Category: The Sabbats
The Witches Guide to Lammas c. 2018
The Witches Guide to Lammas
A guide to the Sabbat’s symbolism
by Arwynn MacFeylynnd
Date: August 1 or 2.
Alternative names: Lughnassadh, Lammastide, August Eve, Harvest Home, Ceresalia (Roman, in honor of the grain goddess Ceres), First Fruits, Festival of Green Corn (Native American), Feast of Cardenas, Cornucopia (Strega), Thingtide and Elembiuos. Lammas, an Anglo-Saxon word, means “loaf mass.” Lughnassadh is named for the Irish sun god Lugh (pronounced Loo), and variant spellings are Lughnasadh, Lughnasad, Lughnassad, Lughnasa and Lunasa.
Primary meanings: This festival has two aspects. First, it is one of the Celtic fire festivals, honoring the Celtic culture-bringer Lugh (Lleu to the Welsh, Lugus to the Gauls). In Ireland, races and games were held in his name and that of his mother, Tailtiu (these may have been funeral games). Second, the holiday is the Saxon Feast of Bread, at which the first of the grain harvest is consumed in ritual loaves. These aspects are not too dissimilar, as the shamanic death and transformation of Lleu can be compared to that of the Barley God, known from the folksong “John Barleycorn.”
Lammas celebrates the first of three harvest celebrations in the Craft. It marks the beginning of autumn, the start of the harvest cycle, and relies on the early crops of ripening grain and any fruits and vegetables ready to be harvested. It is associated with bread because grain is one of the first crops harvested. Those in the Craft often give thanks and honor now to gods and goddesses of the harvest, as well as those who represent death and resurrection.
Symbols: All grains, especially corn and wheat, corn dollies, sun wheels, bread, harvesting and threshing tools and the harvest full moon. Altar decorations might include corn dollies or kirn babies (corncob dolls) to symbolize the Mother Goddess of the Harvest. Other appropriate decorations include summer flowers and grains. You might also wish to have a loaf of whole cracked wheat or multigrain bread upon the altar, baked in the shape of the sun.
Colors: Red, orange, gold, yellow, citrine, green, grey and light brown.
Gemstones: Yellow diamonds, aventurine, sardonyx, peridot and citrine.
Herbs: Acacia flowers, aloes, chamomile, cornstalks, cyclamen, fenugreek, frankincense, heather, hollyhock, myrtle, oak leaves, passionflower, rose, rose hips, rosemary, sandalwood, sunflowers and wheat.
Gods and goddesses: Lugh, Thor, John Barleycorn (the personification of malt liquor), Demeter, Danu, Ceres, sun gods, corn mothers, all grain and agriculture deities, mother goddesses and father gods.
Customs and myths: Spellwork for prosperity, abundance and good fortune are especially appropriate now, as well as spells for connectedness, career, health and financial gain. Sacrifice is often associated with this holiday. Visits to fields, orchards, lakes and wells are also traditional. It is considered taboo not to share your food with others now.
Activities appropriate for this time of the year are baking bread, wheat weaving and making corn dollies or other god and goddess symbols. You may want to string Indian corn on black thread to make a necklace, or bake cornbread sticks shaped like little ears of corn for your Sabbat cakes. The corn dolly may be used both as a fertility amulet and as an altar centerpiece.
Some pagans bake Lammas bread in the form of a god-figure or sun wheel — if you do this, be sure to use this bread in your Lammas ritual’s cakes and ale ceremony, if you have one. During the Lammas ritual, some consume bread or something from the first harvest. Some gather first fruits; others symbolically throw pieces of bread into a fire.
Blessing Ritual for Lammas for Solitaries c. 2018
Blessing Ritual for Lammas for Solitaries
Material needed:
Incense
Chalice of water
Salt
Pentacle
Dagger
4 Elemental candles
Chalice of wine
Wand
Plate of bread
Cauldron with a orange candle in it
Fall flowers, ivy, and leaves for decorations
Cast the Circle
Light the cauldron candle and say:
” O Ancient Gods of the Celts, I do ask your presence here.
For this is a time that is not a time,
in a place that is not a place,
on a day that is not a day,
and I await you. ”
Set the plate of bread on the pentacle. Stand still and breathe deeply for a few moments.
