Lammas Celebration - Southern Hemisphere

Transcription

1 Ritual: Lammas or First Harvest Date: February 2, 2013 Place: Kraaifontein, South Africa, Southern Hemisphere Zodiac: Sun in Aquarius (SH) Moon phase: Waning Gibbous moon Forward: Lammas lore Altar decorations Colour of Lammas God and Goddesses Celebrating Gods and Goddesses Astrological influences Tarot Herbs, Incense, Flowers Symbols Trees Candle Colours Crystals Animals Festival foods Angels Key words Goal of Lammas ritual Spell activities Tree of life correspondence Ritual: Cleansing of self Attunement Cleansing of Circle/Temple area Opening of Temple/Circle Invoking of Quarters Workings: Invoking our High Guardian Angel Offering Farewell Closing of Temple/Circle Addendums 1. Please note that Addendum A, B and C is separate documents 2. Addendums D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L Find at end of ritual. 3. I added a few sources and extra reading material sources Please remember that this ritual is not set in stone and that you can change it to your liking 1 Sacred Ankh Temple

2 Lammas Lore: Some Neo-Pagans refer to this Sabbath as Lughnasadh and celebrate it as one of the cross-quarter holidays, lying between the Summer Solstice and the Fall Equinox. Lugh was a Irish-Gaelic god of the sun and games of athleticism and skill were held in his honour. Lammas is the first of the three Harvest Festivals in the seasonal cycle; the others are Mabon and Samhain. Lammas is marks the turning of seasons when the summer is coming to an end and autumn is showing its ways. Days are slowly becoming shorter with longer nights. August 1st is Lammas and was Thanksgiving time (Harvest time) in Britain. The name comes from an Anglo- Saxon word Hlafmaesse which means Loaf Mass. The festival of Lammas marks the beginning of the harvest, when people go to church to give thanks for the first corn to be cut. This celebration predates our Christian harvest festival. On Lammas Day the farmers would make loaves of bread from the new wheat crop and gave them to their local church to be used as Communion bread during a special mass to thank God for their bountiful harvest. The custom ended when Henry VIII decided to break away from the Catholic Church. Today we celebrate the harvest festivals at the end of the season. Michaelmas Day on September 29th is traditionally the last day of the harvest season. At one time, Lammas Day was a time for foretelling marriages and trying out partners. During this period, two young people would agree to a "trial marriage" which would then last through the period of the fair; this was usually eleven days, and during this time they would determine whether or not they were really suited for marriage. At the end of the fair, the couple would either part or decide to go ahead with the marriage Lammas was also the time for farmers to gift their farm workers a present of a pair of gloves. In Exeter, during the opening ceremonies which have been carried out since medieval times, a large white glove was put on the end of a long pole which was decorated with flowers and ribbons, was held on high to let people know that the merriment of Lammas Fair was about to begin. This custom dates back to Saxon times when permission to hold a fair had to be obtained and ratified by the King who sent one of his gloves as a token of his approval 2 Sacred Ankh Temple

3 Altar decoration: It is a celebration of first harvest Colours of Lammas: The colours of this festival are gold, green, yellows and oranges for the God and red for the robes of the bountiful Mother which the Goddess wears. God and Goddess: Gaia, Earth/Grain/agriculture Gods and Goddesses, Eriu\Macha as Irish goddess of the Land, Tailltiu, Arianhod, Taliesin, Cerridwen, Macha, Aphrodite and Adonis, Inanna and Tammuz,, Athena Ceres, Corn Mother, Demeter, Diana, Flora, Vesta, Alphito, Ashnan, Bast, Bau, Ishtar, Isis, Libera, Persephone, Rhiannon, Robigo, Solar God, Sacrificed God, Lugh, Cernunnos, Dagon, Liber, Lahar, Llew, Neper, Ningirsu/Ninurta, Odin, Osiris Celebrating the God and Goddess: She accepted the remaining power of Lugh or Llew as Sun and Grain god so that the remaining crops would ripen. He then offers to die and return his body to the land to ensure the continuing success of future harvests The main themes of Lammas are the birth and rebirth of the God, the festival of Lugh the Sun God, the first harvest and personal sacrifice to repay what we have given.the God promises to defend and die for the land. The Sun/Grain god is willingly cut down in the form of the last sheaf of grain to be harvested and his spirit descends into the earth, back into the mother s womb, to be reborn on the Midwinter celebration as the infant Sun King. The horned God and his light are now beginning to fade, but the Goddess does not morn for she knows within her lies his rebirth. As the land is full and ripe, the time for harvesting has begun. In both the pre Christian and Christian tradition called Lammas or Loaf mass a loaf baked from the first harvested sheaf was offered on the altar. On August 15, at the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven, in Celtic influenced lands a bannock was made from bread and milk to be broken by the father of the household and given to the family to ensure sufficient bread throughout the year on the family table (and his willingness to work to provide it. Obviously these days the woman equally assumes the role of provider for herself and a family if she has one. The full harvest is nearly ready, but it is not yet completely certain still vulnerable to weather and change. It is a time of waiting and maturing, with energy directed toward prosperity, growth in wisdom, and the reaping of plenty. The Sun King, now Dark Lord, gives his energy into the corn and grain, knowing full well that the time of harvest is at hand. The body of the Earth Mother is full with the ripening harvest. The Mother will soon give way to her aspect as Crone, the reaper, which the people may feed on the energy of life, in order that new light may grow. We bless the coming harvest, and think about what we must give back to the Earth and to others. Lammas is the time for acceptance, talent, fullness and improvement. Astrological influences: Southern Hemisphere Zodiac sign of Aquarius a fixed Air sign with ruling planet Uranus Note - Full moon: 27 January More on Moon phases and Gibbous moon during February see Addendum F Tarot Aquarius relate to the Swords, especially the Page of swords. Cards looking at the state of your mind, state of the conflict you are in, your thoughts and intellect. 3 Sacred Ankh Temple

