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Peeking in the Shadows: Crafting a Book of Shadows and Light

 

A Journey Through the Witch’s Wheel of the Year 2022!

The Witch’s Wheel of the Year

 

 

We Continue Our Journey Through the Witch’s Wheel and celebrate the Harvest of Lughnasadh….

 

Lughnasadh (aka Lammas) is here! We share the bounty of the Season and the Sacrifice of Tailtiu….

 

 

The blade is sharp
Scythe swings in
Flashing arc as
Sheaf of wheat
And apples fall
The Harvest now begun.

Gather the grain
Leave what you must
Fill carefully woven baskets
With the overflowing bounty.

Consume the energy
Swallow the light
Feel the great
Blessing of living grain’s
Sustaining of all life.

No time to linger
Fields are awaiting
The reaping and
The gathering.

Grain man’s sacrifice
Willingly offered
As humanity peacefully
Slumbers sated on sacred
Harvest with warm bellies full.

This article is a celebration of the first harvest of Lughnasadh on the Great Wheel. This has always been my favorite time of the year. There is a decided undercurrent of chill in the air that bodes of cooler weather, shorter days and the promise of time to spend indoors in reflection. This year, in particular offers up deeper personal insight for me largely because of personal work begun on my emotional self and the re-defining of what I will release and what I will strengthen in those waters. In thinking about what form this year’s sacrifice will be and what the Harvest Mother will call me to release and clear away, this work on self I have begun is the focus I will use. I have learned from the many previous cycles that the choices I make now will be those that connect me more deeply to a state of balance at the equinox and what I will offer to the Crone in final release at Samhain.

This cycle of creation and sacrifice flows as the undercurrent throughout all of our workings and peaks and ebbs in accord with the cycles of the seasons. I think back upon the sacrifices I have made as a Mother. This role is always at the core of my emotions, mind and body. The lessons of putting one’s own needs aside and the depth of connection and care for those whom you love rise to the surface at this time of the year as thoughts turn towards the harvest and the importance of selectively gathering and cutting away.

I am reminded of the story of Tailtiu and her great sacrifice of clearing the forest that she loved to prepare land that would provide food for her people whom she loved more. Hers is the story of clearing away until you have willingly given every bit of yourself to the process. The resultant death is rebirth. It is rebirth to a more productive way of gathering the abundance of what you have sown. Rebirth to a new way of creating and a deeper gnosis of the ultimate release and death of what has been created. This is the death of surrender to what must be to insure that what is viable and of the greatest potential may continue to thrive. This is the sacrifice of service to something more than your own needs and held within the intent of truly being “for the good of all”.

My thoughts turn also to the great sacrifice of her foster son Lugh and the surrender of the Sun God to become one with the earth, enlivening it and standing as the sacrificial grain to continue the process the Harvest Mother had begun. This is the transformative power that takes hold when we act from a place of selflessness. This is the grain of truth that grows and nourishes the deeper hunger of our souls and offers the support, strength and courage needed to continue on. And, this is the lesson of legacy that is left behind when the purity of intent fosters the flaming will of desire to uphold the cycle that has proven its worth.

So, today I call to the goddess as Mother within myself to wield the scythe of cutting away what blocks my clarity of vision. I call to the wisdom of the Harvest Mother to help me choose what will be gathered into the stores of my spiritual reserve and what will remain in the fields as compost so that balance may be restored in preparation for the final harvest of release. I call to the love of the Mother for her son and her community and the legacy of a life well spent and offered up in service. I call to nature and all of life to wrap me in the bounty of the harvest that I may draw to myself the wisdom and blessings of the Harvest Mother as I reap the light filled product of my own creation. Blessings of the Harvest!

Use the template below to guide your celebration, knowing that there is no right or wrong way to celebrate if intention, heart and mind are holding the highest service to Deity, yourself and community. Blessings of the Sabbat…

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THE WITCH’S WHEEL OF THE YEAR

 

Date: August 1.2022

Lughnasadh (aka. Lammas)

 

What have I learned about Lughnasadh?