Concentrate on the cleansing power of the breath of air, when you feel ready, say:
” I have purified myself by breathing in the life force
of the universe and expelling all evil from me. ”
Lift the plate of bread high and set it back on the altar and say:
” I know that every seed, every grain is a record of ancient time,
and a promise to all of what shall be.
This bread represents eternal life
through the cauldron of the Triple Goddess. ”
Eat a piece of bread, put the wine chalice on the pentacle , lift it high, and then set it on the altar, and say:
” As the grape undergoes change to become wine,
so by the sacred cauldron of life shall I undergo change.
And as this wine can give man enchantment of the divine
or sink him to the lower realms,
so do I realize that all humans rise or fall
according to their own strength and will. ”
Drink some wine and say:
” As in the bread and wine, so it is with me.
Within all forms is locked a record of the past
and a promise of the future.
I ask that you lay your blessings upon me, Ancient Ones,
that this season of waning light
and increasing darkness may not be heavy.
So Mote It Be! ”
The simple feast
Leave a libation for the nature spirits
Close the Circle
Imbolc marks the Irish pagan start of spring – something is stirring
As the great wheel turns, we find ourselves slowly re-emerging from the deep dreamtime of winter into the portal of Imbolc.
Flashback 2002 Lammas
Lammas is the first of the harvest festivals and this year despite the fiery Sun, it has a strong, sensual feel of cardinal earth. Mars lends a masculine energy to the Sun this week to help with the organizing for this bread festival. Round cornbread as a solar disk is an apt and easy choice for the altar, but if you plan several days ahead, you can sprout a small amount (1/4 cup) of wheat or barely for kitchen witchery. Add this to your other grains to your own bread from scratch; or buy frozen bread dough, thaw, pat into a rectangle, and sprinkle the sprouted grains. Roll up your dough like a jelly roll and place in a greased bread pan into which you have sprinkled Irish oats. You can use a sharp knife to crave goddess symbols into the loaf before baking.
©️ By K. D. Spitzer Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2002 Page 93
Flashback 2002 Imbolc
Imbolc is an important day of purification and initiation; on the Sun’s day, February 2, the energies are very airy. This Sabbat is a good day for coven work, with an emotionally detached masculine Moon and Sun on the Sun’s day.
Dress yourself and your altar in white, while serving white beverages or any dairy food to honor the calving season. Spread the top of a one-pound round Camembert or Bire cheese with raspberry preserves. Cut a circle of puff pastry large enough to cover the cheese, wrap it, tucking the ends of the pastry under. Use scraps to decorate the top with goddess symbols. Brush with beaten egg yolk. Bake at 425 degrees until golden, and serve hot and melting on crackers. During this ritual, bless and dedicate all candles you will need for other ritual work throughout the year. A good way to start the ceremony is to light candles in the darkened room with chanting to encourage the lengthening days.
©️ By K. D. Spitzer Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2002 Page 41
Lammas History: Welcoming the Harvest c2018
Lammas History: Welcoming the Harvest
THE BEGINNING OF THE HARVEST:
At Lammas, also called Lughnasadh, the hot days of August are upon us, much of the earth is dry and parched, but we still know that the bright reds and yellows of the harvest season are just around the corner. Apples are beginning to ripen in the trees, our summer vegetables have been picked, corn is tall and green, waiting for us to come gather the bounty of the crop fields.
Now is the time to begin reaping what we have sown, and gathering up the first harvests of grain, wheat, oats, and more.
This holiday can be celebrated either as a way to honor the god Lugh, or as a celebration of the harvest.
CELEBRATING GRAIN IN ANCIENT CULTURES:
Grain has held a place of importance in civilization back nearly to the beginning of time. Grain became associated with the cycle of death and rebirth. The Sumerian god Tammuz was slain and his lover Ishtar grieved so heartily that nature stopped producing. Ishtar mourned Tammuz, and followed him to the Underworld to bring him back, similar to the story of Demeter and Persephone.
In Greek legend, the grain god was Adonis. Two goddesses, Aphrodite and Persephone, battled for his love. To end the fighting, Zeus ordered Adonis to spend six months with Persephone in the Underworld, and the rest with Aphrodite.
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 sheaves 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.
