LAMMAS ESSENTIAL

MAPS & TOOLS

CONTENTS

WELCOME TO RITUAL

BOX CONTENTS | LAMMAS

LAMMAS | ESSENTIAL CHRONICLE, CELEBRATION & ALTAR

HERBS & BREAD

RITUAL & INTENTIONAL MAGIC

CAST YOUR CIRCLE

LAMMAS QUESTION & AFFIRMATION

PENDULUM DIVINATION RITUAL

WELCOME TO RITUAL

My grandmother threw salt over her shoulder to appease the spirits. To a house spider she would extend her fnger and let it crawl aboard, then circle it around her head three times before setting it free outdoors—the money spider, harbinger of good fortune. She lived in a very real state of prosperity without ever seeming to struggle for it.

I was blessed with extraordinary time in England with my grandmother while growing up. From her I absorbed an understanding and respect for both the natural and ethereal worlds.

She shared magic without calling it magic.

Fast forward to my life now. As a woman whose children are grown, I can see the breadth and beauty of those early days of discovery, and how they opened a door to my life’s work. What I’ve learned is this.

We can, each one of us, be the originator of our own magic.

It can be simple and natural. We can settle our hearts into a moment, gather in around our lives all the things we hold dear, and learn more about the world and its marvels. In this way we can cultivate light, and subsequently, love.

So dive in. Explore! The world is full of beautiful rituals and magic. At the center of each is a path to your own awareness. Please enjoy the journey.

All my love, always.

Kim Sorden Proprietress, Magic Fairy Candles BOX CONTENTS | LAMMAS

NEW MOON | INTENTION GOAT’S MILK SOAP Leading up to your harvest celebration, enjoy preparing and soothing your summer skin with the the scents of rosemary, tea tree, and mint organic essential oils. Utilizing olive oil, organic coconut oil, goat’s milk, and shea butter as its base, your soap is indulgent skin nourishment which feeds the body’s largest organ—the skin! Lather up, then rinse with warm water and gently pat dry to preserve the moisture of the natural oils. To prevent soap from softening, store in a soap dish which drains away standing water.

ESSENTIAL | LAMMAS BATH BOMB Consider the heavy release of a body which has run and worked and fowed through the summer months as you soften your skin with nourishing organic shea butter and coconut oil. Release, relax, perhaps set an intention, as you prepare both heart and mind. Surrounding a crystal charged under the full moon, along with enlivening organic botanicals and essential oils, simply dissolve your bath bomb in warm bathwater to relax and prepare. Take care to remove the crystal from the bath before draining.

CRYSTAL PENDULUM A pendulum is a tool used to focus our natural human sensitivity to energy in all its forms. While held by the fngers in one hand with the crystal hanging over items of divination, the weight of the crystal responds to energy by moving in specifc directions. With regular use, the crystal and user become ever more fnely tuned to one another, so that over time the pendulum becomes a trusted tool. Instructions for divining answers to life’s questions with the use of a pendulum are included in the next pages.

PENDULUM DIVINATION CARD A pendulum card is a tool used to help answer a specifc question, in conjunction with your pendulum. Your card contains letters, numbers, the phases of the moon (from new moon to full moon) and direct answers of yes, no, and maybe. Use your pendulum card as a starting point by following the instructions for the pendulum divination ritual on the next pages. Once you connect more readily with your intuition and the energies around you, you may wish to deepen your practice and rituals by creating a pendulum card of your own. ESSENTIAL | LAMMAS SOY CANDLE Illuminate the night, honor the sacred, amplify rituals, enhance self care, or light your candle just because you want to! You might like to recite affrmations, write intentions, or meditate after lighting. Or maybe you just want to sit, watch the fame, and enjoy its warmth and scent. When lit, your candle creates a soy wax pool just three degrees above body temperature which can be massaged into the skin to soothe and moisturize. Made with GMM-free soy wax, it is a pure source of Omega-6 fatty acids and antioxidants which essentially become skin food when used in this manner, so go ahead and dip into that goodness and smooth it onto your skin! The essential beauty of basking in the benefts of this seasons labor is enhanced by this candle’s heady key notes of lavender, patchouli, and lemongrass.

FIRST HARVEST ART CARD A bounty emerges, sometimes more than we can possibly utilize in our own home and so we share with others and they with us. The beauty of exchange is at the heart of abundance. How we open is how we become opened by others. Let this moment of the year be of magical abundance and collective wealth. Place your art card where it might spark such things within your heart.

INCENSE Warding off insects, honoring the sacred with pleasing aromas, cleansing or blessing one another or a space—these and numerous other reasons for burning incense have been practiced throughout the centuries. Herein you have been given a selection of incense tested by time and the human heart. Utilize their aromas and purifying natures to enhance rituals, or make the hours of any given day more sacred.

RITUAL BOOKLET Simple and straightforward instruction is provided in this booklet for casting your circle and performing rituals. Some pages contain questions which you can ask yourself as a means of opening the heart to explore fresh awareness. Others introduce activities for ritual celebration or meditation. Over time, you may develop or add your own words and rites to personalize this practice. In fact, the more you add from your own experience, the more powerful ritual becomes. LAMMAS

Our labors in life produce more life. Not one thing exists alone. Each is essential.

From the Latin word essentia, meaning essence, every human, creature, stone, plant, grain of wheat, possesses an intrinsic nature which is essential to the whole of life. It is with this knowledge that we honor and celebrate Lammas.

