Beautifully written! Whenever I think of Lughnasadh, I not only think of Lugh, but of the Goddess Tailtiu and Her great sacrifice. It was on Her deathbed that Queen Tailtiu asked that funeral games be held annually on the ground that She cleared that ultimately caused Her demise.
“Tailtiu was the last queen of Her kind, a feminine energy that felt the longing of humanity. When the time is right, She gives birth, delivers the sheaves of wheat, then She dies, a need fulfilled….but soon She will rise again.” ~ MXTODIS123
We are approaching the season of Lughnasadh, also known as Lammas. This is the first of three harvest festivals. This one focuses on what we call the “first fruits”, those fruits, vegetables and grains ripening early in the season. The other two are Mabon and Samhain, one celebrating the harvest of the last crops and the next that of the herd animals sacrificed to feed the tribes.
Great things going on during this Full Moon! Mercury went direct a few days ago, Uranus went retrograde in Aries on July 17th, the Grand Trine perfected on July 16th- 17th (click here and here), and of course our Full Moon in Aquarius.
The Farmer’s Almanac tells us that July is normally the month when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. It was also often called the Full Thunder Moon, for the reason that thunderstorms are most frequent during this time. Another name for this month’s Moon was the Full Hay Moon.
According to the Wise Witches Society, this Moon is referred to the Wort Moon, for “when the sun was in Leo, the worts (from the Anglo-Saxon wyrt plant) were gathered to be dried and stored.”
“July’s Moon is also known as Hay Moon, Wort Moon, and Mead Moon. Pagans celebrate the summer with dancing, drinking, and song. The mead is now made for the coming harvest celebration. Relax and enjoy the warmth of the days and nights. The zodiac association is Cancer.” [1]
Sorry this is late guys – it’s been a jam packed busy week concluding with an amazing Summer Solstice celebration yesterday afternoon that lasted into the night….Hope you are all enjoying your Solstice celebrations and the Super Moon! Here are some additional links for this year’s Full Moon:
The Farmer’s Almanac tells us that June’s full moon is known as the Strawberry Moon. This name was universal to every Algonquin tribe. However, in Europe they called it the Rose Moon. Also because the relatively short season for harvesting strawberries comes each year during the month of June . . . so the full Moon that occurs during that month was christened for the strawberry!
According to the Wise Witches Society, this moon is known as the Mead Moon. During late June and most of July the meadows were mowed for hay.
“June’s moon is also known as Mead Moon, Strawberry Moon, Honey Moon and Flower Moon. This moon is the moon of summer, and we can start looking forward to the warm nights to come. This is also the time for lovers. Before the height of summer use this time to strengthen your weaknesses. The zodiac association is Gemini
Womenergy moved humanity across continents, birthed civilization, invented agriculture, conceived of art and writing, pottery, sculpture, and drumming, painted cave walls, raised sacred stones and built Goddess temples. It rises anew during ritual, sacred song, and drumming together. It says She Is Here. I Am Here. You Are Here and We Can Do This. It speaks through women’s hands, bodies, and heartsongs. Felt in hope, in tears, in blood, and in…
“This is the time when the fullness of the Mother is evident in the lushness of growth around us. It is when the crops are ripening in the sun; the time the honey bee gathers in sweetness. We celebrate this season with dance, bonfires, and yes, sexual pleasure. This is the revelry of Midsummer and the Dance of Fire…” ~ Deanne Quarrie
In Celtic Tradition our world is composed of Three Realms, those of Land, Sea, and Sky. In the midst of these Realms we find the Sacred Grove, the place of flowing together. There the Sacred Fire burns, by the Well of Wisdom, beneath the World Tree. Sacred Fire is that which weaves itself throughout the Three Realms. It connects us and all of life to the Realms as well as to our gods and goddesses. Fire is Sacred Spirit, Sacred Inspiration, without which life would have no meaning.
