Celebrating Lammas/Lughnasadh

The time of Lammas draws near (August 1st has become the traditional date though many celebrate the Holy Day when the Sun is at 15 degrees Leo, marking the midpoint between Solstice and Equinox…August 8th this year). Here at Witch house, we begin to think about preparing for the coming autumn and winter…and the very first thing we do is give thanks for our many blessings and focus on honoring the Ancestors and those who have gone before us…as well as honoring our Spirit Guides and Allies and of course our Gods and Goddesses.  This Sabbat is also called by the Celtic name Lughnasadh which means “wake of Lugh” (some sources say “Assembly of Lugh”) and points to the theme of the Sun God giving His life at the Summer Solstice which passes into the grain and fruits of the Earth Mother…and so we meditate on how the Life of the Sun has passed into the Earth and transforms into the resources and food that will sustain us in the coming times..thanks to the Mother receiving His life force and transforming it into new Life…the promise of the Spiral.  Nature provides us with everything in abundance so we honor these cycles and recognize our place within them.  We celebrate the Life of the grain harvest from the past which is considered to have passed into the last grain harvested… which will become the seeds of future plantings and harvesting…in the great cycle of Life.  This last harvested Grain was traditionally dressed and venerated…and kept until Spring where it would be ritually planted in the fields with the other seeds.  Making Corn Dollies is a traditional and fun activity during the Season’s celebrations.

We hope you find the following suggestions and ideas helpful in your own celebrations and practices…May Life thrive and flourish and may you be blessed with a bountiful first Harvest xoxox

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Try making a corn dolly to represent our veneration of the life of the grain…sometimes, this dolly is kept until Imbolc when it is imbued with new fecundity and burned in the sacred fire and the ashes scattered over the field.

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Creating a Corn Necklace

A fun activity that me and Brother Christopher like to do during this Season…is creating Corn necklaces from the beautiful indurata, calico or “flint” corn…which comes in an abundance and variety of color…we like to wear these during our ceremony and use as decorations for the altar.  Here’s how we do it.

1) Remove kernels from the corn husks.

2) Boil kernels for 15 minutes and then allow to cool completely…let soak in cold water over night (or until a needle can easily pierce the kernel).

3) Cut a length of nylon beading string bigger than the size necklace you want to create (make sure you can fit it over your head).

4) Thread the needle with the beading string.

5) Pierce the center of a kernel with the needle and slide it down leaving about four inches at the end of the floss.

6) Repeat step 5 until you have filled up almost the entire length of thread (leave room on either end so you can tie the ends together).

7) Tie the two ends together to form the necklace stop kernels from slipping off.

Here’s a picture of one that I created:

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Witch Joseph’s Lammas Grain Spell

You will need: a piece of green material, 3 grains either wheat or dried corn, and a green ribbon or cord.

during Lammas ritual, consecrate the grains and whisper to them three positive intentions that you would like to manifest in your life…then holding them visualize energy coming from the palms of your hands and charging them with life force.  When you sense they are fully charged with your intentions, place them in the green cloth and tie it securely closed with the cord, using 3 knots.  Keep on or near your altar and sacred things until the Spring, when you can plant them in the garden or somewhere in Nature.

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One of the chants that has become traditional for our Lammas ritual is the following one that comes from the Reclaiming tradition.  (I encourage you to check out their CDs of their chant music resources on their website…they have amazing things that are so helpful for contemporary Witches and Pagans.)

https://reclaimingcollective.wordpress.com/reclaiming-tradition-witchcraft/

Sun King

by Raven Moonshadow

 

O tell me why, O tell me why,

Tell me why must the clouds come

To darken the sky.

This is the wake of Lugh the Sun King;

He lost His life on Solstice day.

This is the wake of Lugh the Sun King;

He steps into the dark and guides the way.

(Also, I believe there are videos of this chant being performed on the Internet.)

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Here is my Biscuit recipe…perfect for Lammastide

Witch Joseph’s Biscuit Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups of Flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, 8 tablespoons of very cold unsalted butter and 1 cup whole buttermilk

preheat Oven to 450 degrees f.  Butter and flour baking rack.  Mix dry ingredients…cut the butter into the dry ingredients…mix buttermilk into the dry ingredients (don’t over mix).  On lightly floured surface, you will want to laminate the dough (which should be a little sticky) which means folding it over 5 or 6 times, to create the layers of delicious flakiness… flatten the dough to about 1 inch thick and cut out the biscuits using a biscuit cutter…arrange biscuits on baking rack touching each other…put into oven and bake for 11-14 minutes or until golden brown and flaky.  Serve warm with butter and local honey.

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Lammas/Lughnasadh Ritual

 

Items Needed: candle (or cauldron water) for fire

Bread baked in the form of the God

 

Altar is decorated with Wheat and Grain and Harvest Themes centered around the Grain…in Gold, Brown, Yellow and Earth tones

grounding and purification, according to your tradition

Sabbat Declaration:

 

“We gather on this holy night of Lammas, to honor the first Harvest, the Harvest of the Grain.  We celebrate the life of the Great God that nourishes us and preserves our lives.  We release all fear as we follow our Lord into the darkness on His journey towards Rebirth!!”

Response: “Blessed Be!”

 

General Blessing, according to your tradition

Casting of the Circle/Erecting the Temple/Creation of Sacred Space according to your tradition.

Invocation of Deities, according to your tradition.

Ritual Leader:”This is the feast of the first Harvest, the feast of Lammas, when we celebrate the life of the Grain.  We give honor and thanks to Great Lugh, who lifts His shining spear to light the lives of all beings and who offers His life to us in the Grain which is the gift of our Mother the Earth.”                                                                                              -candle in cauldron is lit (always exercise safety and precautions when lighting candles or working with live Fire) -bread shaped like the God is passed thru the flames of the Lammas candle/fire saying: “Behold, the Grain of Life.  We eat of the Life that ever dies and is reborn.”  -A piece of the bread is now distributed to all present and is eaten-  “Blessed Be!”  Response: “Blessed Be!”

Cakes and Ale according to your tradition

Thanksgiving to the Mighty Ones according to your tradition

Releasing the Circle