 

How did I celebrate the Lughnasadh?

 

How did I feel after my celebration?

 

What would I change-What would I add to make Lughnasadh more meaningful to me?

 

So Mote It Be!

Sign Your Magickal Name Here

 

End Note: An excellent resource for suggestions, visuals and ideas for making your Sabbat celebrations rich and visually beautiful, check out the Book Review listed here:

Book Review: The Ultimate Guide to the Witch’s Wheel of the Year-Rituals, Spells & Practices for Magical Sabbats, Holidays & Celebrations by Anjou Kiernan

 

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About the author:

Robin Fennelly is an Elder within The Assembly of the Sacred Wheel Tradition and serves as High Priestess of Coven of the Mystic Path, the 12th Coven within the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel Tradition. She teaches and facilitates classes for the Pagan Experience Study Group that serves as foundation for membership within Coven of the Mystic Path.  

Her spiritual journey is strongly rooted in both Eastern philosophy and the Western Magickal systems from which she has formed a core foundation that is diverse in knowledge and rich in spiritual practice.  A life-long learner, her practice has evolved from the classical and philosophical teachings of books, practical experience and enrichment of this knowledge base by attending workshops of various spiritual traditions presented by master teachers.

Robin formally came to the Wiccan path in 1994. Following a practice as a solitary for 2 years, she dedicated to Oak and Willow Coven of The Assembly of the Sacred Wheel Tradition in November of 1996. She received her 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th (Elder) degrees within the Assembly Tradition and has served as High Priestess of two ASW covens since Samhain of 2001 and the Winter Solstice of 2015.


As a teacher of esoteric and magickal studies she uses Energetic Anatomy, Tarot, Astrology, Hermetic Qabala, Eastern Philosophy, and Numerology as the foundations of her diverse selection of workshops and writings for more than 25 years. Exploration of varied energetic protocol has been the focus of her work for some time now and the information gained through direct experience informs all of her magickal and spiritual work.

Robin’s writings have been featured online, and in print Internationally.  She has authored several books incorporating her unique style of writing making use of poetry, prose and pathworking to enhance the concepts presented.  She has taught extensively throughout the Pagan community, including Sacred Space Conference, Spring Magick, Between the Worlds Interfaith Conference and Free Spirit Gathering Festival. Her most recent projects include a channel on youtube: A Journey to the Inner Chamber. She also shares audio pathworkings and ritual on her bandcamp site: Teachings on the Path with Robin.

Robin is the owner of Holistic Embrace providing services for mind, body and spirit such as Tarot readings, Astrology reports, Spiritual Guidance and other related offerings.  She lives in Eastern Pennsylvania and her life is blessed by a 40+- year marriage, five children and the opportunity to work in the field of public education.

Robin’s Websitewww.robinfennelly.com

Coven of the Mystic Path, ASWwww.covenofthemysticpath.org

Her books can be found on Amazon or purchased directly through her website:

For more infohttp://www.robinfennelly.com/books.html

The Inner Chamber, Vol. 1 It’s Written in the Stars-Astrology

The Inner Chamber, Vol. 2 Poetry of the Spheres-Qabalah

The Inner Chamber, Vol. 3 Awakening the Paths-Qabalah

The Light of SELF: Consciousness, Spiritual Practice and Learning to Breathe

Magickal Verse: A Collection of Poetry and Prose

A Year of Gaia: The Eternal Cord

The Elemental Year: Aligning the Elements of SELF

Temple of the Sun and Moon: Luminous Devotions

Sleeping with the Goddess: Nights of Devotion

A Weekly Reflection: Musings for the Year

The Magickal Pen: A Collection of Esoteric Writings

The Enchanted Gate: Musings on the Magick of the Natural World

The Temple of the Sun: An Astrological Solar Year

Writings in the Shadow: An Exploration of the Shadow Nature