| August 7, 2010 | ||
| 6:30 pm | to | 8:30 pm |
O God of the ripening fields,
Lord of the Grain,
Grant me the understanding of sacrifice as
You prepare to deliver Yourself
Under the sickle of the Goddess and
Journey to the lands of eternal summer.
O Goddess of the Dark Moon,
Teach me the secrets of rebirth
As the Sun loses its strength
And the nights grow cold.
The Nanaimo ritual will be held at the Bowen Park Lower Picnic Shelter off Wall St, Nanaimo. Gathering will begin at 6:30, with the ritual starting at 7PM sharp.
The Temple of the Green Cauldron invites the public to attend this open ritual by joining us in the circle or watching from without.
A potluck meal will follow the ritual! Please bring along your favourite treat to share with everyone.
The Temple would like to remind everyone that while photography is not forbidden, we ask that you please get permission ofrom those who will be in your picture before you click.
BRING YOUR OWN DISHES!!
This is the time of year that the Green Cauldron moves their Sabbat rituals to the outdoors.
Usually we provide disposable dishes and cutlery.To reduce the negative effect caused by the paper and plastic garbage, we are asking that each person attending these outdoor rituals to please bring along their own cup, plate, and cutlery.
This will be in effect for Beltain (May 1), Litha (June 26), Lughnasadh (August 7), and Mabon (September 25).
LUGHNASADH
(Also known as: Lugnasad, Lammas, Cornucopia, Thingtide, Lammastide, Lughomass, Festival of Light, Latha Lunasdal). Feast of the First Fruits, Lúnasa (Irish Gaelic), Lunasda (Scottish Gaelic)
Lughnasadh is a harvest celebration named for Lugh (Irish), Llew (Welsh), Lug (Britonic),or Lugus, the Celtic sun god. Lugh was one of the most popular of the Celtic gods.
Lughnasadh is known to non-Celts as Lammas and is celebrated on August 1. This is the time of corn festivals and corn dances. Lughnasadh was the first of three harvest festivals. Lughnasadh was the early harvest, often the largest and the most important followed by Mabon and then the final harvest of the year which came at Samhain.
The success of the harvests would determine the quality of life for the rest of the year. All able-bodied persons would gather to harvest the all-important corn (barley, oats and wheat rather than the yellow corn familiar to Americans) with everyone in the community working together. At the completion of the work they then would celebrate and thank the gods for the bounty of the fields.
In Europe the Corn Mother was made of the last sheaves of corn harvested; as her spirit was believed to be embodied in these sheaves of corn. The “corn dolly” would be kept safe throughout the winter and then buried in the spring with the sowing of the fields.
The decent into the darkness of winter is still weeks or even months away, but the every-present spector of famine was never far from the people’s minds.
A fine celebration at Lughnasad showed that the people truly appreciated the bounty given to them by the gods. “Lammas”, the common name for this seasonal celebration in modern times comes from the word for “loaf mass” which celebrates the bread made from the first grain to be harvested.
WHO IS LUGH?
Lugh is also known by other names, including the “Green Man,” “Wicker Man,” “Corn Man” or just the “Spirit of Vegetation.” Native Americans celebrate an almost identical ritual — the Festival of Green Corn.)
The word Lughnasadh refers to the Cletic God, Lugh. He was the son of Arianrhod and was married to Blodeuwydd.
His name means “Light” or “Shining” and the Romans associated him with their God Mercury.
The Sun God in the sky is weakening. Days, which had been growing longer up until Litha are now noticeably grower shorter.
In many cultures it was necessary for the king to sacrifice himself for the good of the land. In this manner Lugh is sacrifices each year with the harvesting of the grain for the good of the land.
JOHN BARLEYCORN
The character of John Barleycorn in the song is a personification of the important crop barley.
For all it’s bloodthirsty imagery, the folksong John Barleycorn is a telling of the planting, growing and harvesting of barley by the people of Brittan. It is planted, cut down, gathered into sheaf’s and threshed. Then ground into flour for making bread by the miller and brewed into beer and whiskey. Many versions of this folksong exist, and many verses have been added overtime, but my favourite is the Robert Burns version below:
There was three kings into the east,
three kings both great and high,
and they hae sworn a solemn oath
John Barleycorn must die.
