Lughnassadh
This is from my BOS dated around July 2003
LUGHNASSADH
Pronounced loo-na-sa, is observed around August 7. This is the midpoint of summer and fall, the harvest of berries and grains and the first of three of the Harvest festivals. This sabbat is celebrated with herb gathering and breadbaking...decorate with sunflowers, marigolds, gourds and dried wheat. Candle colors of this sabbat include green, golden yellow, orange, browns and soft shades of red. It is a time of thanksgiving...being thankful for the things that you have and for your right to be free. Play with your family in the yard with the hose....be together. This is also a time of dismissing regrets,. Lughnassadh is a fire festival, in fact it is the fourth gaelic fire festival. Lugh is also known as “lugh’s assembly”, “August”, “lugh the longhand”. The god lugh was a druid, carpenter, poet, mason, smithy and sailor. Lugh symbolizes healing, reincarnation, phophecy and revenge.
In nordic traditions, it is time for lithasblot, which runs from July 31 thru August 1 - this is a harvest festival also, a time for giving thanks to urda (etha). A time to give to the less fortunate (giving thanks for ones first harvest when others have none). In ireland this was a time for month long athletic games, honoring lugh’s foster-mother, tailtiu. The perseid showers during this season is still known as “games of lugh”. It is a time when odin discovered the wisdon of the runes and sacrificed himself to himself by hanging from a tree. It is a time when the constellation sirius is prominent, along with dog days, and is known as the month of the hanging dogs. It is the time of the flooding of the nile, which marks the end of the year in egypt. Dryads (tree spirits) are celebrated in macedonia. It is the time when creek and cherokee corn mothers are celebrated (thses are sister goddesses, elihino of the earth and igaehindvo of the sun. this is a time for handfastings and the druid moon of lughnassadh, the coming together of the clans.
Lugh is said to have put out the eye of Balor witha huge spear and sling. Lugh is the leader of the tieatha de danann. This season is associated with corn (breads, grains, corn dollies,etc). The christianization of this sabbat is lammas which means “loaf mass” (bread being of the season) and is celebrated August 1. Corn is sacred to pagans and native americans and both these groups use stones in shamanic work., the american native cultures have a great connection with the the “stone peole”, a connnection with Mother Earth. Celtic pagans have long looked in stonhenge and avebry in england as locations for devining, solidity, strength and power. Lugh also “attuned” himself with the “stone people”. Lugh’s father was stoned to death and buried six feet deep under the very same stones - these stones called to lugh and guided him to his father. When he went to accuse the killers, he come from the east just like the sun appears to us every morning. He radiated golden rays of rightousness to bring truth to light.
the season is marked by the shortening of the days, and the god slowing dying to make way for the new god. I see the dwindling of the great god every morning - and I am sad yet exhilerated at the same time, for one must die for the new to be born.
This is a great time for decorating your alter or shrine. Put sunflowers and rocks on your alter...candles of golden yellow, soft reds and greens...ribbons of the same color....gourds can also be used to decorate...sprigs of greenery.
This is a time of gathering, not only the harvest, but of berries, flowers and of gathering for the winter. So, celebrate the god lugh with family and friends as the wheel turns to the harvests...be thankful for all you have and shed the old, and the regrets and look forward to the harvest.
LUGHNASSADH
Pronounced loo-na-sa, is observed around August 7. This is the midpoint of summer and fall, the harvest of berries and grains and the first of three of the Harvest festivals. This sabbat is celebrated with herb gathering and breadbaking...decorate with sunflowers, marigolds, gourds and dried wheat. Candle colors of this sabbat include green, golden yellow, orange, browns and soft shades of red. It is a time of thanksgiving...being thankful for the things that you have and for your right to be free. Play with your family in the yard with the hose....be together. This is also a time of dismissing regrets,. Lughnassadh is a fire festival, in fact it is the fourth gaelic fire festival. Lugh is also known as “lugh’s assembly”, “August”, “lugh the longhand”. The god lugh was a druid, carpenter, poet, mason, smithy and sailor. Lugh symbolizes healing, reincarnation, phophecy and revenge.
In nordic traditions, it is time for lithasblot, which runs from July 31 thru August 1 - this is a harvest festival also, a time for giving thanks to urda (etha). A time to give to the less fortunate (giving thanks for ones first harvest when others have none). In ireland this was a time for month long athletic games, honoring lugh’s foster-mother, tailtiu. The perseid showers during this season is still known as “games of lugh”. It is a time when odin discovered the wisdon of the runes and sacrificed himself to himself by hanging from a tree. It is a time when the constellation sirius is prominent, along with dog days, and is known as the month of the hanging dogs. It is the time of the flooding of the nile, which marks the end of the year in egypt. Dryads (tree spirits) are celebrated in macedonia. It is the time when creek and cherokee corn mothers are celebrated (thses are sister goddesses, elihino of the earth and igaehindvo of the sun. this is a time for handfastings and the druid moon of lughnassadh, the coming together of the clans.
Lugh is said to have put out the eye of Balor witha huge spear and sling. Lugh is the leader of the tieatha de danann. This season is associated with corn (breads, grains, corn dollies,etc). The christianization of this sabbat is lammas which means “loaf mass” (bread being of the season) and is celebrated August 1. Corn is sacred to pagans and native americans and both these groups use stones in shamanic work., the american native cultures have a great connection with the the “stone peole”, a connnection with Mother Earth. Celtic pagans have long looked in stonhenge and avebry in england as locations for devining, solidity, strength and power. Lugh also “attuned” himself with the “stone people”. Lugh’s father was stoned to death and buried six feet deep under the very same stones - these stones called to lugh and guided him to his father. When he went to accuse the killers, he come from the east just like the sun appears to us every morning. He radiated golden rays of rightousness to bring truth to light.
the season is marked by the shortening of the days, and the god slowing dying to make way for the new god. I see the dwindling of the great god every morning - and I am sad yet exhilerated at the same time, for one must die for the new to be born.
This is a great time for decorating your alter or shrine. Put sunflowers and rocks on your alter...candles of golden yellow, soft reds and greens...ribbons of the same color....gourds can also be used to decorate...sprigs of greenery.
This is a time of gathering, not only the harvest, but of berries, flowers and of gathering for the winter. So, celebrate the god lugh with family and friends as the wheel turns to the harvests...be thankful for all you have and shed the old, and the regrets and look forward to the harvest.