Add some appropriate Lammas, Lughnasadh, or Mid-Summer songs, chants, prayers, reflections, invocations, or poems to your Neo-Pagan Craft Journal, Book of Shadows, blog, website, or Ritual Handbook. Write in your personal journal. Most spiritual seekers keep a notebook, journal or log as part of their experimental, creative, magical and experiential work.
Leo
July 24 – August 23
Designated Goddess: Arinna(Anatolia)
Other Goddesses: Cybele, Neshto, Juno, Sun Woman
The Goddess Book of Days
Diane Stein
Working and meditating in the garden is an important facet of any spiritual path. We need to regularly reconnect with the earth and the autumn season outdoors. Tend your garden daily. Water your garden each day. Weed your vegetable garden. Harvest squash, tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables from your garden each day. Review your own lists of chores for July and August, and act accordingly.
Friday For Freya: Astarte, Aphrodite, Erzulie, Aida Wooo, Eve, Venus, Diana, Isis, the Witch of Gaeta, Chalchiuhtlique
The Goddess Book of Days
Diane Stein
The Celtic God, Luga (Lugh, Long Hand), is noted for his high level skills in many arts and crafts: smith, carpenter, bard, healer, herbalist, magician, gamesman, spear throwing, military leadership, etc. Get out your paintbrush. Fix something in the yard or garden or home. Tidy up the garden. Create something, make something. Start learning a new practical skill or craft.
Voodoun ceremonies in Haiti for Maitresse Silvertine and Maitresse Lorvana. In Japan, Gion Matsuri, dedicated to the brother of Sun Goddess Amaterasu. Sun Gods are: Izanagi, Apollo, Quetzalcoatl, Christ, Ra, Mercury, Hermes, Pan, Bacchus, Dionysus, Heme, Tammuz, Attis, Adonis, Damuzi, Baal, Helios, Mithra, Melek, Osiris, and Horus.
The Goddess Book of Days
Diane Stein
Check out astronomical details about the rising of the Dog Star, Sirius, in late July, and the beginning of the “Dog Days of Summer.”
Northern Tradition honors the god known to the Anglo-Saxons as Thunor and to the Norse as Thor. The time of Thorn is one of ascendant powers and orderliness. This day also honors the sainted Norwegian king, Olaf, slain around Lammas Day. Its traditional calendar symbol is an axe.
The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick
Do some thinking, reflection, or discursive meditation on various themes. Here are some themes to reflect upon: What are the relations between Chaos, Gaia, and Eros? What role does more sunlight play in bringing forth the bountiful harvest? What does summertime mean to you?
Friday is the day of Venus. It takes it name from Frigg, the Goddess of love and transformation. She rules the spiritual side of a person that manifests in the physical. Because of this, Friday is often thought of as dangerously unpredictable. This is expressed in an old East Anglian adage:
Friday’s day will have its trick
The fairest or foulest day of the week.
Deity: Frigg
Zodiac Sign: Taurus/Libra
Planet: Venus
Tree: Apple
Herb: Vervain
Stone: Sapphire/Chrsolite
Animal: Bull/Serpent
Element: Earth
Color: Yellow/Violet
Number: 7
Rune: Peorth(P)
Celtic Tree Month of Tinne(Holly) – July 8 – August 4. Holly, an evergreen plant reminds us all year long about the immortality of nature. The Holly moon was called Tinne, pronounced chihnn-uh, by the Celts, who knew the potent Holly was a symbol of masculine energy and firmness. The ancients used the wood of the Holly in the construction of weapons, but also in protective magic.
Runic Half-Month of Thorn (defense) – July 29 – August 12
Goddess of the Month of Kerea – July 11 – August 8
The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick
Renew supplies of your favorite ritual-recreational drug: coffee, tobacco, alcohol (whiskey, beer, wine), fuzzy herbs, etc.. Beer and whiskey, made from barley, are often part of joyful summer harvest feast celebrations. Read about the song John Barleycorn.
Love
Peace
Family
Marriage
Beauty
Growth
Art
Social status
Passion
Music
Sexuality
A Spell Crafter’s Compendium
Terri Paajanen
Prepare for the “Games” of the First Harvest Feast. The Greek Olympics and Roman Heracleia games were held at this time. What games might you play? Horseshoes, boche ball, races, swimmng races, croquet, volleyball, badminton, frisbee, baseball, wrestling, spear throwing, arrow shooting, weight tossing …. Get your equipment and playing court ready, and practice.
This week is all about the planets, the Moon, and the Delta Aquarid meteor shower.
