Today August 1 is the pagan sabbat Lammas also called Lughnasadh named after the Celtic Sun God Lugh whose name means "bright shining one". This is the first of three pagan harvest celebrations of the year and one of the cross quarter sabbats on the Wheel of the Year.
Lammas celebrates the first harvest of grains, fruits and vegetables of the year. This sabbat was celebrated in the ancient agricultural pagan cultures of Ireland, Great Britain, and Europe. The rituals included prayer for future success of the crops harvest and gratitude and blessings for the first crops that were grown and harvested from the seeds sown.
Today especially if we live in cities we can be very removed from the farming and harvesting of our own food. We also have food grown year round and transported to us during Winter months. There is no fear that there will be no food to last all Winter.
For ancient agricultural people this was a serious matter. An abundant harvest would sustain them or they could face the possibility starvation as they headed into the Winter season. Having an abundant harvest was something to feel very blessed and thankful to the Gods and Goddesses that they worshipped. It meant being able to eat and sustain life from the food grown. Some years the harvest was more abundant than others. The leaner harvest times must have been very difficult years.
This is a great time to slow down and feel gratitude for what Mother Earth has grown for us to eat. If you live in a city you can even go to your local Farmer's Market and eat the locally grown farmed food as you support your local farmer's and their livelihood. You can do this in the country to. Make yourself a celebratory Lammas meal for the First Harvest and invite family and friends to share. Reconnect to earth and how she sustains us and nourishes us. Remember to give a meal blessing and gratitude to the Goddess for her harvest.
This is a also great time to eat corn and blackberries that are abundant right now. You can bake bread or conbread to celebrate or a blackberry pie. You can also make preserves from fruit that is abundant now.
This year I am spending some time during Lammas visiting family where I grew up in the Fingerlakes region of New York State. It has been lovely to see the abundant corn crops and enjoy sweet locally grown corn. I also enjoyed some time at a nearby pristine lake and picked a few abundant blackberries. Later I will light a candle in simple reflection and ritual of this First Havest and say a blessing of gratitude to the Goddess on this Lammas.
Lammas is also a time for reflection on what seeds we have sown and reaped this year. It is also a time to reflect on regrets of what has not come to fruition this year that we had hoped for. We can say farewell to that which we are also letting go for the year that no longer serves us or what we have lost. We can also renew goals and dreams in new ways to harvest at Mabon the Autumn Equinox September 23. So revise and revamp those goals, dreams, and wishes that do not seem to be harvesting an abundant crop for you metaphorically this year now. What can you do such as water them more or replant them or are there other seeds to plant?
If there is something you have enjoyed this year and would like to preserve in a memory write it down in a journal, make a piece of art to honor it, print a photo of the event to hang on your wall, or anything that preserves the sweet memory of the experience for you.
Remember also what you have to be thankful for and express your gratitude to the Goddess and the Earth
The days are starting to be shorter and less light. They begin now to hint of Autumn to come in September. This is a great time of year to enjoy the last month of the calendar year of Summer and prepare for Autumn and the Back to School and Work season after Labor Day. Lammas starts August off with a good time for reflection, gratitude, farewell, and renewal.
Have an abundant, bright, and blessed Lammas!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Bright Summer Solstice Blessings!
Tomorrow June 21st is the Summer Solstice. This is the longest day of the year and the day with the most sunlight.
This is a great day to honor and connect to the sun by taking a walk outdoors during the day, meditating outside in the sun, going to the beach, having an outdoor picnic of abundant summer foods, greeting the sunrise, or lighting a candle in honor of the sun at sunset.
The Summer Solstice is a very high energy time for deep meditation. It is also a great time to begin new projects and to also reflect on intentions and goals you would like to start on the Summer Solstice and work on until the Autumn Equinox on September 23rd. Planning between solstices and equinoxes this way is a great way to break down your goals, projects, and intentions for the year working with and benefiting from the high solstice and equinox energies.
In ancient pagan times the Summer Solstice was called such names as Midsummer and Litha. This was a time of magic especially in the area of love, prophetic dreams, future divination, gathering herbs, and when fairies were easiest to be seen and interacted with. Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream is a wonderful example of this magical Midsummer time. In some cultures Midsummer bonfires were burned as well
To celebrate Midsummer today you can also explore these areas in your Summer Solstice celebration and acivities. This is also a great time for cleansing, purification, healing, and growth.
