Welcome to Gaia! ::

SUPPLIES: Kindling for your bonfire (or charcoal or candles, whatever you choose.) Matches to light the bonfire. An aspergill, which is something you dip in water that will allow you to sprinkle or anoint the fire...a leafy branch works just fine. A container of water to dip your aspergill in (if you have a small cauldron that would be perfect). The bell and quarter candles are included here for those who choose to do this ritual indoors. If you're going to be outside, make it easy on yourself and skip the quarter candles. You're one with nature, so it should be easy for the kids to connect with Earth, Air, Fire and Water whether they have the candles or not.

RITUAL: Begin your ritual by ringing the bell to establish Sacred Space. The child chosen to be Bell Ringer rings the bell three times and says:



Then an Adult casts the Circle by saying:



Tell the kids to imagine a silvery-blue light surrounding the table to create a Circle. Explain that this "Circle of Light" means we want to make this a sacred place to honor the Goddess and God. Explain that a Sacred Place doesn't have to be a church. It can be in your dining room, a special spot in the forest, or even at school, as long as you show the respect and honor the Goddess and God deserve by creating your Sacred Space first. Next we "Call the Quarters." Explain that this is asking the Ancient Ones to add their powers to ours to make our Circle stronger. Because we do this outside (and you don't want to have too many fires lit!) we pass on the candle lighting and just have the children invoke the elements verbally. It's a great chance to actually connect with calling the Elements!

The child chosen to call the Eastern Quarter faces the East, raises his/her hands and says:



The child chosen to call the Southern Quarter faces South, raises his/her hands and says:



The child chosen to call the Western Quarter faces West, raises his/her hands and says:



The child chosen to call the Northern Quarter faces North, raises their hands and says:



Then the Adult says:



The adult stands and faces the sun, raising his arms in joyous welcome:



Have the children face the sun and, closing their eyes, feel its warmth on their face. Explain to them that the warmth they're feeling has traveled about 93 million miles through space to reach them today. That's 400 times farther from the Earth than the moon is! And yet, even at that distance, we can still feel it! Now *that's* magickal! To our ancestors, the sun was a God. They couldn't understand how it moved across the sky, but they knew their lives depended on it. Today, even though we know a lot about the sun, and that it's a star and not a God, we do acknowledge it's strength and power, and admit that without it, all life on Earth… the people, plants and animals...would cease to exist.

Now the adult turns to the bonfire (barbecue, candle or whatever) and says:



Have each person around the Circle take up the chant:



You can go around once, or, if the kids are having fun, go around a couple of times! When the flames have died down everyone can take a turn jumping over the bonfire to make a wish. Be *very* careful! We make a *very* small bonfire so there's no great risk, but we still hold the hand of the smaller children when they jump just be sure. Explain that fires were associated with purification, fertility and blessings. Tell them about the traditions of our ancestors, like lighting giant bonfires on the hilltops. It was sympathetic magick to call on the power of the sun. Another was to set fire to a wheel made of dried grass and send it rolling down a hill and into a pond. The fire represented the power of the sun, and the water quenching the flames symbolized the farmer's wishes that summer wouldn't be *too* hot and cause a drought or destroy the crops. Along these lines get your container of water and aspergill and return to your fire.

Have the adult say:



Dip the leafy branch into the water and sprinkle it like raindrops on the fire saying:



Now invite everyone else to take up a branch and sprinkle the fire, repeating the chant until the fire is out.



When that's finished have everyone sit down. The adult says:



When everyone is finished you can close the Circle. Explain to the children that the ritual is over. Now it is time to thank the Ancient Ones for their help and their guidance.

The child who called the Eastern Quarter now says:



The child who called the Southern Quarter now says:



The child who called the Western Quarter says:



The child who called the Northern Quarter says:



Then the Adult says farewell to the Goddess and the God:



Now the Bell Ringer rings the bell three times to release the Sacred Space and says:



Explain that this is the signal that Sacred Time is over. The Circle has been released and the Sacred Space is no more.

Now the Adult says:

Litha Celebration Small Children Activities

Earth Puppets

Materials:
Use natural items found in the yard, tape, and glue.

The easiest kind of puppets can be made from a twig. Select a twig that forks. You now have 2 arms and a handle to hold the puppet with. Find a fallen flower, and tape the stem to the handle for the head. You can also tape the stem of a fallen leaf to the handle for the head. For clothing, wrap a leaf around the handle, and your puppet has natural summer wear.

Another puppet can be made with a pine cone. Glue the pine cone to the forked twig, for the head. Dried and fresh grass make loads of hair styles, beards, and mustaches. Use seeds or small rocks for eyes, nose, and mouth. Make clothing out of leaves and bonnets out of flower petals or acorn caps.

Use a large box or table for the stage, and enjoy the show.