4 Trees Alder, Redwood, Oak Symbols Any straw object such as a corn dolly, a corn knot or a straw hat or a straw animal tied with red ribbon, harvest flowers such as poppies or cornflowers (they can be silk or dried), a container of mixed cereals, dried grasses or long ears of grain, stones with natural holes; bread and dough. Herbs, Incense and flowers Herbs of Aquarius/Uranus and Mabon Cedar wood, cinnamon, heather, myrtle, poppies and sunflowers, any dark yellow, deep blue or browngold flowers, heather, holly pine, ivy, willow, sage, clove, bay, nutmeg, almond, angelica, basil, banzoir, grains, nuts, rosemary, caraway, fenugreek, bilberry, blue berry, holly hock, sage, comfrey, marigold, calendula, ginger, carnation, rosemary, vanilla, sandalwood, aloe, rose Candle Colours Golden brown, dark yellow. Crystals: Fossilized wood, dark yellow and any brown jasper, banded agates, greenstone, mookaite, Botswana agate, titanium aura, fossils, aventurine, citrine, peridot, sardonyx Animals and mythical beasts: Roosters, calves, the Phoenix, griffins, basilisk, centaurs Festival foods Homemade bread, milk, cereal products, elderberry and fruit wines, strawberries, berry pies and fruit juices, potato soup, popcorn, chicken Angel Sachiel. Archangel of the grain harvest and of abundance. He wears robes of deep blue and purple, carrying sheaves of corn and baskets of food with a rich purple and golden halo and blue and purple wings Goal of ritual Justice and natural justice or karma, human and personal rights issues, freedom from abuse of any kind; for partnerships, both personal and legal or business, for signing contracts or property matters; promotion and career advancement and the regularizing of personal finances; for holidays and journeys to see friends and family or on business and the renewal of promises, loyalty and fidelity; also willing sacrifice for a long term gain or made in love, trusting the cosmos to provide by giving without seeking immediate return; also for all matters concerning people in their forties and fifties. It is a time to let go of regrets and give thanks for what we have. Whereas other Sabbaths are sometimes about giving up the old to take on the new, Lammas is concerned with making sure we have given enough for what we have received. Living in a very commercial society it is often easier to think about the things we want but do not have than it is to remember what we already have. Hence Lammas is a good time to consider the positives in life, to count the blessings so to speak. As this is something we are not accustomed to doing, it is a good idea to start your preparation a few days before you intend to celebrate the Sabbath. Please see Addendum B at the end of the ritual. So take time at this first harvest to reflect not on what did not grow or what will not now bear fruit but what you have achieved since the last harvest and what you still can create in golden moments however small. For gathered together like sunbeams those special moments can generate a lot of light to keep you optimistic and on track when the clouds of daily pressures do descend. It is Lammas is a celebration of the partnership that exists between humans and the Divine. Lammas is an opportunity to come back into alignment with this basic spiritual truth that the Divine is part of every part of our lives and thus celebrate the abundant generosity of the Divine who gives us everything. Keywords: First harvest, evaluation, receiving, giving, received blessings, abundance, thanking, personal sacrifice, repayment, restoring, transforming, justice, fulfilment, bread. 4 Sacred Ankh Temple