The Summer Solstice is a time to remember the light in the world, within ourselves and in others. As the longest day of the year when the sun's light is the highest, this is a great time to feel the warm sunlight of joy, spirit, fun, and creativity within yourself. Reflect on ways you can bring joy, spirit, fun, and creativity into your summer season.
Bright Solstice Blessings!
This is a great day to honor and connect to the sun by taking a walk outdoors during the day, meditating outside in the sun, going to the beach, having an outdoor picnic of abundant summer foods, greeting the sunrise, or lighting a candle in honor of the sun at sunset.
The Summer Solstice is a very high energy time for deep meditation. It is also a great time to begin new projects and to also reflect on intentions and goals you would like to start on the Summer Solstice and work on until the Autumn Equinox on September 23rd. Planning between solstices and equinoxes this way is a great way to break down your goals, projects, and intentions for the year working with and benefiting from the high solstice and equinox energies.
In ancient pagan times the Summer Solstice was called such names as Midsummer and Litha. This was a time of magic especially in the area of love, prophetic dreams, future divination, gathering herbs, and when fairies were easiest to be seen and interacted with. Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream is a wonderful example of this magical Midsummer time. In some cultures Midsummer bonfires were burned as well
To celebrate Midsummer today you can also explore these areas in your Summer Solstice celebration and acivities. This is also a great time for cleansing, purification, healing, and growth.
The Summer Solstice is a time to remember the light in the world, within ourselves and in others. As the longest day of the year when the sun's light is the highest, this is a great time to feel the warm sunlight of joy, spirit, fun, and creativity within yourself. Reflect on ways you can bring joy, spirit, fun, and creativity into your summer season.
Bright Solstice Blessings!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Beltane-Celebrating the Goddess Flora of Springtime and the May Queen
In the month of May, Spring is in full bloom and at its height. The flowers are a beautiful palette of vivid colors blossoming everywhere and the trees are abundant in their greenery. The Earth feels fully alive and vibrantly awake after the deep, long, grey slumber of Winter. Birds sing messages of joy and hope as the sun rises each morning and a new day begins to unfold. Life is flowering and lush.
The Roman Springtime Goddess Flora, the Goddess of Spring and Flowers, puts on her floral rainbow dress and her crown of flowers. She dances under the blue skies and greets the sun as the May Queen.
May 1 begins with the pagan sabbat Beltane. This day celebrates love, fertility, sensuality, sexuality, abundance, beauty, growth, awakening, and all the signs that summer is coming as the days grow lighter and warmer.
To honor and celebrate the Goddess of Springtime Flora, the Queen of May and her within your self there are many simple ways to do this during Beltane and the beautiful month of May.
Some ideas are:
*Create a crown of flowers from wild flowers outdoors or from your garden and crown yourself the May Queen. Celebrate yourself as the Queen of Spring.
*Spend time walking in nature connecting to the beauty of Spring’s full abundance. Go to your local park, garden, or take a hike.
*If you have a garden this is a great time to spend connecting with your plants and flowers as well as blessing you garden on Beltane.
*Pick some flowers and make a May Basket from paper in the shape of a cone to place them in. Give this as a gift to someone you love or decorate your home with it bringing Springtime indoors with the lovely scent of flowers.
*Decorate your home with flowers and greens inside and out.
*If you are an artist take your sketchbook or paint outdoors and draw and paint the flowers and trees blossoming around you. Capture the beauty of the Goddess on paper.
*If you like to write take your journal outdoors and write about your experience in the beautiful Spring weather or write a poem that honors the season and the Goddess Flora and May Queen.
*Dress up in many bright Spring colors as Flora the Spring Goddess and May Queen. Feel your own beauty within manifested in your dress. Celebrate the beauty and sensuality of yourself.
*Think of ways to connect to the sensuality of the Spring season through all your senses-smell, taste, sight, touch, and sound.
*Enjoy your own sensuality and sexuality with yourself or a lover. Honor your body as the Goddess and Queen.
*Have a Spring picnic outdoors. Bring a blanket, picnic basket, and sit on the grass. Make it a May Feast to celebrate the Goddess and Queen within yourself. Invite others and have a Beltane celebration. Buy local Spring foods to share such as berries and honey.
