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Mabon Lughnasadh

   
August 1st -- Lughnasadh
By Jonathan


Colors: Gray, green, gold, yellow

Symbols: All grains, breads, threshing tools, athame

Date: Occurs 1/4 of a year after Beltane. True astronomical time when the sun reaches 15 degrees Leo, but tradition has set August 1st as the day it is typically celebrated. Since the Ancients Celts passed their days from sundown to sundown, the celebration would usually begin the night before on July 31st.

The turning of the wheel now brings us to Lughnasadh (LOO-nus-uh), named in honor of the Celtic god Lugh, a name, which means, "light" or "shining." Although somewhat confusing, we are not honoring the death of Lugh (the God does not mythically die until the autumnal equinox), but rather the funeral games that Lugh hosted to commemorate the death of his foster mother, Tailltiu. Tailltiu was the royal Lady of the Fir Bolg. After the defeat of her people by the Tuatha De Dannan, she was forced by them to clear a vast forest for the purpose of planting grain. From her efforts, she died of exhaustion in the attempt. Legend states that she was buried in a great mound named for her. This is the spot where the first feast of Lughnasadh was held in Ireland, the hill of Taillte. At this gathering were games and contests of skill as well as a great feast made up of the first fruits of the summer harvest.

In Ireland, Lughnasadh is often called the "Tailltean Games". A common feature of the games were the "Tailltean marriages", informal and lasting only a year and a day or until next Lammas, at which time the couple would decide to continue the arrangement or stand back to back and walk away, thereby dissolving the marriage. The marriages were usually performed by a poet, bard, priest or priestess of the Old Religion, and were very common into the 1700's. It is from this custom that our present-day Hand-fastings have come.

The name of Lugh is derived from the old Celtic word "lugo", meaning "oath". A traditional part of the celebrations surrounding Lughnasadh have been the formation of oaths. All the way into the twentieth century marriages, employment contracts and other bargains of a mundane nature were formed and renewed at this time of year. Since the agricultural year had its peak in the harvest and the harvest festivals, oaths and contracts that had to wait until after the crops were in could be focused on at this time. Marriages, hiring for the upcoming season and financial arrangements were often a part of the Lughnasadh activities and in many areas fairs were held specifically for the purpose of hiring or matchmaking.

According to one legend, Lugh was the last great leader of the Tuatha de Dannan. In one of the Tuatha's victories, Lugh spared the life of Bres, a defeated enemy captain, in exchange for advice on ploughing, sowing, and reaping. He (Lugh) was seen as a multi-talented deity, being quite good at all he undertook. The myths of Lugh include the prevalence of his many skills and the use of these skills to the unrealized potential of the land. According to the writing of Caesar (Julius), he was also regarded as the patron of all the arts, traveling, and influence in money and commerce. To the Romans, Lugh was seen as a counterpart to Mercury. Lugh is the son of Arianrhod, who is associated with sacred kingship. His wife's name is Blodeuwedd, also known as the Flower Maiden.

Lughnasadh is the first of the three harvest Sabbaths, Mabon and Samhain being the other two, which celebrates the ripening grains and fruit. With the harvest so prevalent, Pagans see the theme of the sacrificed god motif emerge. His death is necessary for rebirth of the land to take place. Called by many names, "Green Man," "Wicker Man," "Corn Man" his essence begins to merge with the harvested crops, a sacrifice that will be reborn with the new growth in the spring.

In old times, it was the duty of the King to sacrifice himself for the land, an idea that has been seen in the many legends of cultures both new and old, throughout recorded history. One of the most prevalent of these legends is that of King Arthur. When Arthur forgets the land (Old Religion) the crops and people start to deteriorate. In order to find again the glory of the land the King sends his Knights (protectors of the land, an aspect of the God) off in search of the Grail. The symbol here is likened to the cauldron. Many symbols of this story hold not just Christian themes but ideas even older than the (at that time) new religion.

The gathering of the first crops of the year is also used to symbolize the success and extent of the power raised from the Beltane rites when the Sacred Marriage of the Lord and Lady took place. The theme of sexuality and reproduction is carried over into Lughnasadh as well to ensure the remainder of a good harvest.

This Sabbath is also known as the celebration of bread. Bread being one of the main staples of our ancestors, the ripening of the grain was cause for great celebration. The reaping, threshing and preparation of these grains into breads inspired great ceremony and ritual to ensure the bounty of harvest for the following year. Even within the act of harvesting the new bounty we find the theme of rebirth with in the seed itself, some for food (sacrifice) and some for next years crop (rebirth).

In the Celtic nations of Europe traditions surrounding Lughnasadh still continue from pre-Christian times. Most often, celebration of the holiday occurs on the first Sunday of August. In modern Ireland the tradition still continues that on the last Sunday of July families ascend into the hills of the countryside to pick bilberries (a smaller, wild cousin to the blueberry). The bilberries are symbolic of the bounty of Mother Earth at this time of year. With the coming of Christianity to the Celtic lands, the old festival of Lughnasadh took on Christian symbolism. Loaves of bread were baked from the first of the harvested grain and placed on the church altar on the first Sunday of August. The Christianized name for the feast of Lughnasadh is Lammas, which means, "Loaf mass".

It is Lughnasadh that gave rise to the country fairs that have always traditionally been held in late August or early September in just about every region of America. The early European settlers to the new world brought with them the tradition of celebrating the fruits of their labor and the harvest fair.

The small town country fair is the American Lughnasadh tradition. The agricultural competitions and games echo the old days when people gathered to pay homage to the land and the fruits of their labor and to take time for community celebration. When we shifted our focus to city living, we lost a sense of the community oriented celebration that was with our ancestors in the old days. The time of Lughnasadh reminds us that we are not alone. We need this sense accomplishment in our work, of celebration in what we achieve as a group, of dependence on the community we live in.

This time of the year finds us with fields to harvest, the first of a bountiful crop that will hold us through the winter months. Even though the hottest days of summer are upon us, we have but to look to see that fall is almost here. The earliest leaves are turning, fruits are ripening and the days are growing shorter. Squirrels are busily gathering food for the coming winter. It is a time to begin canning and preserving produce from the garden.

If a sense of belonging is lost to you, if you feel disconnected from the world around you, perhaps what you should seek out one of the small county fairs near you in some out of the way and still mostly agricultural community. Enjoy the fair and participate in the games. Go into the exhibitions and see the home canned goods and traditional crafts. Stand still and be aware of the time and the effort that went into these works. These are the works of the human spirit brought to life from the bounty of nature by human labor and imagination. We would not have arrived at this point without them. Honor those among us who still know the secrets of reaping the harvest. They connect us to the Old Ways of our ancestors.

Some ideas for celebration include:

Sacrifice bad habits and unwanted things from your life by throwing symbols of them into the Sabbath fire.
Bake a loaf of bread in the shape of a man and sacrifice him in your ritual. Make him a part of your feast but save a piece to offer the gods.

Take time to actually harvest fruits from your garden with your family. If you don't have a garden, visit one of the pick-your-own farms in your area.

Include bilberries or blueberries in your feast; these were a traditional fruit, whose abundance was seen as an indicator of the harvest to come.

Gather the tools of your trade and bless them in order to bring a richer harvest next year.

Share your harvest with others who are less fortunate.

Decorate with sickles, scythes, fresh vegetables & fruits, grains, berries, corn dollies, bread. Colors are orange, gold, yellow, red and bronze.