Magickal Moments & Wicca Course

Lughnasadh/Lammas Special

Family and Circle Rituals for children

"Blessed be the Earth for giving birth to this food

Blessed be the Sun for nourishing it
Blessed be the Wind for carrying its seed
Blessed be the Rain for quenching its thirst.
Blessed be the hands that helped to grow this food"
SPECIAL NOTES:

This is a great time to take the kids berry picking or to visit a roadside farm stand. It's really
important for our children to understand that food doesn't just magickally appear in the grocery
store, it is grown from the Earth and harvested by farmers. Visiting a farmer's market or helping
your children pick their own basket of apples helps reinforce this. It shows our kids first hand
why we say the Earth is our mother, and why it's so important for us to take care of her.
February 1st is also a cross-quarter on the Year Wheel, halfway between Summer Solstice and
Autumn Equinox, and half a year from Imbolc.

EXTRA SUPPLIES:

Foods from the first harvest: Corn bread, blueberry muffins, apple juice or whatever else you
may have picked. (Tip for busy parents: try Sara Lee bake at home muffin mix. It's really easy -
squeeze ingredients into patty tin). You'll love how easy it is and your kids will love how good
they taste!)

THE RITUAL:
Begin your ritual by ringing the bell to establish Sacred Space. The child chosen to be Bell
Ringer rings the bell three times and says:

I ring the bell

To cast the spell
Let sacred time begin
1-2-3
So mote it be
Let sacred time begin.
Then an Adult casts the Circle by saying:

Great Mother,
Weave around us
A circle of radiant light
Where we can honour
Our Lord and Lady.
Protect us, guide us and love us.

Tell the kids to imagine a silvery-blue light surrounding the table to create a Circle. Explain that
this "Circle of Light" means we want to make this a sacred place to honour the Goddess and
God. Explain that a Sacred Place doesn't have to be a church. It can be in your dining room, a
special spot in the forest, or even at school, as long as you show the respect and honour the
Goddess and God deserve by creating your Sacred Space first.

Next we "Summon the Quarters." Explain that this is asking the Ancient Ones to add their
powers to ours to make our Circle stronger. Because we do this outside (and you don't want to
have too many fires lit!) we pass on the candle lighting and just have the children summon the
elements verbally. It's a great chance to actually connect with summoning the Elements!

The child chosen to summon the Eastern Quarter faces the East, raises his/her hands and
says:
 I call to you Ancient Ones of the East
Guardian Spirits of Water
To Witness this ritual and guard this Circle.

The child chosen to summon the Northern Quarter faces North, raises their hands and says:

I call to you Ancient Ones of the North

Guardian Sprits of Fire
To witness this ritual and guard this Circle.

The child chosen to summon the Western Quarter faces West, raises his/her hands and says:

I call to you Ancient Ones of the West

Guardian Spirits of Earth
To witness this ritual and guard this Circle.

The child chosen to summon the Southern Quarter faces South, raises his/her hands and says:

I call to you Ancient Ones of the South

Guardian Spirits of Air
To witness this ritual and guard this Circle

Then the Adult says:

The Circle has been cast

The Ancient Ones have been called
Now it is time to welcome
The Goddess and the God.

Great Mother,
Whose symbol is the bright night moon,
Heavenly father,
Whose symbol is the fiery sun,

We ask you to join our family

For this Lughnasadh Celebration.

The adult sets out the plate of muffins and pours a glass of apple juice. Then s/he says:

Now is the time of the First Harvest.

The Earth has given us these gifts
From her fields and her trees.
Gifts from the Goddess and the God
That we may eat and survive.
We bless this bread and juice
And it blesses us.
The adult lifts the plate of muffins and says:

This is the bread of life

A gift from Lugh, the Sun God.
We celebrate you on this day!

Explain to your children that other religions also place great significance in the sacredness of
bread. The Christians present their breads as "the body of Christ." And Jews make Matzo the
centre of their Passover feast.

The adult lifts the glass of juice and says:

This is the juice of the fruit of the tree of life

A gift from Danaan, the Great Mother.
We celebrate you on this day!

Then the muffins are passed and glasses are filled. When everyone has a glass of juice, but
before you eat, lift your glass in celebration. The adult leads the toast by proclaiming:

Happy Lughnasadh!!

Go around the Circle allowing each child to say:

Happy Lughnasadh!

Then enjoy your First Harvest feast! While everyone eats you can talk about the turning of the
Year Wheel. Where we are now, what season we're in, what changes we'll be seeing in the
weeks ahead in Autumn. Talk about the different "harvests" available in your region. Lettuce,
potatoes, corn, cucumbers, blueberries, strawberries, oranges, pineapples, whatever.

Share some of the stories of Lugh, the Shining One. In one, he comes to the court of Tara, the
Irish equivalent of Olympus, where a giant celebration was going on. Well, it was tradition at
Tara that no one could be admitted to the feast unless he or she possessed a skill that no one
there already possessed. Since Lugh was late and the great hall was already filled it wouldn't be
easy to find a skill not already represented by someone there. But he wasn't called "Lugh the
many skilled" for nothing, and so he began reciting his list of accomplishments. He was
craftsman, healer, magician, poet, smith, wright - but for each skill Lugh mentioned the door
keeper sadly told him there was already someone at the feast who possessed it. Finally the
great Lugh asked if there was any one person at the feast who possessed all these skills? Of
course there wasn't, so Lugh was allowed to enter.