5 Spell activities: Offering thanks, honoring fathers, prosperity, abundance, generosity, continued success, connectedness. Aquarius is the sign for communication and to be expressed in the sense of the brother or sisterhood of mankind. Uranus is a planet of changes, unorthodox thinking, innovations and inventions. We can do spells to stimulate the mind, to communicate things differently, to establish communication directly with the divine, to seek Divine knowledge and to bring changes in your life. Tree of life - Quaballa (Kaballa) As we are invoking our HGA to guide us to discover the Divine Knowledge, I would like to add this section as we are linking ourselves to the steps or spheres of the Sephiroth of the Tree of life: Kether sphere = Crown = Seeking a union with the Divine The colour is white or brilliant white, pureness. From this Kether you have three cards: *The Fool tarot card creativity, begin a journey, changes in life, finding information, inner spiritual quest and its causes and attainments *Magician using that which you know to achieve higher state of mind *Priestess keeper of mysteries and knowledge, know how to access the knowledge of the Divine Calling on the Archangel Metatron to assist you on this journey, Invoking the God force EHEIEH. Gods relating to Kether: Ptah, Ra, Khephra, Osiris, Zeus, Jupiter, Chaos, Eros, Hades, Pluto, Dryghten, Danu, Don, Modron, Pywll, Annwn, Buri bor, (See Addendum K for the image of the Tree of Life.) Sacred Ankh Temple

6 Cleansing of self: (Rub a pinch of salt between the palms) Land firm beneath me, My body is as your soil and stone, Grant me strength and health through your bounty. Earth purify my body (Rinse hands with water) Seas that surround me, My thoughts and feelings are as your waves and currents. Grant me your flexibility, and wisdom as deep as you are. Sea purifies my emotions and mind (Brush a feather over the face and hands) Sky around me and above me, Through which I see the stars, sun and moon. My soul sings as the many stars twinkle. May your numbers reflect the wealth of my spirit. Sky purify my energy Two Powers Attunement "Planting myself into the earth, I push my roots down. Reaching into the soil, dark, rich, and nourishing, they search for sustaining water, I dive down deeply, touching the cool waters below, the primordial seas of matter and chaos, I draw this energy up, through my roots, into my body. It fills me, my body, my mind, my spirit, until I am overflowing," Pause to deepen this connection, "Reaching outward, into the sky, my branches grow long and strong. My leaves bud and open to the light of the sun, moon, and stars. From far reaching heavens shines the light of creation upon me. I draw this energy down, through my leaves and branches, into my body; It fills me, my body, my mind, my spirit, until I am overflowing" Again pause to deepen this connection. "These two powers within me mingle and meld. Becoming mine, combining with my own energy, I am filled with the creative and destructive forces of nature. May these energies and that of the spirit in all things serve me well this day and in those days to come." Pause to feel the energies within and flowing forth from the self into the rite, 6 Sacred Ankh Temple

7 Cleansing of circle/temple area before celebration As this will be a long ritual I advise the cleansing of the circle and blessing of the salt and water be done in advance. Begin by clearing and releasing all excess energy, as usual. Release all tensions and anxieties. Just let them flow through and out of your body, like a gentle wave of energy, exiting through the soles of your feet. Cleansing the Salt: Make three tuathal circles above it while visualizing yellow-white light. Imagines the light forcing out all negative or unfocused energy from the Salt. Say while making a pentagram over the salt: Behold, I exorcise you, O creature of Earth, casting out from you any impurities which may lie within. Then bless the Salt, making three deosil circles above it, while visualizing blue-white light. Speaks words to the effect of: And I do Bless and Charge you to this work! Cleansing the water: Make three tuathal circles above it while visualizing yellow-white light forcing out all negative energy. Say while making a pentagram over the water: Behold, I exorcise you, O creature of Water, casting out from you any impurities which may lie within. Then bless the Water, making three deosil circles above it and visualizing blue-white light. Speaks words to the effect of: "And I do Bless and Charge you to this work! Address the Salt, saying: Behold, the Salt is pure! Then address the water, saying: Behold, the Water is pure! Now takes three pinches of salt and add it to the water, saying something like this: Purity into purity then, and purity be blessed! Taking the mixed Salt and Water walk deosil around the ritual space, asperging the area while doing so. Visualize yellow-white light filling the area and forcing out all negative or unfocused energy. Say something like: I cleanse you.i cleanse you I cleanse you Calling the circle: Black spirits and white, Red spirits and grey, Harken to the rune I say Four points of the circle, weave the spell, East, south, West North your tale tell East is for break of day, North is white for the noontide hour, in the West is twilight grey and in the South is black, for the place of power (NH chance North and South around) Three times round the circle s cast Great ones, spirits from the past, witness it and guard it fast I conjure thee O Circle of Power, that thou beest a meeting place of love and joy and truth A shield against all wickedness and evil To be a boundary between men and the realms of the Mighty Ones, Be a rampart and protection that shall preserve and contain the power that we shall raise within thee. Wherefore do I bless thee and consecrate thee, in the names of the Great God and the Great Goddess or Lammas Blessed be 7 Sacred Ankh Temple

