Unless the Grain Dies: The Meaning of Lammas

(With a little addition, already posted on my LJ journal)

"Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if the grain dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:24)


Surprised to find a Christian quote in aWiccan blog??Well, it hasn't been the first time, and it won't be the last. There is much wisdom in other religions,and not believing in them doesn't mean that I don't recognize that wisdom. In this case, Jesus chooses the imagery of grain dying to bear fruit that so many religions before Christianity had already used. The idea of death that brings life is also one oth the keys to Lammas or Lughnasadh, the harvest festivity on August 1st.

It won't be until Samhain that the God will die, but that is because that is the third-and last-harvest festival of the year; the idea of death is present in Lammas, in Mabon, and in Samhain. But in Lammas death is only a concept, a symbol; the death of grain that will feed the people. That is why it is a jubilant festival, even if there is a sombre legend behind it.

The other name of Lammas,Lughnasadh, comes from the Celtic god of the Sun, Lugh. Like his Roman counterpart Apollo, Lugh presided over the arts and sciences. According to Celtic legend, Lugh decided to hold a feast at the beginning of the harvest season to honor his foster mother, Tailtiu. Tailtiu was the royal Lady of the Fir Bolg. After the defeat of her people by the Tuatha De Danaan, she was forced by them to clear a vast forest for the purpose of planting grain. She died of exhaustion as a result. Here we find again the ritual death that brings life, and which is commemorated, that is, repeated, year after year. This idea was also, it is supposed, one of the inspirations of the Eleusinian Mysteries.

Well, you say, how does all this apply to ME?? Do I have to die to bring fertility to my world??Not necessary :))). Did you burn something last St John's night/Litha?? Did you leave some nasty habit, throw away letters or photos that brought you bitter memories, stop seeing a toxic friend?? Have you recently stopped smoking or given up any kind of addiction? Well, that is a part of you that has died. And it has died so you can evolve and move on with your life, and if you did it last Litha, or a little earlier or later, you are probably reaping a harvest of satisfaction. And if you didn't do it then, why not do it now?There are two harvest festivals ahead of you :))) It's not too late to get your harvest this year!

Remember also that Lugh is a God of arts and Sciences, so why not ask him for help to get better at whatever you do for a living? Here you can find a wonderful ritual for that.

Are you scared to get happy?-Ostara, not just birds and flowers

(Formerly published in my LJ blog)

"April is the cruelest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull routes with spring rain."
T. S. Eliot

Last year,I received a care2.com newsletter with this wonderful link about spring and Ostara included. It had a very interesting part about how Easter invites us to renewal and action, headed by the TS Eliot poem above mentioned. As they say, never is being ill, or depressed so difficult as it is in Spring, when everything is beautiful and bright and happy and love seems to be "in the air" . I have lived a depression and I know what I'm saying. This page reminds us that Spring is a time of positivity, of moving on, of being reborn...This is all very well, you say, but I still feel such a black spot on the face of earth because everything looks so beautiful and so happy and I feel so broken, and I don't have the will to go on. Hum, I think you need another point of view to look at Spring.

"At the birth of a child or of a star there is pain"

Oscar Wilde
Why, do you think that Spring is an idyll? Think again. Spring is a painful effort for Nature. It's not easy for a seed to survive the winter and become a plant in Spring, in fact many seeds don't survive. Animals start looking for a mate, and for many males this will mean fighting to the death. If you have a female dog, observe how being in heat disturbs her and makes her nervous. For many people, spring means allergy, and they dread this time of year. No matter how romantic or Disney-like Spring may look to you, it is Nature at its busiest for multiplying and perpetuating, and it is as big a drama, or maybe more, as the cold and windy winter, which is in fact a time of rest. I don't know if April is the cruelest month, but for Nature is the most decisive for its survival.

Next time you think of Spring, remember; Nature is fighting to survive, like you. You're not a black spot, you're just another living being trying to find its way on earth, so you'r enot that out of place. No life is a romance, not even the life of a plant or of a star. Joy comes after sorrow, sorrow after joy. There cannot be one without the other. Don't fear any of the two processes, they are involved in every life.

The Bride is Back: Celebrating Imbolc

(Originally posted on my LJ blog)
Imbolc is celebrated on February 2nd, and Christians celebrate it as Candlemas or the Purification of Virgin Mary. And right they are too; this holiday is about washing and cleaning yourself anew.Did you think it was enough with New Year's resolutions? No way Jose! The Goddess , after giving birth, is recovering-or purifying,as the Jewish traditions demand in the case of Mary. The Goddess rejuvenates, becomes an untouched maiden again, and the circle starts over. Just like the earth, which starts to let go of cold and feel the nearness of spring (or so it was before climatic change, huh?) and each time is like a renewal of her youth, so it is for the Goddess. She is preparing the courtship which will take place in Ostara,and the marriage of Beltane. She was Crone the whole winter long, and she is Maiden again.Can you see the analogy?Each year you are given a new chance. But it's not a present to be opened on New Year's morning, because the Earth knows better than Julius Caesar, and knows that when the world is filled with darkness and cold, it's not a good time to start over. But when the earth starts to breathe, the weather softens, and animals give birth to their ffirst offspring (Imbolc = ewe's milk) it's about the right time to get moving. You are the bridegroom, the world is your Blushing Bride,and she is awaiting. And she won't wait long-the Merry Month of May is not that far. Go court her.