Happy Litha!

 

 

It's almost time for Litha aka Midsummer/the Summer Solstice! This year it's on Tuesday 21st June (tomorrow!). I usually write posts with ideas for celebrating the sabbats and I've written several for Litha in the past few years. In 2021 I did a round-up of my previous posts, so for Litha 2022 (as with this past Beltane) I'm just going to share some links and ideas, rather than an in-depth post. :) 

 

Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere,  you'll be celebrating Yule/the Winter Solstice! You might like this post:

Yule Round-up + Yule/Christmas Baking; https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/12/yule-round-up-yulechristmas-baking.html

Litha is the 2nd summer festival (or 2nd sabbat associated with summer) on the Wheel of the Year, coming after Beltane at the end of April/beginning of May (a spring festival which also marks the shift from spring to summer) and before Lammas in late July/early August (which is about the end of summer and moving into autumn; also the first harvest festival).

Litha is also the Summer Solstice, the time of the longest day and shortest night (in the Northern Hemisphere). Days have been growing longer since Yule/the Winter Solstice in December, the direct opposite of Litha, when we have the shortest day and longest night. To read a bit more about the Summer Solstice, visit my Litha Inspiration post from 2019: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2019/06/litha-inspiration_17.html

Beltane 2022

Last weekend it was Beltane (Sunday 1st May or Saturday 30th April if you celebrate from sundown to sundown). As I mentioned in my Happy Beltane! post, I like to make salad for this sabbat. This year I made kachumbari (a Kenyan tomato and onion salad), which I first came across in 2019. Here is the recipe from the site Precious Core: https://www.preciouscore.com/kachumbari/

Precious' version has avocado and cucumber as well as tomato and red onion. I had the salad with some ciabatta bread, shop bought guacamole (I make my own some years but this year I bought it!) and chicken for my lunch. Here's a picture:

The colour isn't the best but never mind!

Happy Beltane!

I normally post on Sundays or Mondays, but got a bit behind this weekend, so I'm posting today instead. :)

 

Beltane is coming up next weekend (Sunday 1st May or Sat 30th April if you celebrate from sundown to sundown). I've written a few posts with celebration ideas and inspiration over the past few years and last year I rounded them up, so for Beltane 2022 I'm just going to share some links and ideas, rather than a more in-depth post. :)

Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere Samhain is coming! Check out my Samhain/Hallowe'en Round-up post here (2021): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/10/samhainhalloween-round-up.html

 

Beltane (also spelt Beltaine) is the 3rd and final spring festival on the Wheel of the Year, coming after Imbolg/Imbolc on 2nd February and Oestara/Ostara aka the Spring Equinox around 21st March. It is a fire festival linked to the Fire God Bel. It is also a cross quarter festival and its other themes include mid-spring, the union of the God and Goddess and fertility, and the start of the shift from spring to summer (although summer is considered to "officially" start on Litha/the Summer Solstice in June). 

Winter-Spring Update (2022)

Last year I wrote quarterly/seasonal updates (from "season to season"). Although I enjoyed doing monthly updates in 2019 and "two monthly" (two months at a time) ones in 2020, I found that quarterly updates suited me better. So, I've decided to do the same during 2022. :)

You can see my 2021 autumn-winter update here if you like: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/01/christmas-brown-butter-pecan-cake.html

 

We started the year with some coronavirus restrictions still in place, mainly face masks in indoor public places, isolation rules if testing positive and social distancing. 

I went to Starbucks in Worthing and got my favourite mocha Frappuccino. I didn't do much else out of the house, apart from going to the library. And I kept up my regular weekly park walks.

I baked a Coca Cola chocolate cake (where you put Coke in the sponge and icing). It's one of my favourite cakes but I don't make it that often. You can see a picture here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2014/02/coca-cola-chocolate-cake.html

I also had a go at making this "Change Your Life Chicken" (found the recipe through The Tex Mex Mom's email newsletter, where she shares her weekly meal plans): https://www.thelazygeniuscollective.com/blog/change-your-life-chicken

It was quite nice.

