Lughnasadh / Lammas

July 31st Lughnasadh / Lammas

Lughnasadh means the funeral games of Lugh (pronounced Loo), referring to Lugh, the Irish sun god. However, the funeral is not his own, but the funeral games he hosts in honor of his foster-mother Tailte. For that reason, the traditional Tailtean craft fairs and Tailtean marriages (which last for a year and a day) are celebrated at this time.

This day originally coincided with the first reapings of the harvest. It was known as the time when the plants of spring wither and drop their fruits or seeds for our use as well as to ensure future crops.

As autumn begins, the Sun God enters his old age, but is not yet dead. The God symbolically loses some of his strength as the Sun rises farther in the South each day and the nights grow longer.

The Christian religion adopted this theme and called it 'Lammas ', meaning 'loaf-mass ', a time when newly baked loaves of bread are placed on the altar. An alternative date around August 5 (Old Lammas), when the sun reaches 15 degrees Leo, is sometimes employed by Covens.

Traditional Foods:
Apples, Grains, Breads and Berries.

Herbs and Flowers:
All Grains, Grapes, Heather, Blackberries, Sloe, Crab Apples, Pears.

Incense:
Aloes, Rose, Sandalwood.

Sacred Gemstone:
Carnelian.

Special Activities:
As summer passes, many Pagans celebrate this time to remember its warmth and bounty in a celebrated feast shared with family or Coven members. Save and plant the seeds from the fruits consumed during the feast or ritual. If they sprout, grow the plant or tree with love and as a symbol of your connection with the Lord and Lady. Walk through the fields and orchards or spend time along springs, creeks, rivers, ponds and lakes reflecting on the bounty and love of the Lord and Lady.

Blessed Be!

Lammas Ritual
Lughnassadh, First Harvest, August 1st


Tools:
In addition to your m'jyk-l tools, you will need:


Golden Yellow Center Cloth

1 Gold Candle

1 Silver Candle

Summer Blend Incense (recipe from Litha Ritual)

Harvest Vegetables

Golden Stones or other Sun Symbols

Cornbread Cupcakes

Cauldron

Apple Cider

Any other personal items of choice


Preparation:
Sweep area moving in a deosil manner. Outline the perimeter of your Circle cornmeal or yellow sand. Place Gold Center cloth on the alter and garnish with Harvest Vegetables, (Corn, Squash, etc), Grains, (Oats, Rice, Wheat, Rye, etc), and Fruits ( Apples, Berries, Cherries, Plums, etc), on the alter. Set the Gold God Candle to the top right of center, and surround with Gold Stones or Sun Symbols. Place the Silver Goddess Candle to the top left of center. Place your (cauldron, if coven) chalice full of Cider in the center and surround with Cornbread Cupcakes. Take a shower or bath or purification. Sit quietly and meditate for a while, the ground and center. When ready, play some soothing music in correspondence with the ritual.

Cast the circle and call Quarters... Pick up your wand with your right hand, face the North with arms stretched out above head, and say:


"What will be is. What was will be.
The Wheel of the Year forever turns.
Dark to light, light to dark,
each season passes with lessons learned.

We plant with love, tend with respect,
and at Harvest time our yields reflect The bounty of our Mother Earth,
ripened by our Father Sun.

Now upon our humble hearth, gifts we offer the Two that are One.
As each day passes, shorter than the last.
May we each be reminded of the seasons that have passed.
The marriage and the seeding of the Goddess back in May,
Her womb swollen with life anew at Summer Solstice Day,
All this time the Father Sun has shone with so much pride.

Rising early, setting late,
and now that he's supplied The warmth and light to bring to bear,
the Goddess and the lands He knows that his death is drawing near,
but this secret he understands,
that with the turning of the wheel, his rebirth has been planned."


Place you wand upon the alter and with both hands gesture to the Harvest Vegetables, Grains, and Fruits you have adorned the alter with.


"Truly blessed are we that receive the bounty of the Harvest,
Blessed be our Mother Earth,
Blessed be our Father Sun,
As he teaches us of life, death, and rebirth.
I honor Thee, The Two that are One."


Pick up one of the Cornbread Cupcakes, and offer up to the God/dess, saying:


"Blessed be the Harvest,
Blessed be the Corn Mother,
Blessed be the Grain God,
For together they nourish both body and soul.
Many blessings I have been given,
I count them now by this bread."


Now name all the things that you are currently grateful for. With each item that you name, break off a piece of the Cornbread Cupcake and eat it. Sip from the chalice filled with Apple Cider as well. When finished with list of blessings, take the a small handful of the Grain from you alter and hold it in you open hand at face level, saying:


"Guardian of the East, I pray for your indulgence.
Hear me now as I request your aid in the cycle of life.
As your winds blow through fields of ripened grain,
Carry loosened seeds upon your back That they may fall amidst the soil
that is our Mother Earth.

She will cover them in times of storm, protecting and nourishing Them until they sprout next Spring, beginning life anew."


Blow gently across your hand as if imitating the wind taking the seeds air-born. Continue:


"I give thanks to the Great Mother,
Goddess of fertile land.
And to the Great Father,
Consort and Provider.

For as their bounty sustains my life,
so does their bounty sustain my brethren;

All living creatures of wood and field,
Of lake and stream, and of air.

Of these blessings I partake And share.
Blessed be this Harvest Night, The Givers and the gift."


Face the alter and assume the Goddess position, saying:


"All things have their season.
Again the wheel has turned and brought us To the season of the First Harvest.
A time when we think about sacrifices and reborn hope,
A time when we reflect on what we have sown by what we reap,
A time when we gather our memories,
And from those lessons that we have learned,
We plan for the future.

Blessed Be our Mother, whose womb contains and bears all life.
Blessed Be our Father, whose seed plants all life.
Blessed Be the Two that are One,
From Them life flows and flows back again."


Now is the time for meditation and spellworkings. If no spellworkings are to be done, proceed with the Cakes and Ale ceremony, followed by releasing the Circle.

Lughnasadh Recipes

Known as the feast of bread.  Whole grain loafs, corn bread, berries, crab apples, barley soup and beer

Corn Bread

2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk

3 tbsp shortening melted
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Beat eggs, add buttermilk and melted shortening mix well
mix dry ingredients add to egg mixture
beat until smooth pour into greased pan\bake at 375 about 25 minutes serve hot
 

Beef Barley Soup

2 quarts water
soup bone with the meat on
1/2 cup celery tops
1TBSP salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup uncooked barley
3 cups coursely chopped cabbage
1 cup sliced celery
2 cups sliced parsnips
2 cups thinly slice onions
1 can 12 oz tomato paste
 

Combine water, bone and celery tops
Bring to boil and cover lightly.  Simmer for 2 hours
Remove bone and chop meat
Stir in barley and chopped meat. Cook 30 minutes
Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes or until veggies are tender
 
 

Berry Parfait

Just layer strawberries then whipped cream, blueberries then whipped cream then raspberries and whip cream