Tag: Climate

History Of Lammas

Lammas/Lugnasadh Comments

History Of Lammas

In medieval times the feast was sometimes known in England and Scotland as the “Gule of August”, but the meaning of “gule” is unclear. Ronald Hutton suggests following the 18th-century Welsh clergyman antiquary John Pettingall that it is merely an Anglicisation of Gŵyl Awst, the Welsh name of the “feast of August”. OED and most etymological dictionaries give it a more circuitous origin similar to gullet; from O.Fr. goulet, dim. of goule, “throat, neck,” from L. gula “throat,”. A Welsh derivation would point to a pre-Christian origin for Lammas and a link to the Gaelic festival of Lughnasadh.

Several antiquaries beginning with John Brady offered a back-construction to its being originally known as Lamb-mass, under the undocumented supposition that tenants of the Cathedral of York, dedicated to St. Peter ad Vincula, of which this is the feast, would have been required to bring a live lamb to the church,or, with John Skinner, “because Lambs then grew out of season.” This is a folk etymology, of which OED notes that it was “subsequently felt as if from LAMB + MASS“.

For many villeins, the wheat must have run low in the days before Lammas, and the new harvest began a season of plenty, of hard work and company in the fields, reaping in teams. Thus there was a spirit of celebratory play.

In the medieval agricultural year, Lammas also marked the end of the hay harvest that had begun after Midsummer. At the end of hay-making a sheep would be loosed in the meadow among the mowers, for him to keep who could catch it.

In Shakespeare‘s Romeo and Juliet (1.3.19) it is observed of Juliet, “Come Lammas Eve at night shall she [Juliet] be fourteen.” Since Juliet was born Lammas eve, she came before the harvest festival, which is significant since her life ended before she could reap what she had sown and enjoy the bounty of the harvest, in this case full consummation and enjoyment of her love with Romeo.

William Hone speaks in The Every-Day Book (1838) of a later festive Lammas day sport common among Scottish farmers near Edinburgh. He says that they “build towers…leaving a hole for a flag-pole in the centre so that they may raise their colours.” When the flags over the many peat-constructed towers were raised, farmers would go to others’ towers and attempt to “level them to the ground.” A successful attempt would bring great praise. However, people were allowed to defend their towers, and so everyone was provided with a “tooting-horn” to alert nearby country folk of the impending attack and the battle would turn into a “brawl.” According to Hone, more than four people had died at this festival and many more were injured. At the day’s end, races were held, with prizes given to the townspeople.

To All of Our Dear Family, We Wish You A Very Blessed & Prosperous Lammas!

Lammas/Lugnasadh Comments
Merry Meet on this glorious and beautiful Lammas Day! I hope everyone is busy celebrating the first Harvest. And I might add I hope it is a very prosperous one indeed!

I would like to take a moment to thank each and everyone of you for making this one of the best years the WOTC has had. I have always said a group/site/blog is nothing without fantastic friends, family and supporters. We have the Goddess to thank for each of you. With Our Almighty Mother all things are possible. Every time I think it is the darkest it can get, She pulls me up by the boot straps. And shows me it is no way by any means over yet.  She has given me a blessed life that is for sure.

In the days of Old, our Ancestors would be giving thanks for a bountiful first harvest. They didn’t have the luxuries we do now. I can imagine what they would have given for one John Deere tractor. I know our Ancestors had it rough and the times were tough to say the least. But they had something we no longer have these days, that is charity for our fellow man. If farmer Brown saw farmer Smith didn’t have as good of a harvest as he did. He would take the buggy over to farmer Smith’s house and tell him not to worry. He would help him and his family make it through the Winter months. Farmer Brown wanted nothing in return, just to help out his neighbor, that’s it plain and simple. But farmer Smith didn’t want charity from Brown so he would find a way to repay the debt and show his gratitude at the same time. Boy, how people  have changed.

I guess if our Ancestors could see the shape we are in now, they would hang their heads. Probably shed a tear or two also. When I stop to think about living in the greatest nation on this planet, I want to cry. Every night in this country, there are thousands of people going to bed hungry. There are even more sleeping on the street. There are individuals a dollar away from being out on the streets themselves. I was listening to today’s news and they said a local food bank had had a triple increase demand since last year. They couldn’t figure it out. How damn stupid are these people? Do they not realize we are in a depression? I know what really get my feathers’ ruffled is that millions of dollars are being sent overseas. While we have our own babies going to bed hungry each night. People sleeping in the street in the greatest nation in the world.

It is past time that we of the magickal community did something about this. As you know, you don’t have to have money to act. You have the power within you to act. It is past time that petition our Great Mother for help for our nation. For our children going to bed hungry, for the homeless man or woman sleeping in the street, or the empty food banks in this country. We need our Mother’s help! We also need our Mother’s help in cleaning out the ears of the Politicians in this country. The economy is getting better, the unemployment rate is dropping??? Don’t they realize that the unemployment rate is dropping because people can no long draw benefits. Truth be told, it is scary as hell, I raised two kids and my husband worked construction. The money was great. But construction only happens during the Summer months. The money you did manage to save up, you had to live on this next year. As high as things are now and the way the world is, I would hate to think I had to do it now.

