Lughnasadh Feast Blessing
I was working on putting all the information I have on Lughnasadh together in an understandable order when I ran across this feast blessing. I have always rather liked it but I have no clue what the original source was. Does anyone recognize it?
Now is the Time of the First Harvest,
When the bounties of Nature give of themselves
So that we may survive
O God of the ripening fields, Lord of the Grain,
Grant me the understanding of Sacrifice
As you prepare to deliver yourself
Under the sickle of the GoddessAnd journey to the lands of Eternal Summer
O Goddess of the Dark Moon,
Teach me the secrets of rebirth
as the Sun loses its strength and the nights grow cold.I partake of the First Harvest,
Mixing its energies with mine
That I may continue my quest
For the starry wisdom of Perfection
O Lady of the Moon and Lord of the Sun,
before Whom the Stars halt their courses,
I offer my thanks
For the continuing Fertility of the Earth.
May the nodding grain loose its seeds
To be buried in the Mother’s breast
Ensuring Rebirth in the Warmth of next Spring.[EDIT: A commenter informed me that it originally appeared in "Wicca, A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham.]
My dad will be arriving in Spokane to visit on Lughnasadh, hopefully we won’t scare him too much, hehe.
Some people have asked me if I will be raising Damian in my spiritual path, the answer is yes and no. I have no desire to hide my spirituality with him or exclude him from the traditions Michael and I have formed (such as celebrating the sabbats.) I think family traditions are important and give a child memories to look back on later in life, much the way I fondly look back on Christmas and Easter now.
This will be his first Lughnasadh and he will be present for our celebration of course. As he grows I will explain as much of our beliefs to him as I feel he is ready to absorb. I also intend on teaching him other belief systems as well, and ultimately the choice if what he wishes to practice is his. There is no such thing as too much knowledge. When he is older, if he chooses to continue to follow my path, so be it, if he is called to another, so be it.
July 19th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Have a blessed Lughnasadh and a good visit with your dad.
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July 20th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
I envy your visit with your Dad. It is 8 long years since I have seen him.
Your spiritual search is interesting and as you search you will learn more and more answers for there is no stopping point.
Love Nana T.
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July 29th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
I’ve been on an internet search for that beautiful Lammas rite, myself, so your blog came up in my results. I did eventually figure out who wrote it - none other than Scott Cunningham, in Wicca, A Guidefor the Solitary Practitioner. Too bad it’s been spread everywhere, un-credited, and made by so many people to look like they wrote it themselves. I hate that.
I found one source that gave credit, and was able to confirm by looking in the book, which was on my own bookshelf.
Happy harvest to you.
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