HONORING LUGH, THE SKILLFUL GOD:
In some Wiccan and modern Pagan traditions, Lammas is also a day of honoring Lugh, the Celtic craftsman god. He is a god of many skills, and was honored in various aspects by societies both in the British Isles and in Europe. Lughnasadh (pronounced Loo-NAS-ah) is still celebrated in many parts of the world today. Lugh’s influence appears in the names of several European towns.
HONORING THE PAST:
In our modern world, it’s often easy to forget the trials and tribulations our ancestors had to endure. For us, if we need a loaf of bread, we simply drive over to the local grocery store and buy a few bags of prepackaged bread. If we run out, it’s no big deal, we just go and get more. When our ancestors lived, hundreds and thousands of years ago, the harvesting and processing of grain was crucial. If crops were left in the fields too long, or the bread not baked in time, families could starve. Taking care of one’s crops meant the difference between life and death.
By celebrating Lammas as a harvest holiday, we honor our ancestors and the hard work they must have had to do in order to survive. This is a good time to give thanks for the abundance we have in our lives, and to be grateful for the food on our tables.
Lammas is a time of transformation, of rebirth and new beginnings.
SYMBOLS OF THE SEASON
The Wheel of the Year has turned once more, and you may feel like decorating your house accordingly. While you probably can’t find too many items marked as “Lammas decor” in your local discount store, there are a number of items you can use as decoration for this harvest holiday.
Sickles and scythes, as well as other symbols of harvesting
Grapes and vines
Dried grains — sheafs of wheat, bowls of oats, etc.
Corn dolls — you can make these easily using dried husks
Early fall vegetables, such as squashes and pumpkins
Late summer fruits, like apples, plums and peaches
CRAFTS, SONG AND CELEBRATION
Because of its association with Lugh, the skilled god, Lammas (Lughnasadh) is also a time to celebrate talents and craftsmanship.
It’s a traditional time of year for craft festivals, and for skilled artisans to peddle their wares. In medieval Europe, guilds would arrange for their members to set up booths around a village green, festooned with bright ribbons and fall colors. Perhaps this is why so many modern Renaissance Festivals begin around this time of year!
Lugh is also known in some traditions as the patron of bards and magicians. Now is a great time of year to work on honing your own talents. Learn a new craft, or get better at an old one. Put on a play, write a story or poem, take up a musical instrument, or sing a song. Whatever you choose to do, this is the right season for rebirth and renewal, so set August 1 as the day to share your new skill with your friends and family.
Source: Patti Wigington, Author Published on ThoughtCo
The Witches Correspondences for Lammas c.2018
The Witches Correspondences for Lammas
Time of Day: Mid-Afternoon, Noon to 5 pm
Time of Life: 40-60’s, Middle Age, Height of Powers, Fatherhood
Decorations: Bread, Corn, Wheat, Fruits, Corn Dolly, Green Man
Foods: Plums, Peaches, Grapes, Wheat, Lamb, Berries, Barley Cakes, Breads
Herbs: Heather, Acacia, Hollyhock, Aloes, Sunflowers, Frankincense, Sandalwood, Rose
Tools: Baskets, Lugh’s Spear (Areadbhar), Sickles, Scythes
Goddesses: Ceres, Demeter, Corn Mother, Pomona, Mother Earth
Gods: Lugh, Mercury, Hermes, Adonis, John Barleycorn, Green Man
Lughnasadh is more of a Men’s Holiday
Themes
Harvest, Transformation, Fruitfulness, Change Abundance, Completion, Prosperity, Robustness, Achievement, Letting Go, Reaping, Sacrifice, Purification, Contentment, Bread of Life, Table of Plenty, Ever Flowing Cup, Chalice of Plenty
Farming Activities
Harvesting and preserving wheat, corn, vegetables
Animals: Crow, Salmon
Tarot, Divination: Wheel of Fortune, Justice
Colors: Golden Yellow, Light Brown, Purple, Orange, Red-Brown, Brown-Grey
Activities, Celebrations
Dancing, Singing, Playing Music, Poetry Reading, Bardic Competitions, Games, Competitions, Men’s Sports, Drinking beer, whiskey, mead, iced tea
Sacred Circle (Valley Spirit): South-West, Violet
Celebrations:
Lughnasadh – Druid, Neo-Pagan, Lammas – Wiccan, Mea’n Fo’mhair (Greenman) – Druid, Welsh
Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence for Imbolc
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For Your Viewing Pleasure – Lammas
What Is Lughnasadh and How To Celebrate It
What Is Lughnasadh & How To Celebrate It
Lughnasadh is a Gaelic festival that occurs on August 1st each year, marking the dawn of the harvest season. This holiday marks the midpoint between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox. Lughnasadh traditions celebrate the first cutting of grain, the bountiful harvests of corn, and the Irish craftsman and warrior god, Lugh.