8 Opening your altar Light the altar candles, and say: The Wheel of the Year has turned once more, and the harvest will soon be upon us. We have food on our tables, and the soil is fertile. Nature's bounty, the gift of the earth, gives us reasons to be thankful. Mother of the Harvest, with your sickle and basket, bless me with abundance and plenty. Hold the stalks of wheat before you, and think about what they symbolize: the power of the earth, the coming winter, the necessity of planning ahead. Rub the stalks between your fingers so a few grains of wheat fall upon the altar. Scatter them on the ground as a gift to the earth. If you're inside, leave them on the altar for now -- you can always take them outside later. Say: The power of the Harvest is within me. As the seed falls to the earth and is reborn each year, I too grow as the seasons change. As the grain takes root in the fertile soil, I too will find my roots and develop. As the smallest seed blooms into a mighty stalk, I too will bloom where I landed. As the wheat is harvested and saved for winter, I too will set aside that which I can use later. Light the incense and say: Bearer of the heavenly waters Of knowledge and inspiration The ebb and flow of the Apsu Dipped from the milky way Neither man nor woman Looking ahead in time Whose gift is Newness Bless us with the ability To be ready for the future And all it may bring And to welcome rather than to fear changes We are now one with the Divine, their food and energy we are consuming. We build their temple in us and around us, and as the God protected the Harvest with his energy let invoke the Holy guardian angel of our temple Stand before your altar and perform The Qabalistic Cross: (for a detailed version of this Qabalistic Cross see Addendum A) 1. Touching the forehead, say Atah. 2. Touching the breast, say Malkuth. 3. Touching the right shoulder, say ve-geburah. 4. Touching the left shoulder, say ve-gedulah. 5. Clasping the hands upon the breast, say le-olam, AMEN. 8 Sacred Ankh Temple

9 Quarter calling and Workings 1. Please read Addendum H: Notes and warning before you start with this ritual. 2. All signs will be in addendum C 3. Angels of the Zodiac Addendum L 4. Opening this ritual requires the LBRP See document marked Addendum B 1. The Declarations. 2. AIR: 3. FIRE: You begin in Assiah of Yitzirah. From the center of your Magick Circle facing east, declare: Thee I invoke, [here you may say my Holy Guardian Angel or, if you know the Name of your Angel, state your Angel s Name]. I am [your name] [state your motto], Thy Prophet, unto whom Thou didst commit the Mysteries of the Holy Magick I seek Thy Knowledge and Conversation [clearly state your purpose of performing the Ritual]. Move to the eastern perimeter of your Magick Circle. Facing out, trace an Invoking Pentagram of Active Spirit, and then charge it saying the Name AHIH. Trace the Invoking Pentagram of Air, and charge it saying the Name YHVH. Make the Sign of the Enterer towards the east (projecting your Magickal Body to the eastern ends of the Universe), and while in the Sign say Hear me: As a Hawk seated in the East, poised in Infinite Starry Space supported by Air, I call Thee to True Living Form, by my Knowledge of Thee and the Holy Powers of the East, I invoke Thee O - [say my Holy Guardian Angel or the Name of your Angel]. Make the Sign of Silence. Make the Sign of Air, and while in the Sign say - Hear me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me, so that every Spirit of the Firmament and of the Ether; upon the Earth and under the Earth; on dry Land and in the Water; of Whiling Air and of Rushing Fire; and every Spell and Scourge of God, the Vast One, may be obedient unto me. Move around the perimeter of your Magick Circle and stop at the north. Trace an Invoking Pentagram of Active Spirit, and then charge it saying the Name AHIH. Trace the Invoking Pentagram of Fire, and charge it saying the Name Elohim. Make the Sign of the Enterer towards the north (projecting your Magickal Body to the northern ends of the Universe), and while in the Sign say I invoke Thee: O'[say my Holy Guardian Angel or the Name of your Angel], my Inspiration, my Knight, my Spiritual Phallus, may Thy Light Illumine my Crystal Heart as we Dare to prosecute the Great Work, by the Holy Powers of the North, I invoke Thee [say my Holy Guardian Angel or the Name of your Angel]. Make the Sign of Silence. 9 Sacred Ankh Temple

