Lughnassadh is also known as Lammas, First Harvest August Eve, and Sabbat of First Fruits. This Greater Sabbat is celebrated sometime from July 31 through August 7; however, is most commonly celebrated on August 1 or 2. This is a time to celebrate the first harvests/fruits by celebrating with bread, corn dollies, wines and vinegars of fruits and herbs. Decorate your altar with gifts you have of nature along with any plant/herb harvesting tools. You may also decorate your altar and home with colors of this holiday: gray, yellow, gold-yellow, orange, red and gold... and with Plants and Herbs of this time: Corn, Wheat, Oats, Barley, Summer Squashes, Golden Rod, Sunflowers, Hollyhocks, Yarrow, and Echinacea.
Ready to cook some goodies for your celebrations? If you do not have a garden, check out your local farmer's market and create dishes with locally grown corn, berries, squash, potatoes, and any grains. Spice up your dishes with some gathered herbs, homemade vinegars, cider or wine. If there are any seeds in the fruit and foods you gather and prepare, sprinkle them at the end of your celebration to continue the cycle and as a symbol of connection with Earth, Lord and Lady.
Some Recipes For Lughnassadh:
Faery Butter: Allow butter to soften and sprinkle in Basil and Thyme. Serve with noodles, rice and or bread. Faery Butter II: Allow butter to soften and add a bit of honey and fresh fruit. Serve with Bread.
Brigid's Blackberry Pie 4 cups of fresh blackberries (thawed frozen berries are ok) 11/2 cups sugar 1/3 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon of salt 1 unbaked pie crust
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a deep pie dish with the pie crust or purchase a commercially-made one. Set aside. Mix all other ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. If it appears too "wet," mix in a little more flour (about 2 tablespoons). Turn the fruit into the pie shell and dot with butter or margarine. You can bake the pie as is, or cover it with another pie crust. Then score the top several times with a sharp knife. Bake for 1 hour, or until the top crust is a golden brown. Taken from Edain McCoy's book "The Sabbats- A New Approach to Living the Old Ways"
Harvest Stir Fry: Cut off corn from cob add in green peppers, onions and garlic. Stir Fry in oil or butter until corn and peppers are tender. Add in at the end chopped tomatoes and any greens you like!
Cook summer squash (which some of us have in abundance) over grill or in oven. Drizzle olive oil along with sprinkling of thyme, oregano and basil.
You must avoid breaking when things don't go your way. You'll always be secure to the degree that you accept change. True security comes from being able to bend your insecurities.
Recognize and accept that change will inevitably take place. You'll become secure, not by standing still, but by growing, moving, and staying energized. Be secure in the knowledge that you can deal with anything that happens to you.
Have the courage to bet on your ideas. Take some calculated risks and act on your dreams. There is no permanent security on this earth, there is only opportunity.
Your future is a big adventure. Prepare for your future don't live in the past. Savor your good memories, use any bad ones as lessons in life.
Carve out a niche for yourself in your imagined future. Think, feel and see yourself as successful. To achieve any goal in life, you need to project your end result. Think of the elation, the satisfaction, the joy you'll feel. Carry these ecstatic feelings with you every day and they'll bring your desired goals into view.
Sooner or later, you can win if you think you can. The cards you are dealt in life are less important than the way you play them. Everyday you're offered a new deal and new cards.
Success is in your future if you're willing to work for it.
Variety is the spice of life, but spices, historically are the stuff of magic! A spell, after all is really just a recipe and traditionally many of them involve plant life or herbs. Magic doesn't have to be complicated to work. In fact the simplest spells sometimes work best of all, because they most resemble an innocent wish and the doer is not attached to the outcome. Check out the magickal uses of some of these very common spices, which are found in almost everybody's spice rack or kitchen cupboard at home.
CINNAMON: Cinnamon is practically one of the most useful spices in practical magic and is used for purification, blessings, prosperity, protection and improved communication. Sprinkling a little cinnamon on your toast or your cafe latte in the morning may help to improve business. To protect yourself from gossip or the envy of others, place a tiny dot of cinnamon on your breast bone in the morning while dressing. Sprinkling a little cinnamon under the phone, may help you get that difficult person to call you back. Sucking on a cinnamon flavored candy before you need to make a presentation or a speech, can help you be more eloquent (as the spice is ruled by Mercury.) The next time you wash the floor, add a dash of cinnamon to the pail to increase business.
GINGER: Ginger is used to speed things up. Next time you do your floor, add a little ginger and cinnamon to the water in the pail to make your own "Fast Luck in a Hurry" floor-wash. A little sprinkled under the phone may cause that important call to come faster, but don't use too much ... it can also cause a heated exchange or an argument. A mixture of ginger, cinnamon, crushed dried rose petals and coffee, placed under your mattress is said to spice up your sex life.
SALT: Salt has been used for ages to purify spaces and prevent negative energies from entering your home. If you feel like you are under attack, try sprinkling a little in all four corners of the house for protection. Taking a bath in salt is said to purify the aura.
BASIL: Said to be ruled by Mars, Basil is said to have a protective and cleansing influence. If you have had contact with someone who you dislike and whose negative energy seems to be hanging around, a bit of basil, steeped in warm water and drunk like a tea or mixed with tobacco and burned on the tip of cigarette is said to drive the obnoxious influence away. Basil sprinkled near the front door is said to bring you money.
BAY LEAF: Aside from seasoning stew, the Bay leaf can also be used for granting wishes. Write your wish on a piece of paper and then fold it into thirds, after placing three bay leaves inside. Fold the paper again into thirds. Once the wish is granted, the paper and bay leaves should be burned as a thank you. Bathing in bay leaves (add nine of them) is said to bring you fame and glory.
MARJORAM: Marjoram can be used to clear negative thought forms from your home. Sprinkle it on the floor and let it sit awhile (like astral baking soda) to absorb the bad energy and then with a broom sweep the negative vibes out the front door.
MINT: If you need to sparkle in a crowd, charm, woo or sell something, trying nibbling on a little mint or drinking mint tea before you do your presentation. However, if that is too archaic for you, sucking on a spearmint-flavored Tic Tac will do the trick as well.
PARSLEY: Need some cold hard cash? Make a tea out of dried parsley by boiling a teaspoon of the dried herb and adding it to a cup of boiled water. Either add it to your bath or put it in an atomizer. The idea is to sprinkle or spray the parsley water in a clockwise direction in your house to raise your money drawing vibration.
ROSEMARY: Rosemary is a protective herb and the whole needles can be sprinkled around the perimeter of a house for protection. If you like antiques, but are worried about the vibe of the previous owner of what you bought, a wash made of one teaspoon of the dried herb to one cup of boiling water can be used to purify the object from the energies of its past owners.
SAGE: Sage is an herb of wisdom. A tea made from a teaspoon of sage and a cup of boiling water can be added to the bath-tub or sprinkled throughout the house to help destroy illusions and raise mental clarity. You can also buy it commercially, in tea bags, and drink it to help improve your memory while studying for tests
