Here comes the Sun, here comes the light.

Lammas / Lughnasadh time of the first harvest.
Here comes the Sun, here comes the Light.

Personally, my favorite sabbat/festival.

I add some pictures of my own catalog based on bread and fruits to inspire you some ideas.

"... We remember that most Wiccan sabbats were taken from Celtic origins. Lughnasadh is no different, being Irish in origin. Unless you look at the Scottish, Welsh, or England versions. That is what makes Lammas so unique; each of these cultures, so closely related, had its own festival with similar yet unique traditions."

~ Temperance Alden, The Year Of The Witch.

Yes, here we go again, every year I take the time to write a post about Lammas / Lugnasad, and every year a few days before I end up deleting the post again because some unprincipled middle-aged white man steals my material. again and this forces me to delete everything again, but this year I decided to simply cut out parts of the previous nine posts and add a short introduction on "my favorite Sabbath".

Why is Lughnasadh and has always been my favorite festival?

Although Samhain and Yule could logically be the favorite festivals for someone who comes from outside North America, I mean, the Halloween parties and the Day of the Dead enjoy all the visual appeal, the stories, a complex pantheon of beliefs, music thematic, etc, etc, ... And winter (Yule) occurs at the same time as the December festivities. It is also the season where all occultists enjoy spending the day incessantly complaining about the internet and doing "clickbait" with the typical post of "this is the pagan origin of Christmas", "Jesus was not born in December", and "the little tree Yule belongs to the heathen."

Lugh is the god of the sun and light, the king of the lands, the master craftsman of the old age, the indomitable warrior of the forests, and (according to some more modern interpretations) the lord who rules over all beasts.

Our food needs daylight to grow, our gardens need this light, human beings need the vitamins and nutrients that we absorb directly from the sun through the skin, there is Lugh, the god of light and day, nourishing and feeding all living beings, lighting streets, forests, and valleys for our work and daily fulfillment (what would human beings do without light?), there is Lugh, present every day in every corner of the earth, illuminating each one of our days, he is always present.

Although writing about the Mother Goddess and Hecate would give me as usual 2k to 5k immediate visits to the blog, when I write about Lugh or Lughnasadh I rarely reach 500 views of the post, however, this is Lugh, an indomitable god who does not need that kind of attention to exist and continue to illuminate the path of the pagans who celebrate it every year.

He is a god of the old era (even his name is proto-Indo-European), he is the Irish multi-skilled god of lightning, crafts, and culture, his cult has survived like those of many other pagan gods, in a discreet way, perhaps too discreet, even so, his name makes a presence every year again in our homes, conversations, web portals, and holidays when the date approaches. Like the light, he refuses to die.

Lugh does not need to be represented as a sexual deity displaying his attributes to gain attention and sell statuettes, he does not need to be on the cover of any successful book by some racist author to gain a following, and he definitely does not need a temple, his cult has still survived. For a long period of time, we don't know exactly how much, but we know that their cult is most certainly older than the English language, I guess that's something.

The ethereal aspect of the god of this holiday is perhaps the reason why even before arriving in the USA he was already fascinated with this Sabbath, because perhaps it is in many respects the purest of all the gods in the aspect that his cult lacks other external influences, and surely that was how his own worshiped him in his time, different from the modern cults of various deities where his promoters focus more on "my deity is better than yours because...", and this it makes his cult somehow more real and raw, devoid of all human arrogance and influences lacking in deep knowledge of the subject.

Now, here below the post about Lughnasadh:

We Honor God Lugh for his many skills. August 1 is known in many pagan traditions as Lammas and is a celebration of the early harvest and the festival of the first fruits. On some traditions, it is a day to honor Lugh, the Celtic god of crafts.

One aspect of this harvest celebration is the sacrifice of the grain god. This ritual uses the bread of Lammas and the practitioner's straw images and encourages us to think about the sacrifices we will make in the seasons to come.

