Merry Meet and Lughnasadh Blessings to you all! Tonight is the first of the harvest festivals that we will celebrate over the next few months to include Mabon and Samhain in September and October. Tonight’s Sabbat falls in between the Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox, as we turn the wheel of the year once again. For those of you that garden you will recognize that most vegetable crops are ready now. We have rows of ground cherries and tomatilllos that are just thriving and a huge pumpkin patch in the middle of it all. I tried my first tomatillo this year and I love them! My herb garden just brings me so much joy. I know I’ve been telling you about my chocolate mint. I’m so excited about it. I have so many herbs that are in now and doing so well. It’s a wonderful time of year for gardens as the first harvests are coming in. We are finally getting to have some of the first tomatillos, tomatoes, squash and other goodies that we have planted. We also have bins filled with peppers and zucchini from a local farm up the road. The Kitchen smells amazing.
The picture above is from the other night. It was just so beautiful out and that sound outside during the Summer. I just love it! If this link works for you I posted a quick video the other night of it to Facebook: Summer Nights We were outside on our deck watching the Moon and listening to all the sounds of the night.
Tonight is the night to celebrate the spirit of the harvest and give thanks for the abundance that Mother Earth is blessing us with at this time. In the Northern Hemisphere most traditions celebrate Lughnasadh on August 1st. In the Southern Hemisphere it is celebrated on February 1st. Our days are starting to get shorter, but we still have more light than darkness in our days.
You may also see tonight referred to as Lammas by most who are not Celtic. The Word Lammas means loaf mass, and you will find some Christian traditions have passed on this ancient pagan holiday and still practice it today. In ancient English customs, the people would bring a loaf of bread made from that first harvest to the church.
Lughnasadh gets it’s name from the Celtic Sun God Lugh. It means the “marriage of Lugh.” In Celtic traditions, tonight we honor the God Lugh, the celtic craftsman, and the God of skills and talents and light. In Celtic mythology, Lugh is associated with the grains and harvests as he once held a harvest fair in honor of his stepmother, Tailtiu. The name Lugnhasadh comes from his name and is in honor of his work, and the fair he held that day in tribute to his mother. The three days prior to this festival were considered sacred to ancient Celts, and they used them as a time of purification.
It is also an old Celtic custom to harvest billberries on this day. If the harvest was abundant it was considered a sign of how the next couple months of harvest would go. The closest thing I have to billberries in my area is blueberries.
If you are doing a ritual tonight, here are some ideas to prepare your alter. If you are choosing to honor the God Lugh tonight place a symbol of your craft or trade upon your alter. Other items that are appropriate to include for tonight’s celebration include baskets, grains, fruits and vegetables, other symbolic gardening items, and fresh flowers. Some symbols of Lughnasadh include grapes, corn dolls, iron tools or weapons and armor, fall flowers, straw braids, and onion garlands. Altar cloths should be in rich yellows, oranges or reds to represent the end of summer and upcoming fall harvest. Candles should be in rich fall colors as well, reds, oranges, and yellows.
Have a Magickal Day!
Much Love and Many Blessings,
Jasmeine Moonsong
P.S. If you haven’t ordered your Full Corn Moon Reading, Lughnasadh Garden Reading or August forecast today is the last day! <3
