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Lughnasadh, Lammas, does it matter?
As this is my first year back as a practicing witch in many years, I wanted to re-learn the Pagan origins and celebrations of Lammas aka Lughnasadh. I keep seeing both names, but ignorant as to why some call it Lammas and some call it Lughnasadh. I was surprised to discover these two names were not always the same festival, however, got combined in the Wiccan community. This doesn’t surprise me given that old European pagan practices were mostly lost to time, due to the absence of written language, records, and the destruction of cultural heritage by the Roman Empire. Therefore, it makes sense that the bits and pieces we’ve…
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Crystal Magick
Imbolc also called Saint Brigid’s Day or Candlemas or Oimelc, is the Pagan Sabbat based on a Gaelic traditional festival celebrating the Spring. It symbolizes the halfway point between the winter solstice (Yule) and the spring equinox (Ostara). The word “imbolc” means “in the belly of the Mother,” because the seeds of spring are beginning to stir in the belly of Mother Earth, or Gaia. To celebrate Imbolc, some modern day pagans focus on celebrating Brigid by setting up an altar with the symbols of Brigid, like a corn husk doll, white fowers, a bowl of milk, and candles. Other pagans aim their rituals towards the cycles of…
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Learning Lenormand Interviews – Diana Clark, Creator of the Gaelic Lenormand
This interview was done a few months ago, before the COVID-19 virus crisis hit all of us, so it’s a tad dated (I know that was just a short while ago, but doesn’t it seem like years already?). But I hope all of you will enjoy it. I have to say that I am looking forward to her horse-themed Lenormand! I have always loved horses, as anyone who knows me will attest! Polly MacDavid (PM): In the beginning of the Companion Guide of the Gaelic Lenormand, you talk about your family history & how this informs your divinatory style. Since not all of our readers have read the…
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GoodGod!
Meet the Gods: Oghma Merry meet. Oghma, also spelled Ogma and Ogmios, is the Irish god of poetry and eloquence. He is also a famed warrior whose magical sword, Oma, would recount all his heroic deeds when removed from its sheath. According to legend, he created Ogham, a runic alphabet that bears his name and in which Irish Gaelic was reportedly first written. Wikipedia states, “He often appears as a triad with Lugh and the Dagda, (The Dagda is his brother and Lugh is his half-brother), who are sometimes collectively known as the trí dée dána or three gods of skill.” Oghma was said to look like an older version…
