Lughnasa/Lammas
Lughnasa is one of the 4 Celtic Fire
harvest festivals. It is a celebration of
the Goddess as the source of life and a time to honor the God as the spirit
of the growing corn. This is the time to celebrate the tranformation of energy
from the living force in the corn to the static force in the cut sheaves.
Primarily a grain festival - the first of 3 Harvest Festivals, Lughnasa also
honors the God's sacrifice so that the grain will grow. It is the beginning
of the end - summer is giving way to autumn. In Irish tradition it was also
a time to honor Tailtiu, the foster mother of Lugh. In ancient Ireland the
clans would gather together at Tara to hold athletic competitions in honor
of Tailtiu. Use today to look at areas in your life that are static.
Are you in a releationship that has hit a rut; is your enthusiasm for
your job waning; or maybe it's something as simple as doing the same thing
everyday when you get home. Are you sacrificing too much of yourself
for security?
Activities:
There are many ways you can incorporate these beliefs into your celebration.
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Bake a cornbread in memory of the God and his sacrifice.
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Make corn dollies, solar wheels or corn necklaces with your children.
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Cait Johnson offers two wonderful suggestions for activities to do with children
in her book Celebrating the Goddess. She suggests creating an herbal
ice cube circle. Freeze ice cubes with herbs inside. Once they have frozen,
take them outside. Let each participant take an ice cube; sit in a circle
putting the ice cube on the grass in front of them. Watch the ice cubes as
they melt. When they are done let the participants think about how things
change and how they can use this power in their daily life.
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Cait Johnson also recommends taking children outside and let them adopt a
tree. They can sit beneath it, touch it, explore it and become familiar with
it. They can decorate the tree and watch it over time. This helps the children
learn how to appreciate nature and honor the trees.
Here's a wonderful recipe you can use for incense or a magickal oil to celbrate
Lughnasa
¼ part clove
½ part Lime
½ part cinnamon
¼ part Frankincense
½ part sandalwood
Foods:
Foods appropriate for this feast include corn, grains, bread, fresh fruits
and vegetables (especially berries), popcorn, barley soup & beer. Popcorn
could be used to decorate the trees and be left behind for the birds &
squirrels.
Breakfast: Enjoy a corn muffin and some fresh berries
Lunch: Have a nourishing barley soup accompanied with multi-grain
bread
Dinner: For dinner maybe enjoy chili with cornbread or corn
tortilla soft tacos.
Here are some great sites to check out for recipes to use:
Enjoy!