They took a plough and plough’d him down,
put clods upon his head,
and they hae sworn a solemn oath
John Barleycorn was dead.
But the cheerful Spring came kindly on’
and show’rs began to fall.
John Barleycorn got up again,
and sore surprised them all.
The sultry suns of Summer came,
and he grew thick and strong;
his head well arm’d wi’ pointed spears,
that no one should him wrong.
The sober Autumn enter’d mild,
when he grew wan and pale;
his bendin’ joints and drooping head
show’d he began to fail.
His colour sicken’d more and more,
and he faded into age;
and then his enemies began
to show their deadly rage.
They took a weapon, long and sharp,
and cut him by the knee;
they ty’d him fast upon a cart,
like a rogue for forgerie.
They laid him down upon his back,
and cudgell’d him full sore.
they hung him up before the storm,
and turn’d him o’er and o’er.
They filled up a darksome pit
with water to the brim,
they heav’d in John Barleycorn.
There, let him sink or swim!
They laid him upon the floor,
to work him farther woe;
and still, as signs of life appear’d,
they toss’d him to and fro.
They wasted o’er a scorching flame
the marrow of his bones;
but a miller us’d him worst of all,
for he crush’d him between two stones.
And they hae taen his very hero blood
and drank it round and round;
and still the more and more they drank,
their joy did more abound.
John Barleycorn was a hero bold,
of noble enterprise;
for if you do but taste his blood,
’twill make your courage rise.
‘Twill make a man forget his woe;
’twill heighten all his joy;
’twill make the widow’s heart to sing,
tho the tear were in her eye.
Then let us toast John Barleycorn,
each man a glass in hand;
and may his great posterity
ne’er fail in old Scotland!
CORRESPONDENCES
Though, if you go looking you will find many variations on these correspondences, below are some of my favourites
Traditional Foods: Apples, Grains, Breads and Berries
Herbs and Flowers: All Grains, Grapes, Heather, Blackberries, Crab Apples, Pears, Acacia, Cornstalks, Sunflower, Hollyhock, Oak leaf,
Incense: Aloes, Rose, Sandalwood, Eucalyptus, Safflower
Sacred Gemstone: Carnelian, Aventurine, Citrine, Peridot
SOME DELICIOUS LUGHNASADH RECIPES
*BROWN RICE SALAD*
1 cup raw brown rice
1 small onion, minced
3/4 teaspoons of salt
1/8 teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 cup of cider vinegar
3 tablespoons of salad oil
1 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
3 tablespoons minced parsley
4 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp
Cook rice according to package directions. Put in next 5 ingredients into
large bowl and let stand for about 10 minutes. Add salad oil, then stir in
hot rice, celery and parsley. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon bits and serve
warm.
*SEEDY BREAD*
1/2 c bread flour
1/3 c golden raisins (or dried cranberries)
!/3 c chopped pecans or walnuts
1/3 c sunflower seeds
1/3 c poppy seeds
2 T caraway seeds
1 pkg yeast
1/4 c warm water
1 T sugar
1 t salt
3/4 c warm water
1/3 c warm milk
1 T oil
1/4 c honey
1 c bread flour
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
2/3 c rye flour
1/2 c cornmeal
1/2 c unprocessed bran
Toss the 1/2 c flour with raisins, nuts, and seeds to mix well; set aside.
Add yeast to the 1/4 c warm water in large bowl; stir to dissolve; stir in
sugar, salt, remaining 3/4 c water, milk, oil, and honey. Gradually stir in
rest of bread flour, whole wheat flour, rye, flour, cornmeal, and bran; mix
well. Mix in reserved flour/raisin/nut/ seed mixture. Knead on floured board
10-15 minutes. Put in greased bowl; turn; cover. Let rise 1 1/2 hour till
double. Punch down, shape into 2 loaves or 2 1/2 dozen cloverleaf rolls. Let
rise 45 minutes till double. Bake loaves 40-45 minutes at 350 deg till brown
or rolls at 400 deg for 20 min.
*BOYSENBERRY SYRUP*
2 cups fresh boysenberries
3 cups water
2 whole cinnamon sticks 1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Place boysenberries, water and cinnamon sticks in a small heavy saucepan.
Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes Remove cinnamon sticks and strain.
Add molasses, sugar and vanilla. Let cool.
Pour over pancakes, crepes, ice cream… delicious!