10 Make the Sign of Fire, and while in the Sign say - Hear me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me, so that every Spirit of the Firmament and of the Ether; upon the Earth and under the Earth; on dry Land and in the Water; of Whiling Air and of Rushing Fire; and every Spell and Scourge of God, the Vast One, may be obedient unto me. 4. WATER: Move to the western perimeter of your Magick Circle. Trace an Invoking Pentagram of Passive Spirit, and then charge it saying the Name AGLA. Trace the Invoking Pentagram of Water, and charge it saying the Name AL. Make the Sign of the Enterer towards the west (projecting your Magickal Body to the western ends of the Universe), and while in the Sign say Hear Me: From the Depth of the Inscrutable Sea, may Thy Essence fill this Holy Vessel as an act of Divine Love in prosecution of the Great Work, by the Holy Powers of the West, I invoke Thee O' [say my Holy Guardian Angel or the Name of your Angel]. Make the Sign of Silence. Make the Sign of Water, and while in the Sign say - Hear me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me, so that every Spirit of the Firmament and of the Ether; upon the Earth and under the Earth; on dry Land and in the Water; of Whiling Air and of Rushing Fire; and every Spell and Scourge of God, the Vast One, may be obedient unto me. 5. EARTH: Move around the perimeter of your Magick Circle, and stop at the south. Trace an Invoking Pentagram of Passive Spirit, and then charge it saying the Name AGLA. Trace the Invoking Pentagram of Water, and charge it saying the Name Adonai. Make the Sign of the Enterer towards the south (projecting your Magickal Body to the southern ends of the Universe), and while in the Sign say I invoke Thee, O' [say my Holy Guardian Angel or [Name of your Angel], my Holy Guardian Angel ], by all manifest aspects of Nature, may Mine every act be Thy Kiss, Unity Uttermost Showed, in Love under Will and by the Holy Powers of the South, I invoke Thee. Make the Sign of Silence. Make the Sign of Earth, and while in the Sign say - Hear me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me, so that every Spirit of the Firmament and of the Ether; upon the Earth and under the Earth; on dry Land and in the Water; of Whiling Air and of Rushing Fire; and every Spell and Scourge of God, the Vast One, may be obedient unto me. 6. ACTIVE SPIRIT: Move around the perimeter of your Magick Circle past the east and return to the center of your Magick Circle facing east. Trace an Invoking Pentagram of Active Spirit, and then charge it saying the Name AHIH. Make the Sign of the Enterer towards the east, and while in the Sign say 10 Sacred Ankh Temple

11 Hear me: In the Menstrum of Manifestation, may Thou seize upon this Offering of Dew and bury Thy Head in Mine Bleeding Heart, for I adore Thee and I invoke Thee, O [say my Holy Guardian Angel or the Name of your Angel]. Now, in the Sign of the Enterer, rise in your Magickal Body straight up (you may begin to do this when your first make the Sign of the Enterer here) and, while rising, imagine a small fission in the back of your neck opening and producing a small drop of dew, representing the essence of your being, which you must now offer to your Angel. 7. While the dew is being consumed by your Angel, assume the form of your Angel, and say This is the Lord of the Gods. 8. PASSIVE SPIRIT: When you feel exhausted from rising and the offering of dew is complete, and while in the form of your Angel, proceed. Trace an Invoking Pentagram of Passive Spirit, and then charge it saying the Name AGLA. Make the Sign of Silence towards the east, and while in the Sign say Hear Me: In the Black Shining Waters of Akasa, may our Holy Communion occur, as a Babe in an Egg of Blue, innocent and silent, I await Thy Guide, and I invoke Thee. Now withdraw quickly into the physical body. Make the Sign of Mulier (also known as the Sign of Babalon or the Sign of Isis Welcome). 9. While in the Sign of Mulier, in thy mind, constrain the Angel to indwell (for it is not you that Acts but the Angel) and say I am He, [say my Holy Guardian Angel or the Name of your Angel], the Heart Girt with the Serpent is my Name. 10. CHARGE TO SPIRIT: When you are moved to proceed on, allow your left hand to fall to the side your body, bend the right arm at the elbow so the right hand is before the median line of your body, and imagine holding with the right hand the Sword of your Angel at the hilt with the point straight up. Then, holding the Sword and in the Voice of your Angel, say - Come Thou forth, and follow me: and make all Spirits subject unto Me, so that every Spirit of the Firmament, and of the Ether, upon the Earth and under the Earth, on dry Land and in the Water, of Whirling Air and of Rushing Fire, and every Spell and Scourge of God, the Vast One, may be obedient unto Me. 11. The Closing/meditation Now partake of the Holy Sacrament of your Ritual, by Communing with your HGA. Be silent and listen. Know that your thoughts, words and deeds are of your Angel. Examine them, allowing your mind to be quiet and free so you may hear the Voice of your Angel. Ask your Angel It s Name if this has not already been revealed to you, and any other questions you have about the Great Work. Open yourself to communicate with the HGA and let the Angel convey the messages of the Divine or knowledge you seek regarding the Divine. Give thanks for the many blessings you have received, yea for the Joy, Miracle and Light of Life, and for your Angel s Guide in the Great Work. 11 Sacred Ankh Temple

