Power of the Sun - Invocation

Great One of Heaven,
Power of the Sun,
we invoke thee in thine ancient names -
Micheal, Balin, Arthur, Lugh;
come again as of old into this thy land....

... I am so sorry, but this post has been moved to my new website, Widdershins, and can be found in its entirety here: Great One Of Heaven

Whole Grain Bread for Lammas

Bread is a central feature in Lammas and Lughnasadh celebrations. Here's a great recipe for whole grain bread:

In a large mixing bowl combine:

• 2 cups milk (warm to the touch)
• 2 packages of dry baking yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup honey...

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, The Pagan Calendar, and can be found in its entirety here: Whole Grain Bread for Lammas

Lughnasadh aka Lammas

Lughnassadh (pronounced "LOO-nahs-ah") or Lammas, is one of the Greater Wiccan Sabbats and is usually celebrated on August 1st or 2nd, although occasionally on July 31st. The Celtic festival held in honor of the Sun God Lugh (pronounced "Loo") is traditionally held on August 7th. Some Pagans celebrate this holiday on the first Full Moon in Leo.

Other names for this Sabbat include the First Harvest Festival, the Sabbat of First Fruits, August Eve, Lammastide, Harvest Home, Ceresalia (Ancient Roman in honor of the Grain Goddess Ceres), Feast of Bread, Sabbat of First Fruits, Festival of Green Corn (Native American), Feast of Cardenas, Cornucopia (Strega), Thingtide and Elembiuos. Lughnassadh is named for the Irish Sun God Lugh (pronounced Loo), and variant spellings for the holiday are Lughnasadh, Lughnasad, Lughnassad, Lughnasa or Lunasa. The most commonly used name for this Sabbat is Lammas, an Anglo-Saxon word meaning "loaf-mass"....

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Lammas and Lughnasadh

Lammas and Lughnasadh is an ancient Pagan festival celebrated in many parts of the world. Typically falling on the first day of August, this festival celebrates the fruits of the first harvest of the year with a focus upon gratitude and blessings for abundance. The names Lammas and Lughnasadh are often used interchangeably which can create some confusion but the following will help to clear things up....

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Lugh, Master of Skills

Lugh (pronounced LOO) was known to the Celts as a god of craftsmanship and skill -- in fact, he was known as the Many-Skilled God, because he was good at so many different things. In one legend, Lugh arrives at Tara, and is denied entrance. He enumerates all the great things he can do, and each time the guard says, "Sorry, we've already got someone here who can do that." Finally Lugh asks, "Ah, but do you have anyone here who can do them ALL?"

Take the opportunity this day to celebrate your own skills and abilities, and make an offering to Lugh to honor him, the god of craftsmanship....

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A Lammas Harvest Ritual

In some Wiccan traditions, Lammas is the time of year when the Goddess takes on the aspects of the Harvest Mother. The earth is fruitful and abundant, crops are bountiful, and livestock are fattening up for winter. However, the Harvest Mother knows that the cold months are coming, and so she encourages us to begin gathering up what we can.

This is the season for harvesting corn and grain, so that we can bake bread to store and have seeds for next year's planting. If you would like to hold a Lammas harvest ritual, here's how:

What You Need:

• A candle to represent the Harvest Mother
• Stalks of wheat
• A loaf of bread...

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, Book of Shadows, and can be found in its entirety here: A Lammas Harvest Ritual

Lughnasadh Incense

Combine the following:

• 2 parts Frankincense
• 1 part Heather
• 1 part Apple blossoms...

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Lammas Bread Protection Spell

A book of Anglo-Saxon charms advised the crumbling of the Lammas loaf into four pieces and the burying of them in the four corners of the barn to make it safe for all the grain that would be stored there. You can also use this old spellcraft in a protection spell for your home. Here's how:


Bake a Lammas loaf, and when it is cool break it into four pieces ...

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Lammas Ritual Potpourri

Ingredients:

• 20 drops clove bud oil
• 25 drops sandalwood oil
• 1 cup oak moss
• 2 cups dried pink rosebuds
• 2 cups dried red peony petals...

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, Magickal Apothecary, and can be found in its entirety here: Lammas Ritual Potpourri

A Solar Wheel for Lughnasadh

You can create a Solar Wheel or a Corn Man Wheel using a wire coat hanger, cardboard, and several ears of Indian corn complete with the husks.

The wheel can then be used to decorate your altar, or you could hang it on your door as a decoration and a celebration of the wheel of the year. Corn is a symbol of fertility, and a Solar Wheel invokes the power of the Sun to bring health and happiness to your home....

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Warrior Meditation for Lughnasadh

At Lammas (or Lughnasadh), the harvest is kicking in. This is a time of year when the masculine energy of the earth is in full swing. For starters, it's the season of the spirit of grain, and a time to honor Lugh, the craftsman god. Lugh was not only a craftsman, but a gifted smith and swordsman. The season from late summer to the middle of fall is often a season of heightened energy for those who identify with the warrior soul.



Who Is the Warrior?
The warrior in today's society is someone who understands the idea of right action. He or she follows a code of honor, and abides by that code even when it may be inconvenient or unpopular. The warrior recognizes that the forces of creation and destruction must be balanced...

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Lammas - A Feast of Bread

In early Ireland, it was a bad idea to harvest your grain any time before Lammas -- it meant that the previous year's harvest had run out early, and that was a serious failing in agricultural communities. However, on August 1, the first sheafs of grain were cut by the farmer, and by nightfall his wife had made the first loaves of bread of the season.

The word Lammas derives from the Old English phrase hlaf-maesse, which translates to loaf mass. In early Christian times, the first loaves of the season were blessed by the Church...

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been divided into two separate posts, and moved to my new website, The Pagan Calendar. They can be found here: Lammas - A Feast of Bread, and here: Lammas Bread