• Monthly Columns

    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…

  • This Month's Holiday

    Lughnasadh/Lammas Correspondences

    (Lammas Holiday Cross Stitch Autumn Pattern pdf Created by Olga of SmartyOwl on Etsy.)     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…

  • Monthly Columns,  Spells & Rituals

    Celebrating the Old Ways in New Times

    Celebrating the Old Ways in New Times for September 2021 Bright Blessings, I write this on the day the plans I’ve had since 2009 have finally started to come to fruition, and it’s not entirely hit me just yet. I’ve been trying to move out of the condo where we live since then. I even left my husband for nearly two years at one point because I wanted to leave so badly! After a disastrous encounter with one of the neighbors who is a dangerous criminal, we busted our backsides for a few months- and we got this place sold. We sacrificed our time, our money, and our energy- but…

  • Monthly Columns

    MagickalArts

    A New (Witch’s Year)! The Space of Integration   A Harvest of Return Lammas – Lughnasaadh August 1 ..Excerpted from my online course – A Year and A Day on the Wiccan Path….   Another turn of the Great Wheel and the first harvest is upon us. This Sabbat is known as Lammas or Lughnassadh depending on where and how it is celebrated. Lammas is derived from the words “loaf mass” and refers to the harvesting of the grains, preparation and baking of bread in celebration of the gifts of the season. The God may take the form of the Green Man, the Harvest King or Grain Father. Lughnassadh gives…

  • Monthly Columns,  Spells & Rituals

    Celebrating The Old Ways in New Times

    Celebrating The Old Ways in New Times for August 2021 Bright Blessings! Lughnasadh is upon us, and is it ever hot! We are due to have heat advisories the next two, possibly three days in my town, and the dog is displeased with how short of a distance I allow her for walks. Exacerbating that is the fact they decided to pour asphalt on our street, so I don’t even want to go outside at all. I spend a lot of time outdoors but truthfully, I don’t remember ever having the issues with heat that I have this year. Have I ever changed! I can remember I thought my mother…

  • Monthly Columns

    Samildánach – Poetry

    Samildánach     Will I have any grain to bring To place on the stone within the ring? Will I have flesh to cut and burn And place inside the bubbling urn? Will I have neeps and spuds and carrots To fill these wide and simmering pots? Or shall I send my body’s milk, Sweet like parsnips, smooth like silk? Enough to feed a baby small Enough for summer, more for fall And more for winter still, my stock Is never under key and lock.   I am the harvest, am the land Though Tailtiu never took my hand I was not cleared; I am not feared I am the…

  • Monthly Columns

    GoodGod!

    Meet the Gods: Lugh     The Celts, who lived in central Europe, worshipped Lugh (or Lug) as their Sun god. He is one of the most prominent gods from Irish mythology with many skills including fierce warrior, master craftsman, harpist, poet, and king. Fulfilling a prophecy, he grew up to kill his grandfather, Balor, the god of the underworld. Lugh (pronounced Loo) is associated with the festival of Lughnasadh (pronounced Loo-NA-sah), which bears his name. It is celebrated as the first harvest – traditionally August 1 – by those who keep the tradition alive. Astrologically, it falls on August 6, 2020.     He is depicted as a tall,…

  • Monthly Columns

    Celebrating the Old Ways in New Times Lughnasadh/Lammas

    Celebrating the Old Ways in New Times for August 2020 Lughnasadh/Lammas Bright Blessings! This year is flying by. I can hardly believe it’s almost Lammas or Lughnassadh, depending on which you celebrate. Both are first harvest, celebrating first fruits, some being wheat, some being corn or berries, and all giving thanks for the beneficial harvest from hard work. Today’s Pagans seldom grow wheat and corn, since nowadays, we buy it! For us, our harvests are symbolic! Let’s do a bit of history before talking about personal harvests!   Lughnasadh Halfway between Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox, Lughnasadh is an old Pagan holiday celebrated in Scotland, Ireland, and the Isle of…