Lughnasadh ceremony
SPIRIT GROVE Lammas Ritual
The altar is set up, food islaid and the fire prepared. Incense may be lit, music played and introductionsmade. The circle is laid out using the nearby natural resources, whether it bestones, twigs, leaves, etc. The ritual leader then casts the circle.
The Circle cast, the callfor peace is made.
We who are gathered here, wecall for peace in this land. We call for peace in our hearts and minds andtowards our fellow beings.
The call to the fourquarters is made.
I call upon the Spirit ofthe North, the Earth Mother, the Great Bear, to be with us in our sacred rite.
I call upon the Spirit of the East,the Skyfather, the Great Eagle, to be with us in our sacred rite.
I call upon the Spirit of theSouth, the Firebrother, the Great Dragon, to be with us in our sacred rite.
I call upon the Spirit of theWest, the Rainsister, the Great Whale, to be with us in our sacred rite.
The call to the ancestors ismade.
I call to the Ancestors, toAncestors of body, mind and spirit, to be with us and know that we honour youalways.
The invocation of the Goddess and God is made.
I call upon my lady of thestars and moon
To the Bringer of dreams andtwilight
I call upon my lady of the loom
The Weaver of fates in thenight
I call upon the Lady of theLady
The Singer of the Evensong
I call upon the maiden motherand Crone
The Goddess alive and strong
I call upon the Lord of the Sun
The Rider in the sky
I call upon the Lord of theWinds
To the Eagle as he flies
I call upon the King Stag
To the son, lover and sacrifice
I call upon the Lord of theWildwood
The God laughing, free and wise
Prayer/Dance/Meditation
The moment of prayer comes, andpeople are invited to sit and meditate, sing, pray, dance or do anything theyfeel like that will connect them spiritually.
A simple chant from the heart,using sounds that express your feelings (they don’t have to be proper words,just vowel sounds or anything that feels good) in this place and time, arelovely, and can flow in and out of other people’s chants. You can chant treenames, God and Goddess names, whatever takes your spirit!
As during this moon phase wewill be looking at dance during the study group, perhaps a dance to celebratethis time and season would be appropriate (and hopefully not too embarrassing –let’s loosen up those inhibitions and just get jiggy with it!). Native Americandancing is easy, and can be done with drums and chanting at the same time. Feelfree to express yourself in any way you feel comfortable, whether swaying onthe spot, dancing wildly, doing balletic pirouettes or even Riverdance (LOL!).
The purpose of the ritual inthen stated and done.
We celebrate this day, theLoafmass, the bounty of the land and the strength of the summer days. We gatherin friendship and community and honour the deities and nature that sustains ourhearts and bodies. Together, let us share our bounty with each other and theland as our ancestors did. We celebrate the first harvest!
The ale/mead/wine/juice isblessed.
Goddess, bountiful EarthMother, bless this and suffuse it with your love.
The bread is blessed.
God, powerful Sky Father,bless this and may it lend strength to us.
The drink is held high abovethe head. Thanks be to the land! The cup is then passed to the nextperson, who the toasts and passes the cup to the next person. When all havedrunk the first person takes the cup and pours a measure onto the ground orlake. Thanks be to the Goddess!
The bread is held out before. Thanksbe to the land! The bread is then broken and passed in similar fashion. Ameasure of bread is then laid out. Thanks be to the God!
Everyone raises their hands tothe sky - Free the spirit, free the land!
The Feast/Celebration
The fire is lit, the food comesout and everyone is invited to celebrate! The Haudonesanee (Iroquois)Thanksgiving Address is particularly appropriate at this time, giving thanks toall who share this lifetime with us during the first harvest.
Poetry, artwork and musicshould then be shared round the circle by those who have been inspired by thismoon and this festival.
When the feasting is done,honour and respect are paid to the Goddess and God, the four quarters and theancestors and to each other. The circle is closed.