Traditionally, Lughnasadh is celebrated in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. Historically, the occasion was marked with a festive competition testing skills of craft and athleticism in honor of Lugh and his foster mother Tailtiu. Offerings made to Lugh would include a sacred bull and a cutting of the first harvest of corn.
This holiday is considered a cross-quarter day on the neo-pagan Wheel of the Year. In some Wiccan traditions, this is the time of year in which the Horned God’s power begins to wane, and the Goddess prepares for his passing at the coming Samhain.
On the same day, some Christians celebrate the holiday of Lammas in an incredibly similar tradition. With the first harvest of grain a loaf of bread is baked and brought to the church to be blessed. Once its blessing is received, the baker takes the bread back home, breaks it into four pieces, and places them at the four corners of their barn or property to protect the grain in the coming months.
Lughnasadh or Lammas?
Though the two are often conflated in Neo-Pagan groups, Lughnasadh and Lammas are two separate celebrations. Lughnasadh is a holiday that is still celebrated by pagans and non-pagans alike in Ireland, Scotland, and The Isle of Man. Though it doesn’t look like what we think the ancient practices may have been, we do know that the traditions surrounding Lughnasadh have been syncretized and are still alive today.
Lammas is the name typically chosen for the Wiccan Wheel of the Year. It is celebrated as the first harvest festival of the year. As stated above, this is the time of year within Wiccan traditions when the Horned God prepares for his passing during Samhain. This holiday is celebrated with bread baking, frivolity, and feasting.
How to Celebrate Lughnasadh
There are many ways that you can celebrate Lughnasadh or Lammas. Here are a few ideas to help you build your own traditions!
Create a corn husk doll
Craft a besom or corn broom
Bake bread
Create a Lughnasadh altar
Craft something in Lugh’s honor
Engage in a competition
Pick apples and berries
Visit a local brewery
Hold a Lughnasadh or Lammas harvest ritual
Ready to celebrate?
Check out some of these spells and rituals to get some inspiration for Lughnasadh! Click on hyperlink above and scrool down for these spells.
14 Imbolc Ritual Ideas for a Pagan February Eve Celebration
14 Imbolc Ritual Ideas for a Pagan February Eve Celebration
Imbolc, also called Imbolg or St. Brigid’s Day, is a traditional Gaelic holiday that is celebrated by pagans worldwide, including Wiccans as one of the eight Sabbats.
Imbolc marks the midpoint between the winter solstice (Yule) and the spring equinox (Ostara). As such, it is considered a cross-quarter day on the pagan wheel of the year, and it is often celebrated around February 1st – 2nd, or August 1st – 2nd if you’re in the Southern hemisphere.
What’s the meaning of Imbolc? Each winter, we shut ourselves up in our homes for warmth, much like the animals and insects that enter hibernation through the colder months. The home has collected dust and stagnant energy as we have shifted our focus to survival mode.
Imbolc is a word that comes from the Old Irish i mbolc (Modern Irish: i mbolg), meaning ‘in the belly’, and refers to the pregnancy of ewes at this time of year. Spiritually, Imbolc is a time of banishing the winter season so that we can sow a bountiful harvest in the springtime. During this time, we celebrate the first signs of the approaching spring: blades of grass and dandelions steadily emerge from the cold ground, the singing of birds returns to soften the cold chill of the air, and many of those hibernating creatures are beginning to awaken.
Imbolc is traditionally the great festival and honoring of Goddess Brigid, known as St. Brigid by Catholics.
How to Celebrate Imbolc
The days are becoming longer again, and we can finally open up our homes to clear out the winter blues that have been lingering within. This time of new beginnings presents a wonderful opportunity to cleanse and purify ourselves and our homes of that stagnant energy we’ve been building up in hibernation.
