Litha Countdown: Hail, Ra, the Sun God!

Litha is approaching, and it's the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, when the sun is at its highest -- and it's a good time to look at some of the gods of the solar realm. To the ancient Egyptians, Ra was the ruler of the heavens. He was the god of the sun, the bringer of light, and patron to the pharaohs. According to legend, the sun travels the skies as Ra drives his chariot through the heavens. Although he originally was associated only with the midday sun, as time went by, Ra became connected to the sun's presence all day long. He was the commander of not only the sky, but the earth and the underworld as well: Who Was Ra?
Source: About.com

Litha is the Summer Solstice. It occurs on or about the 21st of June, when the Sun enters zero degrees Cancer, thereby marking MidSummer. On this longest day of the year, the Sun God is at the peak of his power. Like Samhain, Litha is a day when the boundaries between the worlds are thin, when mortals have strange experiences, and when otherworlders travel in our plane. Litha is also the traditional time of year to harvest your herbs and flowers, especially St. John's wort, either to hang in your home as protection or to tie onto the wicker man as a symbol of a wish that you want carried into the next world. Ideally, you should cut your herbs with a scythe or boline, by moonlight, and chant the appropriate purpose for which each plant will be used. Leave an offering for the rest of the plant, don't harvest more than a third of the plant - the rest will remain healthy and vigorous. Beltane was the festival of union between the God and Goddess, and so it was seen as unlucky to mar...

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Source: Pagan News