Samhain Yule Imbolc
Ostara Beltane
Litha Lammas Mabon
“Summer’s end is
nigh, for today is Lughnasadh”
The sun is setting on summer as the wheel turns to
Lammas, mourn its ending and celebrate the autumn nights drawing in. Lammas/Lughnasadh
is celebrated in the month of the Barley Moon at the beginning of August when
the sun is at its hottest. Though the earth is dry and parched, the harvest
season is upon us with its bright reds and yellows.
As the Wheel
Turns
Lammas is the festival which falls between the Summer
Solstice and the Autumn Equinox. It is the first of the Harvest celebrations
and is opposite on the wheel to Imbolc, which begins the spring celebrations.
This is the time to celebrate the ending of summer days and the oncoming cool
of the autumn. However, there is more than the harvest to celebrate at Lammas;
it has a pseudonym in the Celtic traditions: Lughnasadh and the namesake God of
Lughnasadh is Lugh – the Skilful God. This time on the wheel is His time,
honour Lugh at Lammas to honour a Celtic heritage.
Harvest Hub
Lammas is a celebration of the first harvest;
the golden hue of wheat deepening in the fields, the ripening of fruits in
orchards and groves and the rich green summer vegetables being picked. Reap
what has been sown; gather the grain, the wheat and the oats and use them. Use
them to nourish, use them to craft for the celebration of Lammas is to rejoice
in the magick of the Sabbat which brings us the abundant gifts of the divine
union between the sun and earth - such a bounty that this festival was created
around it.
Lugh Love
Lugh is the most prominent deity at Lammas;
in Celtic traditions, the Lammas Sabbat is named for him: Lughnasadh. He is
known as the Sun God, High King an Bright God of the Tuatha de Danaan and the
sacred day of Lammas/Lughnasadh is an auspicious and ideal time to honour Him
most whole-heartedly. Be you a descendant of Celtic heritage or a follower of its
traditions, Lugh is Lord and Master of this day and should be treated as such.
Revel in the mastery he wields over skill and craftsmanship; sing his name as
you dance with sunflowers, as you decorate your home with wheat sheaves and
place a wreath of golden poppies in your hair.
Traditions
Corn Dollies
Corn dollies are created from a very old practice
called wheat-weaving. This practice, like many in pagan traditions, was started
with the hope of abundance. The corn dollies of old would be made by farmers
from the last few strains of a bountiful harvest; they would weave the strains
in hope of capturing the spirit of the wheat. The following Spring, the farmer
would plant that weaving/dolly and make it the first grain planted with the
wish of a bountiful harvest.
Making Corn Dollies is a fun
activity to do with children and though the point of them is based in magickal
protection, the making of them is highly enjoyable and builds the excitement
level for altar decorating. Personalise them with decorations, even a naming
rite for children to perform could be incorporated into Sabbat happenings.
There are many instructional videos on
youTube regarding how to make them but these are my favourites:
Hand Fastings
Much like Beltane, Lammas is a traditional
time for Hand Fastings; this is credited to Lughnasadh, which is the Celtic
celebration of the first harvest. In it’s most literal translation from Gaelic,
Lughnasadh reads as Marriage of Lug – he who is the celebrated God of the
Harvest and ‘nasadh’ meaning to give in marriage. This is perhaps why the tradition
of being wed during the hot days when summer is beginning to give way to autumn
is so popular – to revel in the heat and the headiness of the Sun God’s waning
reign.
With this in mind, a hand fasting at Lughnasadh is
a wonderful way of not only honouring Lugh but also having an abundance of
harvest decorations at your wedding celebration. Golden light that mirrors the
sheaves of earth’s bounty and the passionate heat that is ingrained in the air.
Activities
I partake in the
fruits of the First Harvest,
So that I might
share in the wisdom it offers.
The traditions of Lammas go back centuries and
epitomise the time of Harvest; golden fields of wheat that shiver in the late
summer breezes; bronzed sheaves ploughed for an abundance of flour. It stands
to reason then that one of the most sacred symbols of the Lammas festival is
bread – loaves and biscuits and cakes. Baking is a form of alchemy and I have
here provided several recipes which make a delicious feast respectful of Lammas
traditions.
Bread Baking
I have collected many recipes devoted to all the
sabbats over the years but I am posting a selection of my favourites to my
second (recipe) blog. Please take a look if you are in need of baking inspiration
for the celebration of Harvest.
