and open to Her Wisdom."
22nd Day of the 8th Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Hestia
Lunar Tree Cycle of Tinne/Holly
25th Day of the Celtic Tree
Month of Tinne/Holly
Moon Phase: Disseminating
Moon sets: 12:39PM EDST
Moon rises: 11:19PM EDST
Moon in Aries v/c 11:54PM EDST
Ceridwen's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: The restoration
of sleep.
Sun in Leo
Sunrise: 6:16AM EDST
Sunset: 8:35PM EDST
Solar Question for the Day: "What
soul food nourished you?"
Lughnasadh (Gwyl Awst) Quarter of
the Year
August 1st, 2010
Lughnasadh - The Autumn quarter of Lughnasadh brings the gift of maturity and is a time of physical harvest and spiritual garnering. It sees the greatest change in weather from broiling heat to dark and chilly nights. It is the time for celebrating the harvest and sees the busy preparations for winter. In the human growth cycle, Lughnasadh corresponds to the period of nature adulthood when a certain steadiness and responsibility have been established. It is a good time to celebrate the lives of all who have helped stabilize and uphold the noble values of life, of all who have exercised good judgment and steered the doubtful into the harbor of certainty, of all holy ones whose guardianship has saved us from life-disabling mistakes. This quarter goes from August 1st til October 31st.
It is Sun Day - the Day of Intent, Creation and Renewal... There are Major magickal energies for rites/spells for Beginnings and Changes before the void of course at 11:54PM.
Lughnasadh Garden Rite
At the height of the growing season it can be hard to remember that all aspects of the cycles of life, death and rebirth are still taking place around us. Even at the height of the season of growth there are things which have passed their peak and are dying back to allow other plants their turn. Go into your garden and cut back things which have finished their growing cycle. This represents the sacrifice of the God. Unless you are able to have a bonfire, select a token amount of this and, in a fireproof container, burn them until you have only ashes. When these are cool hold them high in your hands and allow the wind to scatter them to all parts of the garden, so that the ash can return and empower the land, to represent sacrifice for the benefit of the land. Lastly take a few seeds and plant them where some of the ash has fallen, that the God might rise again and bring new growth. If possible get your family and friends to share this with you. If you do not have a garden of your own then go out to a wild place and collect your dead plants there. Burn them carefully at home and put the ash into some soil in a pot and plant your seeds there.
Some people like to add some of the dead vegetation to a barbecue fire, eating the barbecued food in celebration of sacrifice and in honor of the God. Whichever your choice, try to include traditional harvest recipes in your feasting.
[From Kate West's "The Real Witches' Year"]
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