Magick of Lughnassadh/Lammas

by **Lady River Dragonsong** Tue Nov 08, 2011 10:27 pm

Magick of Lughnassadh/Lammas
August 1st to August 7th

This cross-quarter ceremony is best done between August 1st to August 7th or near the time when the sun is 15 degrees Leo (which occurs on August 7th at 2:30 pm PDT). So any day during these dates will be supporting energy to align with the Universe and the emanating vibrations of known as Lughasadh to the Druids and also called Lammas. It is a celebration day of the Sun and the First Harvest of the year.

Lammas is the 5th Festival of a Druidic year. It is during this time that our ancestors celebrated the foods of the Earth and the honoring of the Great Mother for her abundance that was not only seen, but felt, tasted, shared and used in many ways for the continuance of life (including replanting of seeds from the foods used at the celebration). It was a time of great gatherings and the families would come together to celebrate the gifts of the Earth Goddes, play games, compete, and form unions. The union of marriage was performed at this time, with a couple coming before the Priest/Priestess to honor their relationship and to set out for one year and a day to explore the relationships value for life. If, after the year and a day they found they could not remain together, they came back to the ceremony of Lughasadh, announced their decision to the Priest/Priestess, and the marriage was annulled. If, they found they were compatible, they held another ceremony to seal the marriage for life.

Commitment was a theme of the day; and so it is for the ritual you will perform. It is time to look at your commitments. What are they for? Are you committed to a loving relationship? Are you looking to commit to a loving relationship? Are you committed to an educational process? Are you committed to a career process? Are you committed to a community project? Are you committed to a Spiritual Quest? What is the commitment (s) you would like to focus on, empower by the right use of energy, and then honor for a year-and-a-day? Think on this with an open heart and open mind.

This is a great power time of the Grain Goddesses (all of them from any country, spiritual group or practice). For this Ritual we will call forth Taillte, the Goddess of Grains, Competition and Commitment of the Celts. However, other grain goddesses can be called as well: From the Greek traditions, Artemis; Changing Woman or Corn Mother of the Native Americans; Chicomecoatl of the Aztecans; Guadalupe of the Mexican tradition; Kornjunfer of Germany; Marcia of Italy; Mawu of Africa; Nisaba of the Chaldean’s; Po Ino Nogar of Cambodia; Saning Sri of Japan; Tuaret of Egypt; Yellow Land Earth Queen of China; or perhaps Zaramama of Peru. The choice is yours, the desire needs to be from your heart.
This is a time of sharing, of caring and of honoring all levels of abundance in your life. Be sure that you bring about a way to share your gifts of abundance. Above all, be sure that you set your altar as a reflection of gratitude and awareness that you have of abundance as a way of letting the Great Mother know of your heart filled with thanks for the life gifts you have.

Items to bring to your celebration are loaves of bread, wheat stalks, berries, nuts, ale or fruitful drinks, tea’s and wines. Flowers for the altar are always appropriate with Sunflower’s, Hollyhocks, Acacia flowers and buds of the citrus trees.

Because this ceremony also marks the entrance into the season of Fall and the ending of the Summer Light, it is appropriate to honor the Solar Gods with Lugh (or Llew) being the head of the team. However, others can be called out as well. Lugh is the Celtic God most often called forth to honor the passage of the Summer and the celebration of the first harvest.

As you prepare for this ceremony, do bring to your mind all that you have accomplished so far this year. Look at how you have reaped your rewards and how these rewards look to you today. Review how your were committed to a year-and-a-day as you celebrated one year ago in August. Honor the gifts of abundance you have received throughout this year. Celebrate the awakening of Recognition within you of your union with Source. Are you ready to simply honor your rewards and commit to new ones? Are you ready to expand your process that you are working on for life? What are you ready to commit to as you celebrate Lughasadh?