer Solstice with intention, illumination, and the sacred art of recognizing what's ready to flourish.

The Summer Solstice—Litha to our ancestors—arrives like the year's great crescendo. On June 20th, we experience the longest day and shortest night, when the sun reaches its peak power and light floods our world with maximum radiance. This isn't just an astronomical event; it's a spiritual invitation to step fully into your own luminous potential.

In our inner gardens, this is harvest time for the seeds of intention we've been nurturing. It's also the moment to recognize what has been growing in the shadows, quietly reaching toward light. Litha asks us: What in your life is ready to be fully illuminated? What aspects of yourself are asking to be celebrated and shared?

Litha represents the sacred balance point—maximum light carrying within it the promise of returning darkness. Ancient peoples understood this paradox: that peak moments contain the seeds of transformation. The sun's triumph is also the beginning of its slow journey back toward the darkness of winter.

This teaches us something profound about our own cycles. Our brightest moments, our greatest achievements, our peak experiences aren't endpoints—they're generative spaces where we gather energy for the next phase of growth. Litha invites us to celebrate what's flourishing while remaining open to whatever wants to emerge next.

From a tarot perspective, Litha embodies The Sun card's pure, life-giving energy—joy, vitality, clarity, and the courage to be authentically yourself. But it also whispers of The Hermit's wisdom: that true illumination comes from within and sometimes requires us to step back and integrate what we've learned.

This summer solstice ritual honors both the external sun and your inner radiance. You can practice it alone or with others, adapting the elements to fit your space and comfort level.

What You'll Need:

A candle (any color, though gold or yellow connects with solar energy)
A small bowl of water
Something that represents growth in your life (a plant, seed, photo, or meaningful object)
Your tarot deck
Journal and pen
Optional: St. John's Wort, sunflower petals, citrine, or other solar herbs/crystals

The Ritual:

1. Create Sacred Space (Sunrise or Midday) Light your candle and place it at the center of your space. Position the bowl of water nearby—this represents the balance of fire and water, action and receptivity, growth and nourishment.

2. Solar Gratitude Place your hands over your heart and speak aloud three things you're grateful for that have grown or flourished in your life this year. Feel the warmth of appreciation filling your chest like sunlight.

3. Illumination Meditation Close your eyes and visualize golden light entering through the crown of your head, filling your entire body. Ask yourself: "What part of me is ready to shine more brightly? What gifts am I being called to share more fully?"

Let any images, words, or sensations arise without judgment.

4. The Radiant Growth Tarot Spread (detailed below)

5. Integration + Commitment Based on your tarot insights, write one specific way you'll honor and nurture what's ready to flourish. This could be as simple as "I will speak my creative ideas aloud" or as bold as "I will finally share my art with others."

6. Closing Dip your fingers in the water and touch your forehead, heart, and palms, saying: "I am illuminated. I am growing. I am ready to shine." Let the candle burn safely as you journal about your experience.

This five-card spread helps you identify and nurture what's ready to flourish in your life. Lay the cards in the pattern of a simple cross with one card at the center:

Radiant Growth Tarot Spread layout for Summer Solstice 2025

Card 1 - Root Strength: What foundation supports your growth right now?

Card 2 - Reaching Toward Light: What aspect of yourself is ready to be more visible or expressed?

Card 3 - Nourishment Needed: What do you need to feed this growth (resources, support, practices)?

Card 4 - Shadow Integration: What have you been avoiding that actually supports your expansion?

Card 5 - Radiant Potential: The fullest expression of what's wanting to emerge through you.

Reading Your Spread:

Look for connections between the cards. Does the "Nourishment Needed" card suggest practical steps that support what's "Reaching Toward Light"? How does your "Root Strength" provide stability for your "Radiant Potential"?

Pay special attention to the "Shadow Integration" card—Litha reminds us that our brightest light often emerges from embracing what we've kept hidden or dismissed about ourselves.

If you're drawn to plant magic, St. John's Wort is Litha's signature herb. Traditionally gathered on the Summer Solstice, this bright yellow flower has been used for centuries to capture and preserve solar energy. You can:

Add dried St. John's Wort to your ritual space
Brew it as tea for solar vitality (consult an herbalist for safety)
Carry it as a talisman for confidence and inner light
Burn it as incense while journaling about your tarot insights

Sunflowers, calendula, and chamomile also carry potent solar medicine and can enhance your Litha practice.

The real magic of Litha isn't in the ritual itself—it's in how you carry its illumination forward. Over the coming days, notice:

When do you feel most radiant and alive?
What environments, people, or activities help you shine?
How can you create more space for what wants to flourish?
What would change if you truly believed in your own luminous potential?

The Summer Solstice reminds us that we are not meant to hide our light. In a world that often feels shadowed by uncertainty, your authentic radiance is both a gift to yourself and a service to others.

This Litha ritual and spread are just the beginning. As we move deeper into Cancer season, we'll explore how to nurture what you've illuminated with emotional wisdom and intuitive care. Next week, we'll dive into The Lovers card beyond its romantic associations, discovering how it guides us toward authentic self-integration.

Join Us for Deeper Solar Magic

If this Litha practice resonates with you, imagine diving even deeper into the seasonal rhythms that guide our spiritual growth. Writual Society members receive comprehensive Sabbat workbooks for each of the eight sacred seasons, complete with extended rituals, multiple tarot spreads, herbal correspondences, and seasonal recipes that help you embody the energy of each celebration.

Our June community gathering will be a live Litha celebration where we'll practice the ritual together, share our tarot insights, and support each other in stepping into our radiant potential. There's something transformative about celebrating the light alongside others who understand its sacred significance.

[Discover how Writual Society can deepen your seasonal practice and connect you with a community of intentional practitioners.]

✨ How will you celebrate your inner light this Litha? I'd love to hear about your ritual experiences or any insights from the Radiant Growth spread in the comments below.