by Coraluna SoleilGoddesses: Hathor, Ceres, Juno, Demeter, Sekhmet, Brigit
Colors: gold, orange, green, brown
Herbs: heather, frankincense, sunflower, sandalwood, raspberry, mugwort, marigold
Crystals: cat's/tiger's eye, aventurine, moss agate, lodestone, topaz
Symbols: ears of corn, loaves of bread, corndollies, the chalice
The goddess is now pregnant, having conceived at Litha, and becomes the Mother. She is full with life and the coming harvests. Fruit and crops materialize and ripen. Soon there will be great holiday feasts reflecting the bounty of the year. Lammas celebrates the abundance of nature. On this Sabbat, in ancient pagan culture, the tradition was to take stock of the growing crops. The community knew how much they would have for winter, and how much they had left over (surplus). This is a good time to evaluate our priorities and assess what we have, what we can share, and what we would like to gain.
What we must remember at Lammas is that our mother always has enough for us, as long as we are living our lives in connection with Her. If we are giving back, there is no end to the gifts the Mother will provide. We are Her children, and She will take care of us. The trouble is, the majority of people don't understand this. If everyone did only a few small, simple things each day then our environmental issues would be greatly alleviated, if not eliminated altogether. If each person felt a conscious respect for their planet home, and each other, our existence here would likely never be threatened. We as a species have the potential to enjoy a beautiful symbiotic relationship with the Earth, our Mother.
Lammas Ritual
For Lammas, light a green or gold candle and imagine yourself surrounded by all the things you desire. Write each one down on a scrap of paper. Next imagine your loved ones surrounded and filled with peace, prosperity, etc, and write each of these things down. Finally, visualize the world... all the different colors and cultures of people... and write down what you want for the human race. Be as detailed or as simple as you wish. You can take time to write Utopian visions or use the power of a single word. Either way, each piece of paper should be blessed with a drop of any Lammas oil.
Take these scraps of paper, along with your Lammas herbs, and bury them in a special place after your ritual, such as the soil of your garden or between the roots of a favorite tree in your yard or at a park. This represents the desired vision being buried in the womb of the Goddess where it can grow to fullness, and be born. When you are finished, give thanks to the Mother for her love and nurturing energy, and for all the blessings she has given you in your life. Know that within Her, all blessings have the power of manifestation.
