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~*~ Lughnassadh ~ August 1st ~*~
Lughnassadh is August 1 or
the first Full Moon in Leo. This is a preharvest festival, the turning point
in Mother Earth's year. The last herbs are gathered. It is a celebration in
honor of the god Lugh's wedding to Mother Earth.
Also known as:
Lammas, August Eve, The Festival of Bread, Elembiuos, Lunasa, Cornucopia
Date: August 1 or 2, or the first Full Moon of Leo
Symbols: All Grains, Breads, Threshing Tools, Berries (especially
Blackberries)
Deities: Harvest and Grain Deities, New Mother Goddesses
Colors: Gray, Yellow, Gold, Green
Herbs: cornstalks, heather, frankincense, and wheat may be burned;
acacia flowers, corn ears, hollyhock, myrtle, oak leaves, and wheat may be
decorations.
Lughnassadh (Loo-NAHS-ah) is named for the Irish sun God, Lugh, and is
usually looked upon as the first of the three Pagan harvest festivals.
Lughnasadh is primarily a grain harvest, one in which corn, wheat, barley
and grain products such as bread are prominently featured. Fruits and
vegetables which ripen in late summer are also a part of the traditional
feast. The Goddess, in her guise as the Queen of Abundance, is honored as
the new mother who has given birth to the bounty, and the God is honored as
the Father of Prosperity.
The threshing of precious grain was once seen as a sacred act, and threshing
houses had small wooden panels under the door so that no loose grain could
escape. This is the original meaning of our modern word "threshold".
The following are a few suggestions for activities that may be
incorporated into the Sabbat ritual or engaged in during the day.
String Indian corn on black thread for a necklace.
Create and bury a Witch's Bottle. This is a glass jar with sharp pointy
things inside to keep away harm. You can use needles, pins, thorns,
thistles, nails, and bits of broken glass; it's a good way to dispose of
broken crockery, old sewing equipment, and the pins that come in new
clothes. Bury it near the entry to the house (like next to the driveway or
the front door), or inside a large planter.
Make a Corn Dolly to save for next Imbolc. Double over a bundle of wheat and
tie it near the top to form a head. Take a bit of the fiber from either side
of the main portion and twist into arms that you tie together in front of
the dolly. Add a small bouquet of flowers to the "hands," and then you can
decorate the dolly with a dress and bonnet (the dress and bonnet may be made
out of corn husks if you wish, or and cotton material is fine too).
Collect blackberries and make a fresh pie marked with the Solar Cross.
Sprout wheat germ in a terra cotta saucer (these can be found in nurseries
for use under terra cotta flower pots). The sprouts can be added to homemade
bread or used as an offering. Children enjoy planting the seeds and watching
them grow, too.
God the grain,
Lord of rebirth.
Return in spring,
Renew the Earth.
Activities
taken from
Grimoire for the Green Witch: A Complete Book of Shadows
Wiccan Sabbat Books...
Lammas: Celebrating Fruits of the First Harvest
Witches' Sabbats
A Year of Ritual
Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Beltane to Mabon
Seasons of the Witch: Celebrating the 8 Wiccan Festivals of the Year
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*About Me
I, Syrah, am simply a Wiccan Priestess who upon the discovery of Wicca
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