By Richard Talcott
Friday, July 29
The Southern Delta Aquarid meteor shower isn’t the only event you’ll want to keep an eye on this morning. As the waning crescent Moon marches eastward relative to the background stars of Taurus, it passes directly in front of the Bull’s luminary. Our satellite occults 1st-magnitude Aldebaran for observers south of a line that runs from southern New Mexico to northern Maine. While viewers north of this line will see the Moon and star just miss each other, those along the line will witness the star skimming Luna’s northern limb. Be sure to set up ahead of time, center the star in your telescope’s field of view, and watch the magnificent show.
Uranus’ eastward motion against the background stars comes to a halt at 10 p.m. EDT. This so-called stationary point marks the beginning of the best period to observe the outer planet. Uranus rises before midnight local daylight time and appears more than halfway to the zenith in the southeastern sky as morning twilight commences. The magnitude 5.8 planet lies in Pisces, 2.7° due north of magnitude 4.8 Mu (m) Piscium. A telescope reveals Uranus’ blue-green disk, which spans 3.6″.
Saturday, July 30
Although Saturn reached its peak nearly two months ago, it remains a lovely sight. You can find the planet nearly due south around 9 p.m. local daylight time. Saturn shines at magnitude 0.3 and appears far brighter than any of the surrounding stars of southwestern Ophiuchus. When viewed through a telescope, the planet measures 18″ across while its dramatic ring system spans 40″ and tilts 26° to our line of sight.
Sunday, July 31
The two inner planets lurk low in the western sky shortly after sunset all week. Your best chance to spot them comes when they lie highest in the twilight this evening. If you scan the western horizon through binoculars 30 minutes after sunset, you should pick up Venus standing just 3° high. It shows up only because in shines so brightly, at magnitude –3.9. Mercury appears 6° above the horizon but will be harder to see because it glows more dimly at magnitude –0.2. And if you have a haze-free sky, you might spot the 1st-magitude star Regulus between the two planets.
Read about and make a loaf of bread. Loaves of bread are a traditional part of the First Harvest Feast. Break bread into four pieces and place at each of the Four Corners altars. Lammas means “Loaf Mass” in the Welsh language. Sharing bread is a common feature of a Lammas celebration. What is the role of baking bread in human culture? Find a really good bakery in your area.
The Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 100.64° E
Sun Altitude: 44.56°
Sun Distance: 94.375 million mi
Next Equinox: Sep 22, 2016 9:21 AM (Autumnal)
Sunrise Today: 5:57 AM↑ 66° East
Sunset Today: 8:04 PM↑ 294° Northwest
Length of Daylight: 14 hours, 6 minutes
The Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 208.01° SSW
Moon Altitude: 67.56°
Moon Distance: 230494 mi
Next New Moon: Aug 2, 20163:44 PM
Next Full Moon: Aug 18, 20164:26 AM
Next Moonset: Today4:19 PM
Current Moon Phase: Waning Crescent
Illumination: 21.3%
Since Lammas is now so close, we will be providing little hints along the way on how to celebrate and various other things. Like this one right here…..
Collect corn husks, dry and store in shade. “Corn” was a generic term for cereal crops (i.e., wheat, barley, oats), and New World corn was added after 1520. Our non-irrigated winter wheat is harvested in June and July where I live. We can collect wild wheat stalks and seeds, tie, and hang in shade. Make a corn dolly and keep until the Yule Celebration. We can pick fruit (apricots, berries, figs and plums) and dry them. Many kinds for fruit are ripe in late July, so place some of these on your home altar. Many garden herbs are at their peak and ready for harvesting to make herbal remedies, air fresheners, use in herbal magic, and for decoration. There are hundreds of good books and websites on the magical, sacramental, and health uses of herbs.
Will you be of Wicca, tonight?
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
Then come with me to the Circle of Light.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.
Take up these herbs and brew up a tea.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
And drink it all down; the gods you shall see.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.
Take up the glass, and look at your face.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
Go into yourself and find a new place.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.
Go to the Woods, and find an Oak tree.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
And cling to it tight, and strong you shall be.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.
Go to the Mountains and call to the Wind.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
And fly through the Air with the Thoughts that you send.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.
Fly to the Sun, and touch its bright Flame.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
Open your Mind; now choose a new Name.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.
Go to the Sea, and call to the Moon.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
Raise up your arms, then sing out Her tune.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.
Now join your hands with Those who surround.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
Now share the Power that we send around.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.
We shall part, but meet again soon.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
To dance, and sing, and Call Down the Moon.
Bend the Will, the Wish you shall find.
Author: Selena Fox
Originally published on Pagan Library
Witches Of The Craft® 
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