Let’s take a look at some Imbolc rituals and other ways that pagans around the world practice Imbolc, including the members of our group: The Infinite Roots Coven
Imbolc Rituals
1. Create an Altar for Imbolc
2. Seven Candle Ritual
3. Make a Brigid Corn Doll
4. Hold a Fire Feast
5. Home Cleansing Ceremony
6. Decorate for Spring
7. Bid Farewell to Winter
8. Winter Closing Meditation
9. Make a Brigid Cross
10. Prepare Your Garden
11. Consecrate Your Tools
12. Hold a Self-Purification Ritual
13. Candlemas
14. Groundhog Day
Flashback 2022 – Lughnasadh/Lammas
Lughnasadh Bone Charm
Lughnasadh falls opposite of Imbolc on the Wheel of the Year. While Imbolc is widely considered a sabbat of the divine feminine, many consider Lughnasadh a celebration of the divine masculine. Being the first of three harvest festivals, we can mark the occasion with plentiful gratitude for not only the flora and fauna that feeds us physically on a daily basis, but also gratitude for the fact that the harvest allows us to survive and thrive, thereby increasing our positive spiritual influence in the world.
Simply acquire any bones to which your intuition leads. Yes, humanely and sustainably sourced chicken or cow bones are okay! Ensure that the bones are dry, and use a permanent marker to draw symbols and words related to the harvest, satisfaction, and sustenance onto them. Consider tying stalks of wheat or any grain to the bones once you are finished decorating. Hang these in your home (especially inside or outside the front door) to encourage a plentiful life and to honor the earth now and forever.
Raven Digitals Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2022 Page 107
For Your Viewing Pleasure – Imbolc
Imbolc Lore and Rituals
Celebrating the Seasons by Selena Fox
Imbolc, also known as Candlemas and Groundhog’s Day, occurs at the beginning of February. It marks the middle of Winter and holds the promise of Spring. The Goddess manifests as the Maiden and Brigid. The Groundhog is a manifestation of the God. Colors are White, and sometimes Red. It is a festival of spiritual purification and dedication.
Thoroughly clean your altar and/or temple room. Do a self purification rite with Elemental tools — cleanse your body with salt (Earth), your thoughts with incense (Air), your will with a candle flame (Fire), your emotions with water (Water), and your spiritual body with a healing crystal (Spirit). Bless candles that you will be using for rituals throughout the year. Invoke Brigid for creative inspiration. Take a Nature walk and look for the first signs of Spring. Reflect upon/reaffirm spiritual vows and commitments you have made.
Resources
- Nineteen Ways to Celebrate Imbolc by Selena Fox
- Imbolc Customs and Lore by Selena Fox
- Litany of the Five Elements by Selena Fox
- Brigid Chants by Selena Fox
- Brigid Healing Ritual by Selena Fox
Click here to read the rest of this article about Imbolc from www.circlesanctuary.org
Pagan Holidays Lughnasadh Lammas | Everything You Need To Know
The Lughnasadh and Lammas Pagan holidays celebrates the Wheel of the Year and the arrival of the late summer season!
The days are sticky hot and you spend your time finding ways to cool down. Gardens and farmlands are ripe with veggies in shades of dark green and yellow. This is the beginning of the first harvest and primarily involves grain and corn. Although the sun is strong and hot, you’ll notice the days are beginning to shorten.
This season is lush and abundant, but Nature is already beginning to sense the coming of colder Winter days. So begins the days of preparation: gathering seeds to plant next Spring, harvesting herbs, canning jams and jellies, and baking bread to store for those cold days ahead.
It’s important to also understand that there is so much more to Lughnasadh and not just the literal interpretation of harvesting because you may not be farming your own fields.
This is a time for gratitude, personal growth, and renewal. The energy and intentions of Lughnasadh are still prevalent in the day to day lives of those who live a nature spirituality based life.
Many Pagans, Witches, and those interested in Nature Spirituality celebrate the seasonal cycles. Sometimes referred to as the Wheel of the Year, and consisting of eight celebrations. Four of these festivals (Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Samhain) are rooted in Celtic history and origins. The other four (Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumn Equinox, and Winter Solstice) represent the sun’s location. I created a complete guide to each season, including history, traditions, symbols, correspondences, ritual ideas, and how you can celebrate.