At the beginning of February, I celebrated Imbolg/Imbolc. You can see a post about my celebrations here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/02/imbolg-2022.html

Also in Feb, I went to my belly dance group's hafla (dance party). I last went to one in September, so it was good to go again.

March started with my birthday. I celebrated at home on the day and the went to Nando's later in the week. Last year they were only open for takeaway, since we were in lockdown. So, it was nice to be able to eat in there again. I had my favourite chicken butterfly (plain-ish) and chips. Here's a picture:

 

 

Oestara 2022

Last Sunday (20th March) it was Oestara (more commonly known as Ostara) aka the Spring Equinox. As I said in my Oestara Round-up post, I normally bake for this sabbat. This year I made a Maltesers traybake slice (which is actually "no-bake!), using this recipe: https://www.goodto.com/recipes/maltesers-bites

It's very similar to Birdies Perch Malteser slice (my favourite thing to "no-bake"),  except that has digestive biscuits instead of Rice Krispies. I've made a recipe based on that for Oestara in 2016 and the usual recipe last year.

I used Rice Snaps (Tesco own brand) for the traybake bites and put Cadbury Mini Eggs on top along with the Maltesers, to fit the spring theme! They tasted quite nice. Here's a picture: 

 

 

Oestara Round-up

It's almost time for Oestara (more commonly known as Ostara) aka the Spring Equinox! This year it's on Sunday 20th March.

 

Note: For those in the Southern Hemisphere it's nearly time for Madron/Mabon aka the Autumn Equinox. You might like these posts:

 Madron/Autumn Equinox Celebration Ideas: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2017/09/madronautumn-equinox-celebration-ideas.html

Celebrating Madron/Autumn: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/09/celebrating-madron-autumn.html

Madron Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2019/09/madron-inspiration.html

Baking for Madron + Extra Ideas!: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2020/09/baking-for-madron-extra-ideas.html

Madron Round-up + Autumn Baking: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/09/madron-round-up-autumn-baking.html

 

For the past few years, I've written celebration posts for Oestara. Last year I started a series of round-up posts for each sabbat and am continuing that into 2022, so here is Oestara's! :)

Oestara (more often spelt as "Ostara" but I first came across it with the "e" added) is the 2nd spring festival on the Wheel of the Year and celebrates the "official" shift into spring. The name is thought to have come from the Goddess Eostre, so it's not surprising that this sabbat also has links to the Christian festival Easter!

Oestara comes after Imbolc/Imbolg at the beginning of February (which marks the start of the transition from winter to spring) and before Beltane at the end of April/start of May (when we start to shift from spring to summer).

Saying Goodbye to Winter, Moving into Spring

We're now coming to the end of winter and moving into spring. I've mentioned before about how this is a more hopeful time of year for me, compared to the transition from summer into autumn. (I do like autumn but summer is my favourite season, so I'm always sad to see it go.) Although I try to find something good in every season, I'm not that keen on winter. I don't like the cold weather and short days. If we do get snow, it makes a change though! 

I've previously written a few posts on getting ready for spring which you can see below:

Getting Ready for Spring: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/03/getting-ready-for-spring.html

Preparing for Spring + Spring Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2019/03/preparing-for-spring-spring-inspiration.html

Oestara + Spring Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2020/03/oestara-spring-inspiration.html

Winter Photos + Preparing for Spring (2021): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/03/winter-photos-preparing-for-spring.html

 

Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, it's almost time for autumn. You might like these posts:

Getting Ready for Autumn: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/09/getting-ready-for-autumn.html

Autumn Photos + Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/10/autumn-photos-inspiration.html

Autumn 2020 + More Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2020/10/autumn-2020-photos-more-inspiration.html

 

This year I thought I'd share a few thoughts on shifting into spring. As I've said before, there are two days thought to be the start of spring- "meteorological" spring (on 1st March) and "astronomical" on the Spring Equinox, also known as Oestara/Ostara in pagan circles (20th March this year). I do like the idea of spring starting on the 1st (as that's my birthday!), but it often still feels quite cold and wintry during early March.