12 Feasting: Be humble. When you are done, end all in the Sign of Silence, and return to the world of man and continue with the ritual. Close with the Qabalistic Cross: 1. Touching the forehead, say Atah. 2. Touching the breast, say Malkuth. 3. Touching the right shoulder, say ve-geburah. 4. Touching the left shoulder, say ve-gedulah. 5. Clasping the hands upon the breast, say le-olam, AMEN. Lift your hands up high and say: Upon us is the First Harvest, a time when the fruits of nature sacrifice themselves so that we may survive. Now, as the Sun God prepares for death, I ask that his sacrifice helps me to understand and accept the sacrifices I must make in my own life Now, as the Moon Goddess power grows, I ask that she whispers her secrets and magick on the night winds, so that I can hear them and use her wisdom wisely. Lift the cup and say: Lord and Lady bless this drink we are about to drink. May it warm our hearts and bodies with thankfulness of received blessed abundance Blessed Be! Lift the bread (or cakes) and say: Lady and lord bless these food we are about to eat. May they nourish us as we celebrate the gifts of the Earth. May it warm our hearts and bodies with thankfulness of received blessed abundance Blessed Be! Lift both the cup and bread and say: I share in the fruits of the First Harvest, so that I might share in the wisdom it offers. Goddess of the Moon, Mother of All God of the Sun, Father to all I thank you for that which you ve given to me May I always remember harm none and may all that I do be in reverence of you Behold the bounty of the Mother Formed with energy from the Father The fruit and grain of life Take this food, that your ka may be satisfied through this Eye of Heru. Take these offerings that they may satisfy your heart each day. Blessed Be! (Share cakes and drink with a festival mood) After the food and drink has been shared, call all to order, meditate on the Earth growing and producing all the abundance we have received. Release the ritual energy which will not be needed after wards back into the earth. 12 Sacred Ankh Temple

13 Closing of circle Greeting the Divine Gracious Goddess, Mother of our beautiful Earth, Mother of all Goddess of re-creation You who accept us as we are W offer you our vision and our goal Be with us in our struggles As you are with us in our joy For your presence within our circle Terra Mater, Mother of all life I give thee thanks for thy blessings The fruit of the vines and the fruit of my spirit Life s abundance We thank you, and ask your blessing, until we gather here again We bid you hail, farewell and Blessed Be. God of light We thank you this night For the skill and craft and abundance on us For your warmth For your power For your passion For the energy that surrounds us For your presence within our circle We thank you, and ask your blessing, until we gather here again. We look forward with delight to your increased light, until once again We bid you hail, farewell and Blessed Be We have come together in love and peace Let us depart the same way. Love is the Law and Love is the Bond. Greeting the Guardians: Powers of the East and Air, we thank you for joining our Circle. We ask your blessing as you part. May there be peace between us, now and forever. Hail the East! Hail the Air! Go if you must, stay if you will. Blessed Be! Powers of the North and Fire, we thank you for joining our Circle. We ask your blessing as you part. May there be peace between us, now and forever. Hail to North! Hail the Fire! Go if you must, stay if you will. Blessed Be! Powers of the West and Water, we thank you for joining our Circle. We ask your blessing as you part. May there be peace between us, now and forever. Hail to the West! Hail the Water! Go if you must, stay if you will. Blessed Be! Powers of the South and Earth, we thank you for joining our Circle. We ask your blessing as you part. May there be peace between us, now and forever. Hail the South! Hail the Earth! Go if.vou must, stay if you will. Blessed Be! 13 Sacred Ankh Temple

14 Giving farewells Walk around the circle, drawing the blue light back into the Athamé, breathe deep, and take some of the power back. We thank the Great Goddess We thank you Great God We ask that you join us in future Circles. May your names live forever in the hearts of men. We release this circle of power and might May all spirits go or stay as they please The fruits of the Earth is overflowing Go now with love and passion for this life in your hearts By the air that is breath By the fire that is the bright spirit By the waters of her womb By the earth that is body Our circle is open yet unbroken The Temple is now cleared May the love of the Goddess be ever in your heart May there be peace love and joy of the Goddess be between us now and forever Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again. Blessed be! So mote it be." (extinguish your candles as you go, kiss Athame blades, bow before altar and leave) Sacred Ankh Temple