This holiday goes by various names, such as Lughnasa, Lughnasad, and Lughnassadh (Old Irish). In modern Irish, the month of August is called Lúnasa, and they call this festival “Lá Lúnasa”. In modern Scottish Gaelic, it is called Lùnasdal or Lùnastal, especially in Scotland. In Gallic, the festival was called Lugunassatis and in Welsh Calan Awst. It is also known as Cornucopia in Italy or Thingtide (Teutonic name). In English-speaking countries it is called Harvest Home or Harvest Day; although the ancient Anglo-Saxons called him Hlaefmass. During medieval times this festival was known as "Gule of August", but the meaning of "gule" is unknown. Ronald Hutton suggests that this word may be an Anglicanization of "gwyl aust," the Welsh name for August 1 and that it means "feast of August."

"... The name Lammas (contraction of loaf mass) implies it is an agrarian-based festival and feast of thanksgiving for grain and bread, which symbolizes the first fruits of the harvest. Christian festivals may incorporate elements from the Pagan Ritual."

~ Starhawk, The Spiral Dance.

"Lammas'" was the medieval Christian name of the celebration, which means "loaf-mass", the mass of the loaf, because on this date loaves of bread made with the grain of the first harvest was baked, which were offered on the altar. It also became a holiday that the Church celebrated in commemoration of the release of Saint Peter from prison.

Nowadays it is also often called the Feast of Bread because it is the feast of the first. Remember that in ancient times the communities were mainly agricultural, so the first harvest was very important for the survival of the population. And the 1st. August was the first day of the harvest when the fields were bright with corn and the harvest would begin. The harvest period would continue until Samhain (October 31 HN).

The name Lughnasad receives it because it is the festival of the poet, the one with the long arm, identified with the Sun. The celebration takes place on the eve of the first days of August. It marks an important point in the solar cycle, in the wheel of the year.

The God is born in Yule, is a child in Imbolc, a teenager in Ostara, and finally an adult in Beltane. Litha marks the peak of his power, and Lughnasadh is the time when he tends crops and animals while he becomes aware of his mortality. For Mabón he will find himself preparing for his death, which will occur in Samhain.

The hot days of August are upon us, much of the land is dry, but the red and yellow hues of the harvest season are just around the corner. The apples are beginning to ripen on the trees, our summer vegetables have been picked, the corn is tall and green, waiting for the abundance of the cultivated fields to be picked.

It is time to start reaping what we have sown and harvesting the first crops of grain, wheat, oats, and more. The celebration had a double purpose: to celebrate the efforts made and ask the gods for a good harvest in the future. It is a good time to give thanks for the abundance we have in our lives, and to be thankful for the food on our tables.

With the harvest, people take into themselves the strength that God placed in them, accepting his sacrifice, and using that power to strengthen their own growth. On this Sabbath, we harvest the fruits of the seeds that we have planted in Ostara, and from them, we will collect the seeds that will wait for the winter to be planted.

"Neopagans usually celebrate Lughnasadh on 1 August in the Northern Hemisphere and 1 February in the Southern Hemisphere, often beginning their festivities at sunset the evening before. Some Neopagans celebrate it at the astronomical midpoint between the summer solstice and autumn equinox, or the full moon nearest this point. In 2020, this astronomical midpoint falls on 7 August (Northern hemisphere) or 4 February (Southern hemisphere)."

~ Archeoastronomy.com.

In Celtic mythology, Lugh was 'The God of Light', 'God of All Abilities', the 'Brilliant or Shining'. The poet, the one with long arms, head of the Tuatha De Danann, people of the goddess Dana, who taught them the techniques to plow, sow and gather wheat. Lughnasad was originally a funeral party, filled with games to commemorate her adoptive mother, Tailtiu, who died of exhaustion before clearing the Irish plains for agriculture.

The Áenach Tailteann's first location was on a site in modern Teltown, located between Navan and Kells. Historically, the celebration of Áenach Tailteann was a time of competitions of strength and skill, but also of marriages. During the festival, peace was declared and religious celebrations were held. God is seen in two aspects of light and dark. These two aspects represent the two halves of the light and dark of the year.

The stories of his Welsh counterpart Gyffes Llew Llaw (the Lion of the Steadfast Hand) also emphasize this radiant aspect, and although he was eventually killed by his rival, who was perhaps his dark half, he then magically came back to life (like many others gods). It must be taken into account that this festival of the "Lion of the firm hand" takes place during the astrological month of Leo, whose symbol is the Lion.

