Lammas is the first of the harvest festivals. In pre-Christian times this was the time of the sacrifice of the Year King, Consort of the Goddess. We still have to make sacrifices in order to grow. We have to sacrifice the childish ways. We leave pettiness with our offerings in the cauldron.
We are met this night, with the rising of the Moon, to celebrate the Lammas feast. This is the first of the Harvest festivals. It is a night of remembered sacrifice as well as joy. We remember that sacrifices are made so that we can grow. As the Horned One becomes the Wicker Man, and dies to this season, we know He enters Summerland to take His role as Master of the Gates. Even as we join the Goddess in Celebrating His passing, we know that the cycles of change will bring Him back as Her Son, Lover, and Sacrifice again. We learn to move with the cycles of change within ourselves too.
This night we celebrate the joy of having being together again. We will enter the Grove of the Goddess together and share joy in the things we have learned this year. Let yourself focus on the candles before you. Feel the glow of the love that surrounds you. In the dancing shadows you can see your strengths. Remember the positive things in your life, the things you have learned this year, find the means to recreate those feelings in your life now.
From your present, the past, from all the many lands the Moon shines upon come the Names of The Lady. Her Faces are the faces of all times, all places... all of our faces. We fill the shadowed night with the glory of Her many Names!
ADITI, ARIDA, ANAHITA, ANDRASTE, BRIGID, CERRIDWEN, CHANGING WOMAN, DEMETER, FREYA, HATHOR, INANNA, ISHTAR, ISIS-ATHENA, LAKSHMI, JUNO, KUAN YIN, MA'AT, MARI, MINERVA, MORGANNA, PARASHAKTI, SIOBHAN, TIAMAT, PELE, URANIA, VESTA, ZU-EN...
This is the time of Harvest. We thank the Goddess and Her Consort for helping us to provide for ourselves and our families. We ask for Their continuing help.
Let us cast the circle. We call the Sun, Moon and stars... We call Air, Fire, Water and Earth... Join with us! May the Lady and Horus-Dylan, Her Horned Lover, be with us now!
Hail Guardians of the watchtowers of the East
Power of Air... Intelligence... Reason...
Winged Children of the Goddess
Soaring Eagle... Singing Lark
Warm breath of morning... Hurricane... First Light
Come, Arida... Radiant Dawn...
Be With Us Now!Hail Guardians of the watchtowers of the South
Power of Flame... Action... Will...
Graceful Children of the Goddess
Lioness at Noon... Antelope at play..
Come, Pele... Brilliant Day...
Be With Us Now!Hail Guardians of the watchtowers of the West
Power of Water... Emotions... Feelings...
Swift swimming Children of the Goddess...
Dolphin dancing... Dragon of The Abyss...
Tranquil Stream... Thunderstorm... Evening Rain...
Come Tiamat, Evensong...
Be With Us Now!Hail Guardians of the watchtowers of the North
Power of Earth... the world around us... Strength
Earthborn Children of The Goddess...
Bear and Wolf... Cat and Owl...
Mountain... Valley... Midnight Star...
Come Cerridwen... Darksome Queen...
Be With Us Now!The Circle is Cast... We are between the worlds!
On the Altar are green candles, and silver coins. They are symbols of Growth, and Wealth, the things we wish to harvest in the Mundane World. This night we will weave a web of candlelight and silver around the Circle, between the Worlds. We weave protection and more than enough financial security for our balanced needs and desires in all the Worlds.
As Our Will, So Shall It Be... So It Is!
Create a Spider out of candlelight. Let Her be the focus of your energy. As She spins Her threads we pass them hand to hand, filling them with strength. Now we Spin along with Her, letting the threads weave a sparkling net of rainbows around us. See that net grow thicker, more solid with each round. The energy we generate becomes visible creating a protective circle.
Each one take one of the coins. Feel how solid, heavy it is... let it warm in your hand. It feels good. Whisper to it the things you would like it to bring to you...
Now see it's etheric double rise from it and hang over the altar. Fill it with energy. Tell it to go and locate the things you want, in mutually beneficial ways, and bring them back. Send it on it's way with love, and the assurance that you deserve to have all the wonderful things you are calling to yourself.
Now let yourself relax into the glow of the candles, the wall you wove with your sisters, and place the now magical coin on the altar. Let yourself wander now, in the Isles of the Blessed, returning when you hear the song of The Firebird...
Return now to our place between the worlds. Be aware of the strength of the protective wall. Know that you can bring it with you into the mundane world, and that by calling to Spider Grandmother/Athena you can create that wall around any area you want protected, you can seal it against negative influences.
Remember the names of the Goddess that are your names, chant them softly to yourself...
Her Names can not be counted
for all Our Names are Goddess...
Her Face is Change, Unchanging
Our Faces in the Mirror...Child of the Goddess, Child of the God
We dance the Circle Dance
The Seasons change around us...
Sowing into Growing
Growing into Harvest...Child of the Goddess, Child of the God
In the Dance of Seasons
See Yourself reflected
Maiden into Mother
Mother Grown to Wisdom...Child of the Goddess, Child of the God
Unicorn Within us
Bring Our Will to Action
In Our Hands Our Future
In Our Hearts be Joy...Child of the Goddess, Child of the God
*She Charges everything She touches, and
Everything She touches, Changes...
Change is, touch is... Touch is, Change is...
Change us, touch us; Touch us, Change us...Everything lost is found again,
In a New Form, in a New Way
Everything hurt is healed again,
In a New Life, in a New Day...*From "The Spiral Dance" by Starhawk
From Traditions hidden in the mists of time, from tales passed down in precious fragments... from today and our dreams of tomorrow come our Rituals.
We bring the energy and protection, the love and caring created in our circle to fill the cup, the Chalice of the Goddess.
We bring the strength we've discovered in ourselves and each other to fill the Atheme, the Sword of Her Horned Consort.
This joining is the Energy of Creation itself... We share it as we share the Cup!
See the Lady, hear Her Voice. "Mine the Cup, the Wine of Life... Drink deeply, and with joy!"
We Pass the Cup with a Kiss.
After the Cup is passed, each person may take one of the coins to keep as a talisman.
This Sharing sets the seal of the Goddess on Our Gathering.
Guardians of the East... Touch us with Intelligence
Guardians of the South... Touch us with Passion...
Guardians of the West... Touch our Hearts...
Guardians of the North... Touch us with Strength...Lady, Queen of Air and Darkness...
Lord Consort, Lover of the Shining One...We thank you for your presence and protection... As you depart to your Ancient Realms, remember us, our needs... our goals.
Let there be Love and Trust, Peace and Joy between us always...
As Our Will, So Shall It Be!
From Times Beginnings to Eternity's Endings...
Hail and Farewell, Blessed Be!
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