15 Addendums Addendum A: see extra document marked Qabalistic Cross Addendum B: See extra document marked Variety of LBRP Addendum C: See extra document marked Ritual Signs Addendum D: Remember for the Southern Hempisphere: Directions of the elements when casting a circle in the SH - to the north is the equator, Fire, to the East is the rising sun, Air, to the South is the Antartic, Earth, and to the West the setting sun, Water. You can cast a circle either walking counter clockwise using the above directions, or in walking clockwise you will invoke the elemental directions in this order: Air, Earth, Water and Fire. Celebrations: Lammas (or loaf mass) occurs on August 1 in the NH and during February 2 nd in the SH, and is celebrated as the first harvest of the season. As the first harvest festival, this is often considered the Pagan Thanksgiving Addendum E Things to do before the time: To celebrate this Sabbath, consider doing the following: Create a feast of freshly-harvested, locally-grown food Bake a loaf of bread for your feast, taking the time to consider the source of the flour (from farm to plant) that goes into your bread Give thanks before your meal for the food on your plate and the wonder that is in your life Work at a soup kitchen or take food to a local food pantry Create a wall of post-it notes with your family, each of you writing down things for which you are thankful Take a nature walk and note the changes from summer. What plants are flowering? What animals are active? Create a sun dial that can be brought out again at the Fall Equinox to show the waning of the sun Host a Lughnasadh festival with games of sport. Play horseshoes and have three-legged races Sacred Ankh Temple

16 Addendum F: A waning gibbous moon starts on February 1, 2013 (and ends on February 3, 2013 approximately) visible most of the night and early morning. There is a third quarter moon on February 3, 2013 visible in late night and morning. A waning crescent moon starts on February 4, 2013 (ends on February 9, 2013) visible in the pre-dawn and morning. There is a new moon on February 10, 2013 (traditionally not visible) after which the moon will start waxing once again. A waxing crescent moon is seen starting on February 11, 2013 (ending approx. on February 17, 2013) visible in the afternoon and postdusk. There is a first quarter moon on February 17, 2013 visible after noon and early night. The moon is waxing gibbous on February 18, 2013 (ends on February 25, 2013 approx.) visible in late afternoon and most of the night. There is a full moon on February 26, 2013 (visible from sunset to sunrise, all night) after which the moon will start waning More on the Waning Gibbous moon in Aquarius It s called a Trickster s Moon The Rebel realizes that he cannot change people s minds either by force or by direct persuasion, so he turns to the teaching method of the Trickster. In this phase learn to use humour and the absurb to make people laugh, and to make them think outside the box, using ways the rebel could not to get away with it Addendum G Alternative Ritual Take a number of pieces of paper and on one side make a note on something you have achieved in the past year, or even since your last Sabbat. On the reverse side make a note of something you intend to do in payment for this. This should be something you can achieve but which will cost you either time or effort in the same way. To give an example, if you have had success in an examination, put that on the first side. On the reverse you may like to dedicate some time to helping teach someone else a skill they do not have or to reading to a young child. The achievement and payment do not have to be directly linked. You might choose to cook a special meal for someone who deserves it, for example, as payment for your pet s recovery from an illness. Once you start on an exercise like this it can be easy to think of a huge number of positives which have happened in your life. If this is the case, try to restrict yourself to the ones where you feel that you have received the help of the Goddess and aim to mark three key events in this way. At the time you have set aside for your ritual, call upon the elements, the Goddess and the God in the usual way. Take your first piece of paper and read carefully the achievement whilst remembering the way you felt at the time. Give thanks to the Lord and Lady for giving this to you. Then turn it over and read your payment. Dedicate this task to the Lord and Lady, saying that you will be doing it in their honour and as payment. Repeat this with all three. Once you have finished, thank the elements, the Goddess and the God. You can either pin your promises up in a place where you can see them, only removing them when you have carried out your tasks, or you can put your papers away in a safe place. Either way, do not forget to carry out your promises, as these have been made and dedicated as a Witch and just as you do not wish the Goddess and God to stop helping you, so you do not want to fail to carry out your offering to them Sacred Ankh Temple