I know today is suppose to be a day of celebration for us. But I wanted to drive a point home. Share what the Goddess has given you with those less fortunate. It doesn’t cost a thing to be kind to another individual. We are all the Goddess’ children. Share your many blessings with a local food bank, if you can’t do that then start petitioning our Mother. Because that is what I plan on doing. I am not going to stop till this world of ours starts to change. I am going to ask Her to help feed the small children that go to bed hungry at night. Get that man or woman off the streets and give them a place to sleep that has a roof over it. And most of all makes those damn Politicians wake up and smell the coffee. The Politicians have had their turn at this country. You see what shape it is in. Now it is our turn and I am sure we can do a much better job than they ever did. I beg you to join me in praying to our Almighty Mother for these things.

This is the Year of the Witch. Let us change the course of our country for the good of mankind.

Goddess Bless You. May you have a bountiful and blessed Lammas!

Love,

Lady A

Daily Correspondence for Thursday, July 25th

Try to accomplish your key errands and plans in the early hours as the Moon in Pisces starts a long, 26+ hour void cycle at 11:44AM PDT that lasts until 2:30PM PDT tomorrow.  Before the lunar orb enters its void uncertainty zone, communications — as well as literary and educational endeavors — are vitalized by a Sun-Mercury parallel (7:14AM PDT). Healing forces are back on the march — courtesy of the monthly union of the Moon with Chiron (9:21AM PDT). The hours building up to 11:44AM PDT are also highly favorable for a variety of discussions and correspondence as the Moon is approaching one of two, monthly trines to Mercury. However, once the void Moon condition takes hold at 11:44AM PDT, it makes sense to complete odd jobs and old projects rather than attempt to initiate bold, new enterprises.  Enjoy time-outs for reflection and contemplation since the next two days will present a wide array of celestial challenges — including several discordant aspects by Venus as well as a tension-building Mars-Pluto opposition on Saturday that occurs only a few hours before the Sun squares Saturn. Immerse yourself in film or literary classics tonight that can carry you away to imaginative realms of fantasy and adventure.

Calendar of the Sun for January 22nd

Calendar of the Sun

 

22 Wolfmonath

Day of the Water Bearer – Beginning of Aquarius

Colors: Purple and electric blue

Element: Air

Altar: Set with cloth of purple and electric blue, with a tall glass vase holding carbonated water, or plain water with dry ice in it, a feather from a large bird, incense, and a Uranus symbol.

Offerings: A joke that no one has heard yet. Do something differently, or in a new way.

Daily Meal: Waterfowl such as duck or goose. Or try an entirely new and preferably foreign sort of cooking or diet for the day.

Invocation to Aquarius

Bearer of the heavenly waters
Of knowledge and inspiration,
The ebb and flow of the Apsu,
Dipped from the Milky Way,
Neither man nor woman,
Looking ahead in time,
Whose gift is Newness,
Bless us with the ability
To be ready for the future
And all it may bring,
And welcome rather than fear changes.
By the power of all inspiration,
You challenge us
To be open to new things,
And never to give in to stagnation.
May we all go forth in wonder.

Chant:

Wearing my long wing feathers as I fly
Wearing my long wing feathers as I fly
I circle around
I circle around
The boundaries of the Earth.

(Let all present hold hands and dance a simple circle dance while chanting, hands raised high between them. One who is chosen to do the work of the ritual should stand with a great fan, and fan air at the dancers as they pass, like a great wind.)

 

[Pagan Book of Hours]

http://www.paganbookofhours.org/

 

The Witches Current Moon Phase for Jan. 22nd: First Quarter

First Quarter Moon

(waxing/86% illumination)

Emotions begin to stir coupled with recognizing that the new beginnings you are making must also increase personal security to be worthwhile over the long haul. This is a time when it’s appropriate to get in touch with your gut instincts and begin to guide your life more deliberately, with an awareness of using your “sixth sense” as well as your enthusiasm. Obstacles may emerge that require you to reevaluate how to better integrate yourself into your immediate environment.

Your Daily Cosmic Calendar for January 13th

There’s no rest for the weary as the Moon makes its monthly conjunction with the red planet Mars in Aquarius (12:38AM PST). According to the traditional astrological rules relating to the void-of-course Moon condition, there is now another lengthy lunar uncertainty cycle to contend with that lasts until 2:50AM PST tomorrow.  It’s important to note that not every professional astrologer works with the void Moon placement and the reasons are far too numerous to list here. Suffice it to say, wisdom dictates that recognizing the void nature of the lunar trajectory can assist you in doing the very best with what the universe is offering up on its silver platter.  Today’s Moon-Mars union can send out many emotional sparks — some of which can inflame romantic bonds and business deals. Cooking, baking and cleaning your garden tools can be satisfying experiences since the Moon trines Ceres in air signs (12:13PM PST).  A trio of challenging aspects will keep you on high alert as Mercury moves into a dicey, 135-degree tie with Ceres (5:35PM PST), Vesta makes an off-kilter, 150-degree contact with Saturn (6:02PM PST), and Mercury also forms a frictional, 45-degree connection with Chiron (10:33PM PST).