white witchcraft rituals Lammas Day Love of the Goddess and the Horned God

white witchcraft rituals Lammas Day (loaf-mass day) Love of the Goddess and the Horned God.

Lammas, August 1, is the celebration of the first fruits of the union of the Love of the Goddess and the Horned God. This is a celebration of the power of life and the fertility of the Goddess and the God. It is a celebration of thanks for the fruits of the Earth, that sustain us throughout the year. It is the celebration of the sacrificing of the Horned God to sustain his children.

In this time we are thinking of the story of Balder. Balder was the shinning son of Odin and Sif, he was the God of the Sun to the ancient Nordic peoples. Balder was immortal and, as the God of the Sun, was befriended by all of the Natural plants and animals of the Earth, but their was one plant that was accidentally ignored by the God, that was Mistletoe, which thrived in Winter. Mistletoe was the only thing in all creation that could cause harm to Balder. Now Loki, ever the jealous bastard son of Odin, managed to arrange a contest of skill for the Gods to take turns throwing their weapons at Balder until the God Uller was slipped a special arrow by Loki, one that was tipped with a mistletoe arrowhead. Uller's ever true aim carried the arrow straight through Balder's heart, striking him dead on the spot. He, like the Great Horned God, was dead until he also was reborn.

This tale recalls the old game of the harvesters, who would set up a sheaf of wheat, and each throw their sickle at it until one of them struck it down, and was declared the winner. The harvest time is a time for the celebration of the bounty of the Mother Goddess and the sacrifice of the God, whose work to provide for his children and sacrifices all his work, and later his life, to provide for their continuance.

The Witch's Sabbat - Lammas/Lughnasadh



LAMMAS RITE

The alter is adorned with the wheat, barley, oats, and bread. Fruit and vegetables are also appropriate.

Cast a circle

Invoke the Goddess and the God

Stand before the alter touching the gifts of food and say;

Now is the time of the first Harvest

when the bounties of nature give of themselves

so that we may survive.

O God of the ripening fields, Lord of the Grain,

Grant to me the understanding of sacrifice

as you prepare to deliver yourself under the sickle of the

Goddess and journey to the eternal summer.

O Goddess of the waning moon

teach me the secrets of rebirth

as the sun losses its strength and the nights grow cold.

Take up the Fruit from the alter and bite it, savoring its flavor and say;

I partake of the first harvest, mixing it energies

with mine that I may continue my quest for the starry

wisdom of perfection

O Lady of the Moon and Lord of the Sun

gracious ones before Whom the stars halt their courses,

I offer my thanks for the continuing fertility of the Earth

May the nodding grain loose its seeds to be buried in

the Mother's breast, ensuring rebirth in the warmth

of the coming spring.

Works of magic may follow if needed.

Celebrate the feast.

Release the circle.



Lammas Day according to wikipedia

For the Norfolk village, see Lammas, Norfolk.

In some English-speaking countries in the Northern Hemisphere, August 1 is Lammas Day (loaf-mass day), the festival of the wheat harvest, and is the first harvest festival of the year.

On this day it was customary to bring to church a loaf made from the new crop. In many parts of England, tenants were bound to present freshly harvested wheat to their landlords on or before the first day of August. In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, where it is referred to regularly, it is called "the feast of first fruits".

The blessing of new fruits was performed annually in both the Eastern and Western Churches on the first or the sixth of August (the latter being the feast of the Transfiguration of Christ). The Sacramentary of Pope Gregory I (died 604) specifies the sixth.[citation needed]

In mediæval times the feast was known as the "Gule of August", but the meaning of "gule" is unclear. Ronald Hutton suggests that it may be an Anglicisation of Gŵyl Awst, the Welsh name for August 1 meaning "feast of August", but this is perhaps an overly-complicated extraction. Most etymological dictionaries give it an origin similar to gullet; from O.Fr. goulet, dim. of goule "throat, neck," from L. gula "throat,".

One can see why Hutton feels differently as this Welsh derivation would point to a pre-Christian origin for Lammas among the Anglo-Saxons and a link to the Gaelic festival of Lughnasadh. 'Gule' could also come from 'Geohhol' (Old English form of 'jule') and thus Lammas Day was the 'Jule of August'.[citation needed]

There are several historical references to it being known as Lambess eve, such as 'Publications of the Scottish Historical Society' 1964 and this alternate name is the origin of the Lambess surname, just as Hallowmass and Christmas were also adopted as familial titles.

Pre-Industrial

In The Every-Day Book by William Hone (published: 1838), he speaks of a festival common among Scottish farmers near Edinburgh that happens on August 1, or "Lammas Day." He says that they "build towers...leaving a hole for a flag-pole in the center so that they may raise their colors."

When the flags over the many peat-constructed towers were raised, farmers would go to other's towers and attempt to "level them to the ground," which, if successfully attempted, 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 arrival of unwelcome guests. They were also allowed to then physically defend their towers, and the battle would turn into a "brawl."

According to Hone, more than 4 people had died at this festival, and many more injured. At the end of the day, races were held, and prizes were given to the townspeople.

[edit]Neo-Paganism

Lammas is a Neo-Pagan holiday, often called Lughnasadh, celebrating the first harvest and the reaping of grain. It is a cross-quarter holiday halfway between the Summer Solstice (Litha) and the Autumnal Equinox (Mabon).

In the northern hemisphere, Lammas takes place around August 1 with the Sun near the midpoint of Leo in the tropical zodiac, while in the southern hemisphere Lammas is celebrated around February 1 with the Sun near the midpoint of Aquarius. On the Wheel of the Year, it is opposite Imbolc, which is celebrated on February 2 in the northern hemisphere, and late July / early August in the southern hemisphere.

[edit]Other uses

Lammas is one of the Scottish quarter days.

Lammas leaves or Lammas growth refers to a second crop of leaves produced in high summer by deciduous trees in temperate countries to replace those lost to insect damage. They often differ slightly in shape, texture and/or hairiness from the earlier leaves.

See also

Harvest festival
Harvest Home
Ould Lammas Fair
Leyton Marshes
[edit]References

The Stations of the Sun, Ronald Hutton, Oxford 1996
(1.3.19),Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare, "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.
'Publications of the Scottish Historical Society' 1964
[edit]External links

Pretanic World Pre-Christian Holidays & Pre-Christian Traditions of Christian Holidays from Britain and Ireland
Gule of August
Observations on Popular Antiquities