17 Addendum H NOTES ON THE DIRECTION CALLING AND RITUAL FORMAT With this festival I want to do workings with the Holy Guardian Angel (HGA), but will give an alternative Lammas ritual also at the end of the ritual in Addendum E. I am going to use an adapted version of the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) during this ritual. Please read the document marked Addendum B regarding variant LBRP rituals. Also see Addendum C for directions of SH and NH. You can end your workings with a meditation session where you open yourself to the HGA to speak to him about the will of the Divine in your life and how you can grow in their presence. You can open yourself to the guidance of the HGA. Please note that contacting the HGA might not succeed the first time, this is a ritual that gives you the opportunity to continue contacting the HGA on a regular basis until you receive either a message or find yourself travelling to accept the knowledge of the Divine. Remember you are opening yourself to the Higher Kingdoms of Angels and thus will be under their guardianship and as such you will receive messages via dreams or via other methods afterwards. Warning: 1. Invoke only the positive HGA or Angels assigned to you or your star sign 2. Please don t open doors which were not opened by the HGA 3. Don t invoke or invite spirits to you which you do not know anything about. 4. Keep your thoughts clear and positive 5. Remember what you wish for you will receive. 6. Inviting spookiness in your ritual is not advisable as this might have far more damaging effects in your real world. 7. Do not do anything that makes you uncomfortable and uneasy 8. Be clear with your questions and wait for a reply respect and humbleness. If you do not get a reply, know that the HGA feels that you might not yet ready for the answer. The Angel might want you to connect with him again. 9. If you struggle to connect with the HGA invoke your Astral Guide or Ancestors to guide you never connect or follow beings you are not familiar with. 10. If you are not comfortable with this Higher form of Magical ritual then please follow Addendum E or any other Lammas ritual Sacred Ankh Temple

18 Addendum I Invoking and Banishing Pentagrams Invoking the Elements: Banishing the Elements Earth Air Fire Water Invoking the Spirit- Active Invoking the Spirit -Passive Sacred Ankh Temple

19 Addendum J Ways of Marking the Festival in the Modern world Bake your own bread on Lughnassadh Eve, either with yeast or from a mix in the shape of a figure who can either represent the Grain\Corn Spirit or the Grain Mother. Add milk to the mix and as you stir the mix in turn with friends and family or alone, make wishes for abundance and the harvest you wish to reap during the coming months. Ask also if appropriate for suitable employment. When your bread is cooked, eat or share it and name the transformations you seek in your life/the world. At dawn put out any remaining crumbs for the wild birds. Bake extra bread or fruit pies to give to neighbors and colleagues who maybe live alone and may not cook for themselves often. Cut down an area of weeds or overgrown grass in your garden or tidy up indoor plants. Alternatively spend a day on an organized project clearing local wilderness, to symbolically generate the energies to clear your way ahead in your life and relationships. Light an orange candle every evening if possible for a week around the festival. Sprinkle a pinch of salt in the flame to let go of any injustice that cannot be put right but which needs to be released from your mind to set you free. Then add a small pinch of dried sage to the flame and name a blessing however small or an unexpected kindness you have received in the previous few months. At the end of the week, make a practical gesture or spoken small blessing to someone who does not merit it Alternatively if you feel you have been unjustly treated and cannot put matters right, knot dried grasses or pluck the petals of a dying flower, one for each injustice and cast them into running water or bury them, planting late flowering seeds or autumn flowers. Use corn or dried grasses to create corn knots and corn mother figures (with featureless head, arms, body and legs) tied with red and blue threads. Hang them in the home through the winter to bring protection and burn them on the first Monday after Twelfth Night (January 6) or on next year s Spring Equinox fires. If you want to make a Corn spirit, make an abstract shape using ears of corn tied together. Burn him in your Lughnassadh festival bonfire and scatter some of the ashes in your garden or on indoor plants to bring abundance to the home during the winter ahead. Arrange journeys to see friends and relations or write or telephone, making definite plans to meet, as this is a time when tribes would get together before the long winter. Try to take an impromptu weekend away to fill you with energy for the coming months, Make a final effort to resolve an unfair official or neighborhood dispute or a disagreement over an inheritance or property matter, if necessary by changing tactic or the person representing you. If you are in love, make a commitment as this was the time when couples would pledge themselves for a year and a day. Alternatively if things are not working decide if you can make one last all out effort to salvage the relationship or if you want to use this cleansing time to move on at least in your own mind. Cast dying flowers into your festival bonfire and ask for renewal and afterwards pick any flowers growing or buy yourself a flowering plant to symbolize new love, maybe loving yourself for the first time Sacred Ankh Temple

20 Addendum K: Tree of Life < Addendum L Angels of the Zodiac Sources consulted: Temple of High Witchcraft by Christopher Penczak The Outer Temple of Witchcraft by Christopher Penczak Pagan Astrology by Raven Kaldera an.html rah A variety of web sites on my database used in compiling the Correspondence To know more about the Tree of life: h.aspx Ritual compiled by High Priestess Nightshade Dragonfly 20 Sacred Ankh Temple