*Contemplate what ways you would like to blossom full this Spring from now until the Summer Solstice and the sabbat Litha. What would you like to grow and bloom more?
*Think of ways to nurture and be self loving everyday in the month of May. Allow new habits to grow and flourish as you treat yourself like the May Queen and Goddess Flora of Springtime.
*Create a ritual to honor the Goddess Flora and connect to beauty, love, sensuality, growth and the abundance of Spring.
Bright Beltane Blessings! Maeve MoonBird
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The Goddess Within-A Poem
The Goddess Within
In every season she is there
In the buds of Spring
In the sea of Summer
In the beautiful leaf colors of Autumn
In the snow flakes of Winter
The Wheel of the Year
She turns and dances around
In every moon cycle She is there
The bright Full Moon
The crescent Waning Moon and Waxing Moon
The black of the Dark Moon
The new beginning of the New Moon
She flows with each cycle around
One month of moons
My moon cycle reflects her dance
In every day She is here
In the beauty of the sunrise
The sun of morning shining
In singing birds of and trees
In the burst of sky colors
At sunset like a painting from Her nature’s palette
In the blue hues of twilight
In the deep dark sky of starlights
Twinkling in Her dance of magick
In every ritual She is with me
In every season, every moon cycles, and every day
She is with me and within me
Guiding me
I seek her within and dance with Her
The Goddess is Within Me
I serve Her
Beautiful empowered magickal and strong
© Maeve MoonBird 2010
In every season she is there
In the buds of Spring
In the sea of Summer
In the beautiful leaf colors of Autumn
In the snow flakes of Winter
The Wheel of the Year
She turns and dances around
In every moon cycle She is there
The bright Full Moon
The crescent Waning Moon and Waxing Moon
The black of the Dark Moon
The new beginning of the New Moon
She flows with each cycle around
One month of moons
My moon cycle reflects her dance
In every day She is here
In the beauty of the sunrise
The sun of morning shining
In singing birds of and trees
In the burst of sky colors
At sunset like a painting from Her nature’s palette
In the blue hues of twilight
In the deep dark sky of starlights
Twinkling in Her dance of magick
In every ritual She is with me
In every season, every moon cycles, and every day
She is with me and within me
Guiding me
I seek her within and dance with Her
The Goddess is Within Me
I serve Her
Beautiful empowered magickal and strong
© Maeve MoonBird 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Celebrating the Spring Equinox and Ostara
The daylight is getting longer and the hints of Spring have been in the air here in New York City. In the morning now I can hear the birds chirping with their joyful song that promises the earth is springing back to life after its’ long Winter slumber. Purple and white crocuses are peeking their heads out of the soil to greet the bright sunshine and blue skies. I have been waking up to warmer days as well this week and the snow for the year seems to have said goodbye.
Spring begins on the Spring Equinox which here in the United States is always around March 20 and 21st. This year the Spring Equinox is Saturday March 20. On this day we have equal amount of day and night. Dark and light are in balance. After this equinox days will begin to get lighter and longer each day until the summer Solstice on June 21 this year.
Spring is a wonderful time of growth, renewal, new beginnings, balance, and fertility. It is a hopeful time of year when nature comes to life and is alive with energy, warmth, and light. The Spring season is also a time of rebirth in the cycles of seasons. This is a great time of year to plant the seeds of your goals, dreams, and intentions for the year. You can also choose to just focus on the goals and intentions you have from the Spring Equinox to the Summer Solstice.Some ways to do this are to write your goals, dreams, and intentions in a journal or on a piece of paper. If you garden you can plant seeds that symbolize your goals, dreams, and intentions in your garden and focus on them with each seed you do. If you do not have a garden you can even plant a few seeds in a pot of dirt and place on your windowsill to grow as Spring blossoms.
Other questions to reflect on this time of year around the Spring Equinox are regarding balance and what ways you can create more balance in areas of your life or in your life in general. Ask yourself some of these questions: What areas of your life need more balance, more time, or more attention? Have you been neglecting anything that needs more attention? Do you have enough work life balance right now? Are there new projects you’d like to begin, new goals, and dreams? Are there any goals or projects you stopped working on that you’d like to renew and work on now that Spring has arrived? How would you like to grow this Spring? What needs to be reborn? If you like to write you can write them down in a journal or just reflect on them. You can also do a simple ritual for the Spring Equinox that includes reflecting on these questions such as the one I will share with you here.
