Lugghnasadh
 

Horned God, Lover, Son
Leaper in the Corn
Deep in the Mother,
Die and be reborn!
 
 
 

 Lammas or Lughnasadh is the Feast of First Harvest.
It is the time when we celebrate 
the death of Lugh
and all the other sacrificial gods who die
that we may live.
Traditionally one part of the field was left uncut
so the spirit of the grain would have a home
and return in the spring.
 

Lugh is a fire and light god.
Our ritual may include asking the god
to come back, and be reborn
in the springtime.
 
 

Meditation
 

In preparation for the meditation gather
fruit or vegetables
from your own yard or orchard,
if you have one, 
or purchase some that are local and fresh.
 

Place them in your cauldron or bowl
in the center of your Sacred Space.
Cast Circle, lighting candles and incense.
Breathe deeply a few times to release all tension.
Feel deeply relaxed, all worries and concerns gone.
Sense a sphere of protective white light 
surrounding you.
 

Visualize yourself walking in a garden or orchard,
ripe with mature fruit and vegetables.
It is late afternoon on a warm summer day.
As you walk,
gather some of the fruit and vegetables in your cauldron.
You come to a low bench in a shaded part of the garden.
Sit and relax.
 

Sense the warmth of the sun gently heating your skin.
Inhale the rich scent of the garden;
enjoy the many colors of the flowers and vegetables
growing there.
 

Listen for the sounds of birds and small animals.
Perhaps a beautiful butterfly flutters past.
You may hear the babbling of a brook nearby.
All is harmony.
You are at peace.
 

Now choose a piece of fruit from your cauldron.
Hold it, feeling its shape.
Notice its color.
Lift it up and smell its perfume.
Slowly take a bite.
Savor it - enjoy its richness and sweetness.
 

Continue to slowly and carefully eat the fruit,
with awareness of each sensation,
and feeling appreciation and gratitude for this bounty.
As you expose the seed or seeds within the fruit,
meditate on the mystery of birth and death.
 

Even as you eat the fruit
you uncover the source of its rebirth.
All nature is an ever renewing cycle.
The reaping of the harvest allows us to have life.
In the ancient Celtic world view 
this is a joyful and willing gift of the fruit,
and a cause for celebration.
 

Now examine your own life.
Be aware of all the gifts you enjoy,
think of all the love you give and receive.
Put aside the worries, the incomplete goals,
and focus only on the harvest, the bounty.
 

Let gratitude fill your heart.
Gratitude is the quality that opens and expands out heart
so that joy and peace can enter.
 

The Celtic Cauldron of plenty is inexhaustible
for those who realize its profound depths.
Its gifts are there for all who seek it
with an open heart.
Accept them with thankfulness and joy!
 

When you are ready, leave the garden,
and return to your Sacred Space.
Let any excess energy flow gently into the earth.
 

When you are finished share your bounty 
of fruit and vegetables with others.
Share your gifts with love
and know that it will be returned to you Three-fold.
May the Cauldron bless you with its gifts.
 
 

                                   Blessed Be!