Lughnasadh

(August 1)

Place upon the altar sheaves of wheat, barley or oats, fruit and breads, perhaps a loaf fashioned in the figure of the Sun or a man to represent the God. Com dollies, symbolic of the Goddess, can be present there as well.

Arrange the altar, fight the candies and censer, and cast the Circle of Stones.

Recite the Blessing Chant.

Invoke the Goddess and God.

Stand before the altar, holding aloft the sheaves of grain, saying these or similar words:

Now is the time of the First Harvest,

when the bounties of nature give of themselves

so that we may survive.

0 God of the ripening fields, Lord of the Grain,

grant me the understanding of sacrifice as you

prepare to deliver yourself under the sickle of the

Goddess and journey to the lands of eternal summer.

0 Goddess of the Dark Moon,

teach me the secrets of rebirth

as the Sun loses its strength and the nights grow cold.

Rub the heads of the wheat with your fingers so that the grains fall onto the altar. Lift a piece of fruit and bite it, savoring its flavor, and say:

I partake of the first harvest, mixing its energies

with mine that I may continue my quest for the starry wisdom of perfection.

0 Lady of the Moon and Lord of the Sun,

gracious ones before Whom the stars halt their courses,

I offer my thanks for the continuing fertility of the Earth.

May the nodding grain loose its seeds to be buried in the Mother's breast,

ensuring rebirth in the warmth

of the coming Spring.

Consume the rest of the fruit.

Works of magic, of necessary, may follow.

Celebrate the Simple Feast.

The circle is released.

Lughnasadh Lore

It is appropriate to plan the seeds from the fruit consumed in ritual.  If they sprout, grow the plant with love and as a symbol of your connection with the Goddess and God.

Wheat weaving (the making of corn dollies, etc.) is an appropriate activity for Lughnasadh.  Visits to fields, orchards, lakes, and wells are also traditional.

The foods of Lughnasadh include bread, blackberries and all berries, acorns (leached of their poisons first), crab apples, all grains and locally ripe produce.  A cake is sometimes baked, and cider is used in place of wine.

If you do make a figure of the God from the bread, it can be used for the Simple Feast.