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Rituals
of the Earth: Lammas
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| By Sarolta G. DeFaltay |
As the midpoint between Midsummer and The Autumnal equinox,
Lammas (Old English, meaning "Loaf Mass") celebrates the first
harvest, a festival of regeneration dedicated to the inventors of
agriculture.This is the season where the Sun consummates it's union
with the Earth, symbolized by sheaves of wheat and loaves of fresh
bread upon the altar, along with the first fruits and vegetables from
the garden. Pies made of berries are baked to commemorate the
death of the "Green Man", who lives in all the green plants of the
Earth, who is sacrificed each year at Harvest time, so that others
may prosper.
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Lammas Herbal Lore |
Blackberry: (berries or leaves) Healing, money, protection. Caraway: Consecration, longevity, fidelity. Bake in bread to celebrate the Harvest. Corn: represents fertility, place on altar as an offering to the Great Cosmic Mother, Ceres / Demeter. Fenugreek: Used in rinse water as you clean, is said to attract money. Make a tea to ingest or use in the bath. Focus on developing the powers of the mind. Hollyhock: Favored by faeries to bring luck to the home. Mistletoe: gathered on Lammas by the Druids of old. Protection, healing, conception, consecration. Oat: Cakes are made with the new grain and shared with friends and family. Oat is used in money spells. Sunflowers: Wisdom, fertility, a strong and healthy confidence. place on altar; add seeds to feast. |
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The Altar
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Decorate with loaves of bread, grains, ears of corn,
summer sqash, zuccini, sunflowers, hollyhocks and oat cakes,
blackberry wine.
You will need three candles: green, silver, yellow and brown. |
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Ritual:
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Cast the circle by visualizing white light encircling you in a
clackwise motion. Honor and invite the four elements into your circle: East
for Air, South for Fire, West for Water, and North for Earth. Incense ingredients: Frankincense, Cinnamon, Blackberry leaves, Apple blossoms. Bring any or all of the above ingredients into your ritual circle and add each ingredient one at a time, while grinding by hand with a mortar and pestle and focusing on the properties of each herb as it is added. Consecrate your incense by dedicating it to the Mother aspect of the Triple Goddess, and once the incense is prepared, burn some on a charcoal as you focus in on your ritual. |
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Ritual Bath:
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Chamomile, Fenugreek, Goldenrod, Oatmeal. Place any or all herbs in cheesecloth and tie well; run under tap. You can also make a strong tea from the herbs: bring pure water to a boil, and allow to cool a few minutes before pouring over herbs; strain into bath. |
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Planetary Themes
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(Chart data: Aug. 1, 1999 12:00 PM EDT, Washington, DC) |
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Candles
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The green candle represents Ceres trine Moon. Where do I
need to balance my career demands with personal time? 1. Focus clearly and write your intent on a small piece of paper. 2. Place note under candle. 3. Light the candle. The silver candle represents the mental creative urge of Pallas Athena combined with Uranian individuality and intuition.. Where do I choose to apply my creative impulse? Repeat steps 1-3 as before. The yellow candle represents Juno and Mercury, and constructive communications between loved ones. Are ther any issues I need to address at this time? Repeat 1-3 as before. The brown candle represents Vesta and Saturn, and ritual dedication to a purpose through patience and discipline. Where am I prepared to give it all I've got? Repeat 1-3. Spend some time meditating on the themes of your ritual, and when you feel the ritual is complete, thank the Mother Goddess, and burn each paper as you focus once again on the intention of the goal, releasing the energy to the wind and elemental helpers. Thank the nature spirits, deities or elementals, and close your circle, allowing the candles to burn all the way down, or instead, burn them for a little while for the next few days, letting them burn all the way down on the third day. Blessed Be. Sarolta G. DeFaltay is a professional astrologer and Tarot consultant living in Chicago, and has helped many clients empower themselves through creating rituals based on their personal needs and astrological cycles. She can be heard weekly on Telepathic Radio in Chicago, Monday nights 9:30 PM on WCEV 1450 AM. Visit her website for DAILY/WEEKLY/MONTHLY horoscopes! http://www.enteract.com/~deepsky/ She can be reached at 773.292.0102 (24 hour voicemail) or deepskies@hotmail.com (e-mail). |
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