Fire is the spark, the flame, the heat of passion. It is what ignites our creativity, fuels our passion and fires our hearts to love. It is the Dance of Life, the joy found in movement, sexual energy and the warmth that germinates new life in seeds. It is the warmth of sunlight on our skin and the ecstatic pleasure of orgasm.
It was hard for me to wrap my head around a Sun Goddess after having it instilled since starting out on my Path that the sun was masculine and the moon was feminine – especially as my interests were piqued by the Germanic and Norse hearth cultures. The idea that Sól or Sunna, a Goddess of the sun, was so strange – and stranger yet, Máni, brother of Sól, the moon personified! But as Carol P. Christ commented on this post, “As we reclaim our female selves, we need to know that we are not restricted to the dark, the unconscious, or the unformed. All of life, light and dark, conscious and unconscious, formed, forming, and unformed were once imagined to be female. We affirm all of these as parts of ourselves, parts of all selves.”
Lest we not forget the different Goddesses found throughout the world in other cultures that have solar associations “List of Sun Goddesses“.
As we approach the summer solstice, the longest day of the the year, I find myself reflecting on my love of the long, hot days of summer. The bliss of lying on a beach caressed by the kisses of sun and breeze, with the promise of the cool inviting embrace of the sea by my side, is one of my most favorite forms of relaxation. Though the ozone layer has thinned and I can only indulge this desire in small doses now, I still love the feeling of the sun on my skin as She paints colored visions in my mind’s eye.
She – how can I personify the sun as She when from across the world we hear only of Sun Gods and Moon Goddesses? Yet hidden deep in mythology one discovers that long, long ago the sun was worshipped as a goddess. From Aditi – Hindu Solar Goddess…
“I feel I actually encountered the Goddess most meaningfully during this time of personal suffering…I did not feel a truly personal experience of Goddess ‘energy’ until this pregnancy loss.” – This speaks to me and is so profound. I knew the Goddess, somehow, I’ve always known Her; but it wasn’t until my miscarriage in 2006, a few years after I formally dedicated myself to Her, that I too really truly felt Her and knew Her – it’s very difficult to explain. I grieved, I was at an all-time low, in pieces, an emotional mess – and yet I stood humbled and in awe of Her, Her power, and Her strong encircling presence – it had never felt so strong. It was She who helped me go through this transformation and bring me onto the path I’m on today. It was good to read this because I know that I’m not alone in feeling this and other women too have had a similar experience in really coming to know the Goddess through their miscarriages, trials and tribulations.
Of course, I also became familiar with Her in a totally different way and tuned into a different energy with the birth of my daughter in 2008. It is through these shamanic experiences that we come to know Her in our own ways.
“Childbirth is a rite of passage so intense physically, psychologically, emotionally, spiritually, that most other events in a woman’s life pale next to it. In our modern lives, there are few remaining rituals of initiation, few events that challenge a person’s mettle down to the very core. Childbirth remains a primary initiatory rite for a woman.” –Maren Hansen (MotherMysteries)
When I was pregnant with my first baby, I read an article with the theme of “Birth as a Shamanic Experience.” I can no longer find the exact article (online or printed), but I distinctly remember my feeling upon reading it: I was entering into a mystery. Giving birth was big. Bigger than anything I’d ever done before and it went beyond the realm of a purely biological process and into something else. Like shamanic experiences, giving birth is often described as involving a sense of connection to the…
“May we gaze on the beauty of Inanna as She, in Her love for humanity, brings us the gifts of civilization. May we understand the need to honor and protect Her, our Mother Earth, on whose well-being our well-being is dependent. May our hearts and our minds be opened to a new way of being in which we leave behind the role of conquerors and once more claim our place as Her children and Her protectors.” ~ Judith Shaw
Spring has arrived and my garden begins to emerge once more. The world greens and blooms all around, reminding me that Mother Earth remains constant in Her desire to bless us with Her bountiful abundance. I am also reminded of Inanna and Her love for humanity.
Inanna, Goddess of Heaven and Earth, a Sumerian Goddess who encompasses all aspects of life, was greatly revered by the people of Uruk as she brought them the gifts of civilization.