Loaf Blessing
I considered several ways
to approach this blessing but as grains are a gift from the earth and are a
direct result of exposure to all the elements, an element blessings seemed the
most fitting to bestow thanks and positive energy on the spoils of their
harvest. I used crystals as element representations this time but I have
included other options which are effective alternatives.
Preparation
Start by gathering together
your items:
·
Circle
casting items
As this ritual is being
performed during Harvest time, I cast a circle which mirrors the abundance of
colour and bounty the harvest is famous for and will usually draw the energy of
my altar out to create my magickal boundary or use a single strand of wheat to
cast a golden light; a physical circle could be cast with grains, the quarters
could be marked with element/direction decorated corn dollies. Be creative, be
inspired, set a harmonious and bountiful intention.
·
Element
items (must be safe to consume)
As I am currently very
taken with crystals as a representation of the elements, this is the example I
am using for the ritual; a tumble stone of each should be gathered.
Earth:
Amazonite/Pentacles/Isa I
Air:
Citrine/Swords/Ansuz A
Fire:
Carnelian/Wands/Soweluz S
Water:
Lapis Lazuli/Cups/Laguz L
·
The
loaf or other baked goods to be blessed
Method
1)
Ground
& centre in your usual manner or add a harvest flair; there’s no such thing
as too many correspondence.
2) Cast your circle; I personally
cast a harvest circle for this rite and because I am using the elements for the
blessing itself, I make a substantial effort in calling the quarters. My ‘Advanced
Quarter Calls’ can be found HERE (still to be added).
3) Now, place the loaf on your
altar or focal platform. With each element crystal at its corresponding
cardinal point – North/Earth; East/Air; South/Fire; West/Water.
4) Ring a bell five times or light your working candle
and four others or do both if the mood takes you; this highlights the beginning
of ritual.
5) I like to invoke deity here
and to include the magickal touch of autumn, I specifically using the Autumn
Goddess Charge: (http://acantharayne.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/autumn-goddess-charge.html).
Ring your bell
6) Visualise them creating a
cage of energy above and below the loaf to create a sphere of delicate
elemental light. I touch each crystal to ‘activate’ it’s beam of energy being
released and recite:
Earth energies of bounty
Grow abundant light
Above, below my sustenance
Be present this Lammas
night
Air energies of knowledge
Breathe abundant light
Above, below my sustenance
Be present this Lammas
night
Fire energies of strength
Burn with abundant light
Above, below my sustenance
Be present this Lammas
night
Water energies of wisdom
Flow with abundant light
Above, below my sustenance
Be present this Lammas
night
Ring your bell
7) In turn, from your Earth
crystal, place each one upon the loaf from top to bottom and as you place each
one, recite:
Abundant light of the Earth
Send blessings, one, two,
three
Your first, I’ll hold within
my heart
The second on this loaf
impart
Your third will, for the
year ahead
Provide your bounty to keep
us fed
Abundant light of Air
Send blessing one, two
three
Your first, I’ll hold
within my heart
The second on this loaf
impart
Your third will, for the
year ahead
Provide your bounty to keep
us fed
Abundant light of Fire
Send blessing one, two
three
Your first, I’ll hold
within my heart
The second on this loaf
impart
Your third will, for the
year ahead
Provide your bounty to keep
us fed
Abundant light of Water
Send blessing one, two
three
Your first, I’ll hold
within my heart
The second on this loaf
impart
Your third will, for the
year ahead
Provide your bounty to keep
us fed
Ring your
bell
8) Release deity with a simple
incantation:
I am a witch of the
physical plane
I watch the earth’s cycle
of wax and wane
I am the witch; in circle I
stand
The Goddess beside me,
holding my hand
Ring your
bell
9) Remove your crystals and
place them back at the cardinal points.
10) Slice the loaf into 7 – I chose
7 because Lammas is the seventh Sabbat if you count Samhain as the first. Use
the middle slice as an offering to the Goddess; bury the crusts in the earth
after the ritual closing. If you adapt this to a coven ritual, the coven will
partake of the remaining slices at this moment or at a Lammas meal after
closing the circle; any bread that is not being used by the coven or the individual
practitioner can be left out for the birds.
Ring your
bell
11)
Close
your circle; ground and centre.
12) Lastly…
a)
Collect your crystals and place them into a spell pouch to use
in another element blessing.
b)
Clean up any breadcrumbs and bury them with the crust ends of
the loaf.
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