Another Irish anecdote had to do with the significance of the First Harvest. It was considered a
major disgrace for a farmer to harvest grains any earlier than February 1st. It either meant he
hadn't planted enough grain to see his family through, or, if he wanted to blame it on someone
else, that his wife hadn't been careful enough conserving their food stores. In any case it
reflected very badly on the family. Remind your children that in our ancestors' day, there were
no supermarkets to run to when supplies ran low!
When everyone is done eating and the food has been cleared away, the adult says:

All things have their season

Today we are at the cross-quarter
The start of Autumn.
Soon enough we will have to prepare
For Winter's return,
But today we celebrate Summers Harvest!

The child repeats:

Summer!

The adult continues:

And Shining Lugh the Sun God,

To which the child says:

Lugh the Sun God!

And the adult finishes with:

And Mother Earth's gifts of this First Harvest.

And the child says:

Mother Earth's gifts of the First Harvest!

(Note: If you're picnicking, make sure you do a good clean up. Emphasize the importance of
keeping the Earth clean, both for the sake of the land and the animals.)

Now you can open the Circle. Explain to the children that the ritual is over. Now it is time to
thank the Ancient Ones for their help and their guidance.

The child who summoned the Southern Quarter now says:

Thank you and farewell

Ancient Ones of the South
Guardian Spirits of Air
Go in Peace.

The child who summoned the Western Quarter says:

Thank you and farewell

Ancient Ones of the West
Guardian Spirits of Earth
Go in Peace.
The child who summoned the Northern Quarter says:

Thank you and farewell

Ancient Ones of the North
Guardian Spirits of Fire
Go in Peace.

The child who summoned the Eastern Quarter now says:

Thank you and farewell

Ancient Ones of the East
Guardian Spirits of Water
Go in Peace.

Then the Adult says farewell to the Goddess and the God:

We thank you God and Goddess

For sharing this special time
With our family.
May we keep you in our hearts,
And follow your path of love
Every day.
Blessed be!

Now the Bell Ringer rings the bell three times to release the Sacred Space and says:

I ring the bell,

Release the spell
And Sacred Time will end.
1-2-3
So mote it be,
Until we meet again.

Explain that this is the signal that Scared Time is over. The Circle has been released and the
Sacred Space is no more.

Now the Adult says:

The Circle is open

And yet it remains a Circle.
Around and through us
Always flow its magickal powers.
This ritual is over.
Other Practical Exercises :

Go to a nearby forest or park and gather any items such as leaves, flowers, etc that represent
the current season. These items can be put on a shrine if you have one. You can also draw
pictures or make something which represent the current season for your own shrine or altar.

It should be remembered that the energies at different times of the year are different depending
on where you are. If you are living in the northern hemisphere, the seasons and therefore the
festivals are reversed.

It is important to try to learn what you can about the myths, legends, beliefs and festivals of the
land you live in, to enable you to tune in to the natural energies as perceived by the inhabitants
of the land through time.

It is appropriate to plant the seeds from the fruit consumed in ritual. If they sprout, grow the
plant with love and as a symbol of your connection with the Goddess and God.

If you have the time, and the resources, make a Corn King of wheat sheaves. "Beat" him
(thresh and winnow) before libating him, then light his funeral pyre. Divide the wheat gleanings
among participants. Grind some for a ritual loaf, save some to plant.

"Then three men came out of the west

Their tunes for to try
And these three men made a solemn vow
John Barleycorn must die

They've ploughed, they've sown, they've harrowed him in

Threw clods up on his head
And these three men made a solemn vow
John Barleycorn was dead.

They've let him lie for a very long time

Til the rains from heaven did fall;
And little Sir John's sprung up his head
And so amazed them all.

They've let him stand til Midsummer's Day

Till he looked both pale and wan.
But little Sir John he's grown a long beard
And so become a man.

They've hired men with the scythes so sharp

To cut him off at the knee
They've rolled him and tied him by the waist
And they've served him barbarously.

They've hired men with the sharp pitchforks

Who pricked him to the heart,
And the loader he has served him worse than that
For he's bound him to the cart.
 They've wheeled him around and around the field
Til they came to a barn
And there they made a solemn oath
On poor John Barleycorn.

They've hired men with the crab tree sticks

To cut him skin from the bone
And the miller he has served him worse that that
For he's ground him between two stones.

They've worked their will on John Barleycorn

But he lived to tell the tale
And they pour him out of an old brown jug
And called him home-brewed ale.

And little Sir John and the nut-brown bowl

And he's brandy in the glass.
And little Sir John and the nut-brown bowl
Proved the strongest man at last.

The huntsman he can't hunt the fox

Nor so loudly blow the horn
And the tinker he can't mend kettle nor pots
Without a little Barleycorn."

~John Barleycorn, Traditional.

This is the perfect holiday to honour the prosperity and generosity of Mother Earth. It is a
season to throw away useless thoughts and habits and to form new ideas which bring renewed
strength...

This festival has two common aspects: it is one of the Celtic fire festivals honouring the Sun
God Lugh (some say his funeral games). Races and games are held in his name and that of his
mother, Tailltiu. The second aspect is that of Lammas, the Saxon Feast of Bread, at which the
first grain harvest is consumed in the form of ritual loaves.

BB Rev. Lady Snowflake

High Priestess