This part of her story begins when she visits her father, Enki, God of Wisdom. As they share drinks and a meal, Inanna proceeds to drink Enki under the table. Once he’s well into His cups He gives Her the sacred me, the gifts of civilization. Inanna rejoices as she claims these gifts for Her people, gifts such as: kingship, the divine queen priestess, the art of the hero, the art…
The Farmer’s Almanac tells us that May’s full moon is known as the Full Flower Moon. In most areas, flowers are abundant everywhere during this time. Thus, the name of this Moon. May’s Full Flower Moon, also called Mother’s Moon, Milk Moon, and Corn Planting Moon, marks a time of increasing fertility with temperatures warm enough for safely bearing young, a near end to late frosts, and plants in bloom.
This month, learn about May’sFull Flower Moon, how the Moon’s phases affect when the fish will bite, and the Almanac’s criteria for a great fishing day.
According to the Wise Witches Society, this moon is known as the Dyad Moon – The Latin word for a pair refers to the twin.
“The earth is becoming fertile again. This was the time for the planting rites. Now is the time for communication with other beings and recommiting yourself to the Gods and the Earth. The zodiac association is Taurus.” [1]
“Hare’s 1st Full Moon” by David Kettley
MAY: Hare Moon (May) Also known as: Merry or Dyad Moon, Bright Moon, Flower Moon, Frogs Return Moon, Thrimilcmonath (Thrice-Milk Month), Sproutkale, Winnemanoth (Joy Month), Planting Moon, Moon When the Ponies Shed Nature Spirits: faeries, elves Herbs: dittany of Crete, elder, mint, rose, mugwort, thyme, yarrow Colors: green, brown, pink Flowers: lily of the valley, foxglove, rose, broom Scents: rose, sandalwood Stones: emerald, malachite, amber, carnelian Trees: hawthorn Animals: cats, lynx, leopard Birds: swallow, dove, swan Deities: Bast, Venus, Aphrodite, Maia, Diana, Artemis, Pan, Horned God Power Flow: full creating energy; propagation. Intuition, contact with faeries and other supernatural beings. Strengthen connection with supernatural protectors and beings around you. Power flowing from the Greenwood Gods and trees. [2]
* Check out Mooncircles.com every month, or better yet, subscribe to their monthly newsletter to get the scoop on each month’s Full and New Moons, find out more about Moon Astrology and read blogs. They even have a different 3-Minute Moon Ritual for each Full Moon! How cool is that?
Some other interesting links to visit to learn about this Full Moon, visit:
“I am currently accepting all submissions for the Hekatean prayer book. I am looking for original Prayers, rituals, and devotional artwork…Please send all submissions to Skyllaros@gmail.com
Again the deadline is November 3oth, 2013. I will be the final judge on all submissions. You must also be willing to sign an agreement to have your work included, which will be sent to you by email.” – Skyllaros
Since doing Hoofprints in the Wildwood, I’ve been wanting to do a devotional for Hekate. However, there are so many Devotionals out there for her already most notably by Avalonia and B.A. So I’ve decided not to do a devotional proper, but rather a Hekatean Prayer and Ritual book, which I think there is much need for. This will be a book of prayers and rituals only, with images for meditational use. The idea being something you can take with you, read some prayers out of in either ritual or just thumb through reading prayers and looking at artwork on the fly for inspiration. The focus of this book is really prayer and ritual, so there will be no essays or poetry or the normal fare you would see in a standard devotional. I personally think something like this would be a boon to the community, not only to help new…
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A personal journal to share my artistic works, to write about Norse shamanism and traditional paganism, European History, Archaeology, Runes, Working with the Gods and my personal experiences in Norse shamanic practices.
We are approaching the season of Lughnasadh, also known as Lammas. This is the first of three harvest festivals. This one focuses on what we call the “first fruits”, those fruits, vegetables and grains ripening early in the season. The other two are Mabon and Samhain, one celebrating the harvest of the last crops and the next that of the herd animals sacrificed to feed the tribes. 
Journeying to the Goddess 