Wheel of Year info Lughnasadh (Lammas/Loaf-mass) Friday, August 1, 2014 – 6:11 am EDT (sunrise)   Names: Lammas, Lughnasadh, Festival of Lugh, August Eve (July 31st), Loafmas, Festival of Bread, 1st Harvest, Bread Harvest, Festival of First Fruits, Gwyl Galan Awst (Welsh) Date: Aug 1st (sometimes celebrated on the eve at sunset – July 31st) Astro Correspondence: 15 degrees Leo Color: tans, oranges, yellows and reds Food: grains, cakes, breads, fresh fruits, mushrooms, lamb, berry pies, wine, ale, beer Common Info: Story of Lugh, Handfasting/Handparting, 1st Harvest Fest (grains mostly), Story of John Barleycorn as the Corn King (corn is synonymous with grain),   Lughnasadh is the Sabbat that celebrates Lugh, the God…

Witch bottles   Merry Meet This month’s craft is a magical tool that is centuries old: a witch bottle. It protects the witch from malicious witchcraft and sorcery – as well as from evil and harm. For this you will need small, squat glass jar with a lid that’s perhaps the size of a baby food jar. Assemble a collection of sharp objects, preferably rusty, such as nails, razor blades and bent pins. Shards of broken glass, burrs and thorns are also good. Their purpose is to deflect ill fortune and bad luck. You’ll also need sea salt, a red string or ribbon, and black candle. Fill the jar about…

A Wonderful Book About divination For the past few months, I have been busy transcribing my diaries. I have the years 1978 to 1989 completely typed and saved electronically, and I am currently working on 1990. I also have 1996 and 1999 done, as well as parts of 1993. I plan to change the names and some of the pertinent details and make it into a novel, while keeping it in a diary form. The years 1987 and 1988 were the start of a spiritual journey. Being of a bookish nature, I searched through libraries and book stores to find all the books I could on women’s spirituality, astrology, the…

Bright Blessings, This is my first submission to Pagan Pages, and in it is a short intro to who I am and what this column will be about- as well as an article. By the time I finish this, I will have a title! (I think) Right now, I’m writing about the Sabbats and a little history on them and suggestions on how to celebrate them. I will also include suggestions for celebrating the Sabbat once Circle or the High Day event has finished. Many of the Pagans I know tend to extend their devotions outside of ritual, and like the Pre-Christian Pagans we follow in the footsteps of, our…

The No-Makeup Makeup for Lammas Lammas is the time of year to take it easy, relax, and enjoy the warmth of summer and the sun. By now my skin is it´s most tanned, and looks best with minimal makeup. Effortless and natural beauty is the core here. Making it look like I´ve just rolled out of bed in the morning, and simply looking good as is. The truth is far from it, but nobody needs to know, right?! Here´s the diy to my nude makeup for Lammas:   This is the naked truth, the bare beginning, a clean face with only moisturizer on it. I have not much to celebrate,…

I just love the name Sojourner Truth. I don’t think I have ever come across a name as wonderful as Sojourner Truth. She was born around 1797, or perhaps 1787. Records of slave children were not kept. Standard practice at the time. Her name at birth was Isabella Baumfree. She was born in Ulster County, New York and spent her early years living and working on the farm of her family’s owner, ninety-five miles north of New York City. Between 1806 and 1808, Sojourner Truth was sold as a slave three times. A very inauspicious start to life, I’d say. But the circumstances of her early life did not stop…

FROG PRINCE ~ Gift of Transmutation ~ In nature, there is less death and destruction than death and transmutation. Edwin Way Teale This is a journey into the Gift of Transmutation, a state of natural harmony with all life…and yourself…deep within the Universal Soul, of which you are a cherished and intimate part. Allow yourself to go on this inner journey…into the Spirit of your Beautiful Infinite Self. For here is where you shall find your Truth. Begin by getting comfortable. Find a space that feels at ease with your body, and allow yourself to get into a soft state of relaxation. Take some deep, healing, cleansing breaths…gently inhale and exhale…slowly and…

(Loo-nas-ah) Major Sabbat (High Holiday) – Fire Festival August 1, 2 Other Names: Lunasa (meaning August), Lughnasaad, Lughnasa Celtic),First Harvest, August Eve, Feast of Cardenas, Feast of Bread, Tailltean Games(Irish), Teltain Cornucopia (Strega), Ceresalia (Ancient Roman) Harvest Home, Thingtide (Teutonic), Lammas (Christian). Laa Luanys, Elembious, Festival of Green Corn (Native American) Animals and Mythical beings: Griffins, Basilisks, Roosters, Calves, Centaurs, Phoenix Gemstones: aventurine, citrine, peridot, sardonyx, yellow diamonds, citrine Incense and Oils: wood aloes, rose, rose hips, rosemary, chamomile, eucalyptus, safflower, corn, passionflower, frankincense, sandalwood Colors: red, orange, golden yellow, green, light brown, gold, bronze, gray Tools, Symbols, and Decorations: corn, cornucopias, red, yellow flowers, sheaves of grain (wheat, barley,…

On Modranacht, which is variously celebrated on December 24th or, in northern tradition, a bit earlier, the Three Maternae or Mothers name the newborn Oak King, the Child of Promise. Giving him a name involves divining his destiny for the next half-year, for the waxing year is the time of his reign. This illustrates the connection in traditional cultures between names and destiny. In our modern cowan 1 culture, we receive names that are little more than noises, but which might reflect sentiment on the part of our parents. Often a favorite aunt or uncle’s name is reproduced in the first or middle name of the newborn child. But the…

The Mystical Handbag Remember the movie Mary Poppins? Mary had this great carpet-bag. When she opened it she pulled out the most amazing stuff, a wall mirror, a floor lamp, a coat rack, etc. The children were awestruck that such large items could be contained in such a small bag. That’s magic, well of the movie kind anyway. Though we don’t usually carry a carpet-bag around with us today, we do carry handbags, purses, book bags and the like. These usually contain the essentials that we need to get through our day. But we as Witches, Healers and Magic workers often carry the tools of our trade with us. Hand…