Table of Contents:
What is the Difference Between Pagan Holidays Lammas and Lughnasadh?
Lammas Meaning, Traditions, and Why We Celebrate Pagan Holidays
How To Celebrate Lammas and Lughnasadh
PRESERVE FOODS AND MAKE JAMS/JELLIES
DONATE TO YOUR LOCAL FOOD BANK
Simple Ritual Ideas For Lughnasadh and Lammas Pagan Holidays
MEDITATE WITH CANDLES AND CRYSTALS
Lughnasadh and Lammas Correspondences
Lughnasadh and Lammas Pagan Holidays Journal Prompt Ideas
Click here to read the rest of the article Source: thepeculiarbrunette.com
Imbolc – History, Traditions, Correspondences, and Simple Ritual Ideas
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Many Pagans, Witches, and those interested in Nature Spirituality celebrate the seasonal cycles. Sometimes referred to as the Wheel of the Year, and consisting of eight celebrations. Four of these festivals (Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Samhain) are rooted in Celtic history and origins. The other four (Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumn Equinox, and Winter Solstice) represent the sun’s location. I created a complete guide to each season, including history, traditions, symbols, correspondences, ritual ideas, and how you can celebrate.
Imbolc is a fire festival that celebrates the home and the halfway point between Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. It is quite literally Midwinter and while the days continue to grow lighter it is still dark and cold outside. Cabin fever has set in and we are all yearning to unburden ourselves from the long dark days. This can be an especially difficult time for those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and is a BIG reason why a celebration is so lovely right now!
After months of self-reflection, planning, and goal setting, aspiration and ambition are beginning to stir. The tiniest bits of enthusiasm is starting to awaken beneath the surface. Goals and dreams that you’ve created over the long cold nights are now being lit from the flames of Midwinter. Let your creativity and imagination help manifest these dreams!
Table of Contents
Spiritual / Magickal Intentions
Botanicals, Herbs, and Greenery
Take a walk outside to connect with the sun
How to Celebrate Imbolc and Activities
Light candles or make your own
Bake some cinnamon treats (cinnamon rolls, bread, pies, cakes, cookies, etc)
Start a new craft project or hobby
Spend time with loved ones or host a potluck
Click here to read more of this article Source: thepeculiarbrunette.com
History of Christmas
Christmas is celebrated on December 25 and is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25—Christmas Day—has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870.
The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world. Centuries before the arrival of the man called Jesus, early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. Many peoples rejoiced during the winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours of sunlight.
How Did Christmas Start?
In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, through January. In recognition of the return of the sun, fathers and sons would bring home large logs, which they would set on fire. The people would feast until the log burned out, which could take as many as 12 days. The Norse believed that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year.
The end of December was a perfect time for celebration in most areas of Europe. At that time of year, most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter. For many, it was the only time of year when they had a supply of fresh meat. In addition, most wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking.
In Germany, people honored the pagan god Oden during the mid-winter holiday. Germans were terrified of Oden, as they believed he made nocturnal flights through the sky to observe his people, and then decide who would prosper or perish. Because of his presence, many people chose to stay inside.
Table of Contents
Is Christmas Really the Day Jesus Was Born?
Washington Irving Reinvents Christmas in America
Click here to read the rest of this article Source: history.com
The Coming of Litha
The Coming of Litha
Litha is the Wiccan Sabbat that marks the Summer Solstice and usually occurs around December 21 in the Southern Hemisphere. It marks the first day of summer on traditional calendars, but it is actually the Midsummer mark for Pagans.
Litha marks the longest day of the year, the day when the sun reaches its apex and is aspected to zero degrees Cancer. This is a day that celebrates the God in all his glory. It is also the time of year when the Goddess is glowing with motherhood in her pregnancy.
In Wiccan lore, once again the Holly King and the Oak King battle. This time, it is the Holly King who is victorious, and from this point on, the days grow shorter.
For those of you familiar with Shakespeare, you might remember the play centered around the Solistice: “A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream”. It is believed that Midsummer Night’s Eve is a special time for those who believe in the Faerie traditions. Like Samhain, this is a day where the veils are thin between the realms of the Sidhe (the Faerie realm) and the world of mortals. It is a time for merriment and the making of wishes.