Vegetable Tray Puppets

Materials:
Large carrots, popsicle sticks, cream cheese, raisins or olives, celery, parsley, green beans, radishes, cauliflower buds, broccoli buds, cucumber spears, any other desired vegetable, and cheese slices.

Having trouble getting the younger children to eat their vegetables? Let them play with their food! Peel several large carrots and cut off both ends. With a paring knife (adults only) cut a slit in the bottom of the larger end. Place several carrots on a plate. On a serving tray, in the middle place a small bowl of cream cheese, and surround with "garnishing vegetables". Cut cheese slices lengthwise to strips of hair.

Insert popsicle stick in the slit in a carrot. Using the cream cheese as glue, attach raisins or olives as eyes, and other assorted vegetables as arms, legs, hair, etc. Let the child(ren) put on a mealtime play before eating the characters. Lots of fun for the whole family!


Treasure Boxes

Materials:
Sturdy cardboard box, natural items for decoration, white glue, med-size paint brush.

This little box is for the youngster to collect "treasured" memories from summer. Start with a large shoe box and lid. Let the child collect some items from the yard, the park, and/or the beach. Glue flat items to the box, and place the non-flat items inside. To give the box a more durable finish, brush on a coat of white glue diluted with water. Encourage the child to tell stories of where the different items came from, or make up stories about the contents.



Wheelbarrow Planter

Materials:
1 plastic detergent scoop, 2 large brightly colored buttons, white glue, 1 cup potting soil, seeds.

Take the plastic detergent scoop and poke a couple of small holes in the bottom (adults only!) with a nail or a needle. Let each child pick out two brightly colored buttons for the wheels. Glue wheels onto the sides of the scoop so that it sits at an angle. Once the glue has dried, let the child pour 1/2 cup of potting soil in the scoop, place in a couple of seeds around the sides of the scoop, and pour in the rest of the soil. Slowly add water to the soil until soaked through. Place on small dish in sunny spot. Watch the new life grow from the seeds and spring forth from the soil just as life springs forth from the Goddess.


Litha Spiral Candles

Materials:
Decorating wax strips or preprinted wax logs, plain ball or short pillar candle(s), craft or butter knife.

Have your child choose a couple of colored wax strip combinations. Cut each strip into 2 pieces 2 3/4" long and on piece that is 2" long. Lay a short length of one color over a longer length of another color and roll them into a tight spiral log, 1/2" in diameter by 11/2" long. When you've got eight logs use the knife (adults or older children) to cut each log into as many slices as you can. Firmly press the wax slices all around the outside of the candle, starting at the base and working up. Continue placing the slices as close together as possible until the whole candle is covered.



Stained Glass Sun Catchers

Materials:
Wax paper, crayon shavings, colored string, yarn, or thread, lace, leaves, flower petals.

To begin, have the child empty crayon shavings from their sharpener, or (adults only!) use a paring knife to create shavings. A cheese grater works great for large crayons. Arrange shavings, and any of the accessory items the child chooses and sandwich between two sheets of wax paper. Iron (adults, of course) the whole package on low setting, just until the shavings melt. Cut the "stained glass" into shapes and hang them with string, in a sunny window.


Fairies' Feathered Friend Feeder

Materials:
An empty milk carton, nontoxic paint, glitter, white glue, popsicle sticks, 10" wooden dowel w/ 1/4" diameter, wire hanger (cut bottom of hanger for inserting into milk carton), birdseed.

Rinse out milk carton thoroughly. Do not completely open top, rather glue open spout back together. Cut 3" wide by 4" long arched openings on "spout" side and opposite side of carton, with base of opening approx. 3" from bottom of carton. Let the child paint the outside of the carton in Litha colors of red, yellow, orange, white, green. Before the paint dries let child sprinkle colored glitter all over the carton, (birds are attracted to shiny objects). Let carton dry. Glue painted or non-painted popsicle stick shingles onto the top of the carton as a roof. For the perches, poke holes in the carton just below the openings, and slip the wooden dowel through the holes. Poke two holes in the top of the carton just under the roof, insert one end of the cut hanger into each hole. Fill the bottom of the carton with wild birdseed. Hang in a spot that is easy to view, but far enough away from fences or other objects to thwart predators. Tell child how fairies, brownies, and sprites ride on the backs of birds to get from one place to another if it is too far to walk.

Summer Invocation
by Trish Telesco

For the little children to participate in the Litha ritual, have them call quarters!


"Fireflies and summer sun
in circles round
we become as one

Singing songs at magick's hour
we bring the winds
and timeless powers

Turning inward, hand in hand
Chant While Sun is Setting
we dance the hearth
Hail fair Sun
to heal the land
Ruler of the day;

Rise on the morn
Standing silent beneath the sky
To light my way.
We catch the fire
from our God's eye
Chant While Moon Gazing

Hail fair Moon
Swaying breathless, beside the sea
Ruler of the night;
we call the Goddess
Guard me and mine
So mote it be!
Until the light"