Preparing for Holy Holidays

Goddess Sunday is taking a break, as I prepare for my holiday and holy days of retreat. I will be offline for several weeks (!), except for the Tarot Card of the Week, and, who knows, the occasional drop-by. As the cross-quarter holiday of Lughnasadh approaches, I am reminded of dear Caitlín Matthews’ post for … Read more

Poetry for the First Harvests

Harvests are best gathered during the energies following the Full Moon.  So for a kind of lunar Lughnasadh, I offer one of my favorites by the glorious Mary Oliver.  Blessed be. Little Summer Poem Touching the Subject of Faith by Mary Oliver Every summer I listen and look under the sun’s brass and even into … Read more

On the Threshold of Lughnasadh/Lammas

Threshold Invocation for Lughnasadh from A Celtic Devotional: Daily Prayers and Blessings, by Caitlín Matthews To be spoken at the front door of the home on the eve of Lughnasadh (July 31), in the evening: Lady of the Land, open the door, Lord of the Forest, come you in. Let there be welcome to the … Read more

Blessings of Lughnassadh!

Lammas Bread Blessing Bless the earth that grows the grain, Bless the water that gives us rain, Bless the wind that helps seed spread, Bless the fire that bakes our bread. – Words by Diane Baker, music by Anne Hill, Serpentine Music Lughnassadh (pronounced “LOO-nahs-ah”) or the Anglo-Saxon “Lammas,” is one of the Greater Sabbats … Read more

Lughnassadh Poetry

Little Summer Poem Touching the Subject of Faithby Mary Oliver Every summerI listen and lookunder the sun’s brass and eveninto the moonlight, but I can’t hear anything, I can’t see anything —not the pale roots digging down, nor the green stalks muscling up,nor the leavesdeepening their damp pleats, nor the tassels making,nor the shucks, nor … Read more

Lughnassadh Blessings!

Our hands will work for peace and justiceOur hands will work to heal the landGather ’round the harvest tableLet us feast and bless the land. Lughnassadh (often pronounced “LOO-nahs-ah”) or the Anglo-Saxon “Lammas,” is one of the Greater Sabbats and honors the First Harvest. In agricultural traditions throughout the Northern Hemisphere, this marks the start … Read more