"Celtic Reconstructionists who follow Gaelic traditions tend to celebrate Lughnasadh at the time of "first fruits", or on the full moon nearest this time. In the Northeastern United States, this is often the time of the blueberry harvest, while in the Pacific Northwest the blackberries are often the festival fruit. In Celtic Reconstructionism, Lughnasadh is seen as a time to give thanks to the spirits and deities for the beginning of the harvest season and to propitiate them with offerings and prayers not to harm the still-ripening crops. The god Lugh is honored by many at this time, and gentle rain on the day of the festival is seen as his presence and his bestowing of blessings."

~ Kevin Danaher, The Year in Ireland: Irish Calendar Customs.

SYMBOLS OF THE SEASON

Meaning: it is harvest time, and we are still in time to continue harvesting everything that we have not yet achieved.

Colors: yellow, gold and orange.

Deities: The solar gods, Lugh, Apollo, Horus, Balder, Amun, Helios, Tonatiuh, Quetzalcoatl, Raa, Bal, Mitra, etc. And goddesses of the Earth.

Drinks: whatever you want to make with fruits of the season.

Flowers: any yellow, orange, and red color.

Incense: sandalwood, cinnamon, ginger, cedar, myrtle, and roses.

Oils: sandalwood, cinnamon, and roses.

Plants and Herbs: Cereals of all kinds, cinnamon, sunflower.

Stones: amber, tiger's eye, cat's eye, quartz, or any dark brown or yellow stone.

Typical foods: Dried grains, sheaves of wheat, oatmeal bowls, slices of bread made with cereals. Fruits and fresh seasonal fruits, apples, pears, and grapes. Early fall vegetables, such as squash and squash

To decorate your altar and the room:

Cereals such as wheat, barley, or oats.

Seasonal flowers, green leaves, ivy.

Yellow, gold, or orange candles.

Fruits and Bread.

Runes: The harvest rune Ger, and runes that we want to accompany: Fehu for profit, Urz for health, Sigel for success.

In Lughnasadh, many grains, seeds, herbs, and fruits can be harvested and dried for later use during the remaining year. Corn is one of the vital crops harvested at this time.

Since Lugh is the God of craftsmen, corn dolls are often made in the shape of Goddess and God. In some areas, the sacrifice of the king of corn (corn stick) is carried out. Death and rebirth are a vital part of the cycle. Lugh travels in mating him with the goddess of the earth, during the waning year.

The Goddess oversees the festival as the Triple Goddess. She presides in the warrior aspect of her, the raven that sits on the battlefields waiting for the dead. She is the Maiden, the Mother, and the Elder. She transports the dead to the realm of the dead. For Lughnasadh, it is a festival not only of life and bounty but of harvest and death, the entire cycle of life.

This is the cycle of Sacred Life, which we celebrate and honor at Lughnasadh. We dance, we contemplate, we harvest and distribute, we rejoice and reflect on this the first harvest on the Wheel of the Year. It is a time of transformation, rebirth, and new beginnings.

Bibliography:

• Starhawk, (1989) The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess. Harper and Row
• Temperance Alden, (2020). Year of the Witch: Connecting with Nature's Seasons through Intuitive Magick. Weiser Books.
• Thorn Mooney, (2018). Traditional Wicca: A Seeker's Guide. Llewellyn Publications.
• Laurie Cabot, Laurie & Jean Mills. (1994). Celebrate the Earth: A Year of Holidays in the Pagan Tradition. Dell Publishing.
• Brian Cain (2019). Initiation into Witchcraft. Warlock Press.
• Kevin Danaher, (1972). The Year in Ireland: Irish Calendar Customs. Mercier.
• Pauline & Dan Campanelli. (1989). Wheel of the Year: Living the Magical Life. Llewellyn Publications.
• Janet Farrar y Stewart Farrar. (1981). Eight Sabbats for Witches. Phoenix Publising, Inc.
• Raymond Buckland. (1986, 2002 edition) Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft. Llewellyn Publications.
• Ronald Hutton. (2001). The Stations of the Sun. UK: Oxford University Press.
• Sandra Kynes. (2004). A Year of Ritual: Sabbats & Esbats for Solitaries & Covens. Llewellyn Publications.
• Melanie Marquis (2015). Lughnasadh: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for Lammas (Llewellyn’s Sabbat Essentials). Llewellyn Publications.

with love, Elo.

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