In the Wiccan and Pagan traditions we celebrate the Spring Equinox as one of the 8 Sabbats on the Wheel of the Year called Ostara. Ostara is named after the German Goddess Ostara or Oestre who is the Goddess of Spring. Some symbols of Ostara and the Spring Equinox are eggs, baby chicks, butterflies, Spring flowers, and bunnies for fertility, renewal, growth, new life, and rebirth. You can create an altar and have a ritual honoring the Goddess Ostara and Spring if youd life using these symbols.
You can think of other ways you’d like to enjoy and celebrate this Spring Equinox and season. You can go enjoy nature in a local park or garden, meditate and connect to Spring’s energy outdoors, you can go hiking, take a bike ride, plant a flower or garden, go bird watching, draw the trees blooming outdoors or paint them with water colors, dance or do yoga in the sunshine, or sit outdoors and contemplate these questions for Spring in your journal. There are many ways to celebrate this beautiful, abundant season of Spring when everything is vibrant with color and life.
Have a blessed and beautiful Spring season!
Here is a simple ritual for the Spring Equinox and the Goddess Ostara.
Spring Equinox and Goddess Ostara Ritual for Renewal, Balance, New Beginnings
Need:White Candle, Green Candle, Yellow Candle
Incense(optional): Sage, Lavender, or Rose
Oils: Rose, Lavender, or Jasmine
Journal or Piece Paper and Pen
Any symbols youd like to include to represent Spring and Goddess Ostara such as flowers, eggs, bunnies, baby chicks, and butterflies
You can take a purifying bath with bath salts before this ritual and reflect on renewal and self cleansing but this is optional.
Cast circle.
1.Annoint candles with the oil. Light incense and the white candle.
State:“Ostara, Goddess of Spring be with here in this ritual on this Spring Equinox as I reflect on renewal, balance, and new beginnings. Guide me in manifesting the intention, dreams, and goals I set for myself this Spring.”
2. Light green candle and say blessings and welcome Spring.
“Welcome Spring with your beauty, hope, and promise of renewal, rebirth, growth, balance, and new beginnings. I celebrate you today on the Spring Equinox.”
3. Meditate as long as you’d like I silence clearing your mind.
4. Light the yellow candle. Contemplate the questions you have this Spring that relate to renewal, balance, and new beginnings as well as your goals, intentions, and dreams in silence after your meditation.
5. On your piece of paper or journal write down these answers you receive, goals, dreams, and intentions you have right now.
6. Ask the Goddess for her blessings with these and guidance:
“Goddess Ostara please guide me this Spring to manifest these intentions, goals, and dreams. Help me bring balance, renewal, and new beginnings to these areas of my life. Blessed be.”
7.Thank the Goddess Ostara and open the circleYou can joy some celebratory food and drink in honor of Spring after.
Blessed Be.
Spring begins on the Spring Equinox which here in the United States is always around March 20 and 21st. This year the Spring Equinox is Saturday March 20. On this day we have equal amount of day and night. Dark and light are in balance. After this equinox days will begin to get lighter and longer each day until the summer Solstice on June 21 this year.
Spring is a wonderful time of growth, renewal, new beginnings, balance, and fertility. It is a hopeful time of year when nature comes to life and is alive with energy, warmth, and light. The Spring season is also a time of rebirth in the cycles of seasons. This is a great time of year to plant the seeds of your goals, dreams, and intentions for the year. You can also choose to just focus on the goals and intentions you have from the Spring Equinox to the Summer Solstice.Some ways to do this are to write your goals, dreams, and intentions in a journal or on a piece of paper. If you garden you can plant seeds that symbolize your goals, dreams, and intentions in your garden and focus on them with each seed you do. If you do not have a garden you can even plant a few seeds in a pot of dirt and place on your windowsill to grow as Spring blossoms.