Litha marks the first of three harvest celebrations. This is the time to gather the herbs from your garden. Tradition suggests using your boline or a scythe to cut the plant by the moonlight. Some suggest chanting the use of the planet while doing so.
As we’ve seen happen in the past, Christianity has tried to hone in on our holiday. They have declared it John the Baptist’s birthday. I’ve read that other Saints in the Church are remembered on the day they’ve died. But not so with John the Baptist. He is the only Saint recognized on his birthday. They celebrate the Solstice with the Jack-in-the-Green to the Feast of St. John the Baptist, often portraying him in rustic attire, sometimes with horns and cloven feet (like Pan).
Published on Witchery
Sun Ritual for Midsummer
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Sun Ritual for Midsummer
Midsummer is the time of the summer solstice, the Litha sabbat, and it’s the longest day of the year. Falling around June 21 in the northern hemisphere, and around December 21 below the equator, this is a time to celebrate the warmth and power of the sun. It’s a great time of year to get outside, enjoy the extra hours of daylight, and celebrate the season with family and friends. You can do this ritual as a group or adapt it to perform as a solitary practitioner.
You’ll need the following items:
- A larger candle to represent the sun
- An individual candle for each participant to hold
Also, be sure to decorate your altar with symbols of the season – solar symbols, fresh flowers, in-season summer produce and crops that you’ve harvested. You should do this ritual outside if at all possible, so you can take advantage of the sun’s light and energy.
If your tradition requires you to cast a circle, go ahead and do that first.
Take a moment to ground and center, and get yourself focused. Bask in the rays of the sun, feeling its warmth on your face, and welcoming its power into you.
The person who is leading the ritual – for ease of purpose, we’ll call that person the HPs – should stand at the altar.
HPs: We are here today to celebrate the power and energy of the sun. The sun is the source of warmth and light around the world. Today, at Litha, the summer solstice, we mark the longest day of the year. From Yule until this day, the sun has been moving ever closer to the earth. Flowers are blooming, crops are growing, and life has returned once more. Today we honor the gods and goddesses of the sun.
The HPs lights the sun candle on the altar.
HPs: The sun is the ultimate source of fire and light. Like all sources of light, the sun shines brightly and spreads around the world. Even as it gives its light and power to each of us, it is never diminished by the sharing of that energy. The sun passes over us each day, in the never-ending circle of light. Today, we share that light with each other, passing it around the circle, forming a ring of light.
Using the sun candle, the HPs lights her own candle, and turns to the next person in the circle. As she lights the next person’s candle, she says: May you be warmed and rejuvenated by the light of the sun.
The second person turns to the third, lighting their candle, and passing along the blessing. Continue until the last candle in the circle has been lit, returning back to the HPs.
Remember, this is a joyous celebration – feel free to include dancing, clapping, music or even a drum circle as you enjoy the power of the sun!
As each person in the group holds their lit candle, the HPs calls upon the gods and goddesses of the sun. Feel free to add or substitute different solar deities as your tradition or needs require.
HPs: Gods who bring us light, we honor you!
Hail, Ra, whose mighty chariot brings us light each morning!
Hail, Ra!
Hail, Apollo, who brings us the healing energies of the sun!
Hail, Apollo!
Hail, Saule, whose fertility blooms as the sun gains in strength!
Hail, Saule!
Hail, Helios, whose great steeds race the flames across the sky!
Hail, Helios!
Hail, Hestia, whose sacred flame lights our way in the darkness!
Hail, Hestia!
Hail, Sunna, who is sister of the moon, and bringer of light!
Hail, Sunna!
We call upon you today, thanking you for your blessings, accepting your gifts. We draw upon your strength, your energy, your healing light, and your life giving power!
Hail to you, mighty gods and goddesses of the sun!
Each member of the group should now place their candles on the altar, surrounding the sun candle.
HPS: The sun radiates out, never dying, never fading. The light and warmth of today will stay with us, even as the days begin to grow shorter, and the nights grow cold once more. Hail, gods of the sun!
Invite everyone to take in the warmth of the sun once more, and when you are done, end the ritual as you normally would.
Source: Patti Wigington,Paganism/Wicca Expert Article originally published on & owned by About.com
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