Other questions to reflect on this time of year around the Spring Equinox are regarding balance and what ways you can create more balance in areas of your life or in your life in general. Ask yourself some of these questions: What areas of your life need more balance, more time, or more attention? Have you been neglecting anything that needs more attention? Do you have enough work life balance right now? Are there new projects you’d like to begin, new goals, and dreams? Are there any goals or projects you stopped working on that you’d like to renew and work on now that Spring has arrived? How would you like to grow this Spring? What needs to be reborn? If you like to write you can write them down in a journal or just reflect on them. You can also do a simple ritual for the Spring Equinox that includes reflecting on these questions such as the one I will share with you here.
In the Wiccan and Pagan traditions we celebrate the Spring Equinox as one of the 8 Sabbats on the Wheel of the Year called Ostara. Ostara is named after the German Goddess Ostara or Oestre who is the Goddess of Spring. Some symbols of Ostara and the Spring Equinox are eggs, baby chicks, butterflies, Spring flowers, and bunnies for fertility, renewal, growth, new life, and rebirth. You can create an altar and have a ritual honoring the Goddess Ostara and Spring if youd life using these symbols.
You can think of other ways you’d like to enjoy and celebrate this Spring Equinox and season. You can go enjoy nature in a local park or garden, meditate and connect to Spring’s energy outdoors, you can go hiking, take a bike ride, plant a flower or garden, go bird watching, draw the trees blooming outdoors or paint them with water colors, dance or do yoga in the sunshine, or sit outdoors and contemplate these questions for Spring in your journal. There are many ways to celebrate this beautiful, abundant season of Spring when everything is vibrant with color and life.
Have a blessed and beautiful Spring season!
Here is a simple ritual for the Spring Equinox and the Goddess Ostara.
Spring Equinox and Goddess Ostara Ritual for Renewal, Balance, New Beginnings
Need:White Candle, Green Candle, Yellow Candle
Incense(optional): Sage, Lavender, or Rose
Oils: Rose, Lavender, or Jasmine
Journal or Piece Paper and Pen
Any symbols youd like to include to represent Spring and Goddess Ostara such as flowers, eggs, bunnies, baby chicks, and butterflies
You can take a purifying bath with bath salts before this ritual and reflect on renewal and self cleansing but this is optional.
Cast circle.
1.Annoint candles with the oil. Light incense and the white candle.
State:“Ostara, Goddess of Spring be with here in this ritual on this Spring Equinox as I reflect on renewal, balance, and new beginnings. Guide me in manifesting the intention, dreams, and goals I set for myself this Spring.”
2. Light green candle and say blessings and welcome Spring.
“Welcome Spring with your beauty, hope, and promise of renewal, rebirth, growth, balance, and new beginnings. I celebrate you today on the Spring Equinox.”
3. Meditate as long as you’d like I silence clearing your mind.
4. Light the yellow candle. Contemplate the questions you have this Spring that relate to renewal, balance, and new beginnings as well as your goals, intentions, and dreams in silence after your meditation.
5. On your piece of paper or journal write down these answers you receive, goals, dreams, and intentions you have right now.
6. Ask the Goddess for her blessings with these and guidance:
“Goddess Ostara please guide me this Spring to manifest these intentions, goals, and dreams. Help me bring balance, renewal, and new beginnings to these areas of my life. Blessed be.”
7.Thank the Goddess Ostara and open the circleYou can joy some celebratory food and drink in honor of Spring after.
Blessed Be.
Welcome!
Welcome to my blog. My name is Maeve MoonBird.
I am studying to be an ordained High Priestess and Minister in the tradition of the Order of the White Moon. I am also a certified spiritual counselor, teacher of art and spirituality, and a visual artist and craftsperson. I practice a Wiccan Pagan path that is eclectic and focused on the Goddess and earth based spirituality. I am also interested in all aspects of the Divine Feminine in all religions from an interfaith perspective. I seek to empower all women to celebrate, love, and connect to the Goddess within themselves through spiritual and creative practices.
Here my blog will be focused on my Wiccan path as a priestess of the Goddess and as well as all aspects of the Divine Feminine. I will share my thoughts, teachings, and reflections on ritual, celebration, nature, moon and seasonal cycles, the Wheel of the Year and the 8 sabbats, magickal workings, meditations, prayers, poetry, kitchen witch recipes, craft ideas, shamanism, and all things pagan. I will also share my own visual art and crafts that evoke the spirit of nature, Wicca and the Goddess.
Bright Blessings.
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