A CHRONICLE Lammas is the frst harvest of the season. Largely observed on August 1st or 2nd, the word lammas has its origins in the Old English word hlāfmæsse, meaning loaf mass. Hence the ritual of bread baking to honor the wheat harvest at this time of year.

While not one of the year’s most boisterous celebrations, its existence dates back many centuries, marking the approximate halfway point between the summer solstice and autumnal equinox. Though some of its frst rituals are recorded in very early Anglo-Saxon texts outlining instructions for prayers of protection over newly harvested corn, specifcally to keep the mice at bay.

Ancient Celtic observance of this day signifed the union of the Earth goddess with the Sun god, uniquely called Lughnasaid. This name for the day is not interchangeable with the title of Lammas, as some might believe. And there exist very different histories of celebrations for Lammas in England and Ireland, which have their roots in Christian customs. Some Scottish weddings in older times, which occurred on Lammas, could be broken off after a year without penalty or religious questions. Thus, the day of Lammas is not solely a pagan observance, but spans a multitude of beliefs. A CELEBRATION Lammas is a time to honor and observe the fruits of your labor—literally and fguratively. Perhaps this was the frst time you planted a garden. Or maybe you’ve labored in other ways to sustain yourself or your family. Whatever transitions which may have occurred during the frst part of your year, this is a moment for refecting upon the successes.

Harvests of all kinds occur about this time, so it’s easy to fnd local crops to fulfll your celebration’s needs: bake bread using local grains; gather herbs to dry for use during the rest of the year; pick or buy local fruits to freeze or make preserves; or collect seeds to dry and plant next year.

Lammas is also a time to honor others for the sacrifces they have made on our behalf. A frst harvest of the season is the perfect time to share the abundance of what you have through baking and gifting, hosting a small feast, or lavishly preparing something for your beloved or someone you don’t even know, simply for the pleasure of sharing.

THE LAMMAS ALTAR Consider setting up a space outdoors, if possible, including any items representative of the harvest. Wherever you set it, an altar is an intimate expression of your experience with this celebration. There are no rules, only suggestions based on those who have come before us:

• A richly colored cloth which reminds you of ripe fruit or golden felds. • Items to represent all the elements—earth, air, fre, water. Some soil, a feather, your candle, and a small bowl of water are simple selections. • Herbs ready for drying. Think sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, or parsley. • Stalks of wheat or corn, perhaps tied with a ribbon of an earthy shade. • Fresh raspberries, blackberries or blueberries. • Stones of topaz, slate, quartz, jasper, or lodestone. • Personal spiritual items such as deities, amulets, talismans, or images. • Something to represent both the feminine and masculine.

Above all, make it a delight to gather items and create your altar. Simple is lovely. As is over-the-top elaborate. Let it be who you are. HERBS & BREAD

In the weeks leading up to your Lammas celebration, there is time to harvest garden herbs, or procure fresh herbs from local farms or markets to dry at home. If you would like to take things a step further, you can chop or grind your dried herbs to bake into a super fragrant herb bread. If it’s your frst time baking a yeasted bread, have no fear!

DRYING HERBS Whether your herbs are grown in your own garden, or purchased, having freshly dried herbs on hand is a potent pleasure.

• Before hanging herbs, wash in cool water and shake dry. • Gather them up by the stems and hang inside your home where air will circulate freely around the bunches. You can use a rubber band around the stems to hold them securely as it will contract as the stems dry. • Depending on humidity, it takes 7-10 days for most herbs to dry completely.

SAVORY SUMMER HERB BREAD Ingredients and instructions for this recipe are for high elevation baking, as Magic Fairy Candles is located in Colorado. If you are at sea level, increase the yeast to 2 teaspoons total, and your initial rising time for the dough to an hour or more, until doubled in size.

INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 teaspoons dried yeast 1 teaspoon sugar 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 3 cups unbleached or bread four 2-3 tablespoons ground herbs of your choice— we like basil, oregano, rosemary, & thyme Scant cornmeal for baking sheet DIRECTIONS

• Pour 1/2 cup of warm water in your mixing bowl. Add sugar and yeast. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom. It’s fun to watch! You’ll see it bubble up. • Once the yeast has bloomed, add 1 cup more of warm water. Add olive oil and salt. • Add four one cup at a time and combine. Add your ground herbs about halfway through adding the four. Turn the dough onto your counter and knead. If it is sticky and won’t pull together, add more four, a tablespoon at a time, until it does. Knead until smooth. • Rub olive oil inside a large bowl. Form your dough into a ball. Place it in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until it’s doubled in size—about 40 minutes. Looking for a warm place? Set your bowl in a few inches of warm water in your sink. • After rising, turn the dough onto a foured counter and knead for a minute or two. Shape the dough into a round or oblong shape. • Dust a baking sheet with cornmeal and place your dough on top. • Cover loosely with a light towel or tented foil and let rise for another 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

• After the second rise, uncover and slash the top of your dough in a few places, using a sharp knife, razor blade, or scissors. Place your pan in the middle of the hot oven. Bake until golden brown. Depending on your oven and shape of your loaf, this can take 25-40 minutes. If you’d like a crisp crust on the loaf, place a roasting pan on the bottom rack of the oven and pour several cups of hot water into the pan to steam your loaf as it bakes. Resist opening the oven door until approaching the end of the bake. • Serve warm with warmed olives, cheese, and perhaps butter blended with more of your dried herbs! Yum! RITUAL & INTENTIONAL MAGIC

Ritual is a practice. To practice means to perform an activity again and again in order to acquire a skill. For ritual, the skill acquired is awareness.

What does this give us? We become very present, perhaps more calm, clear about our desires and needs, more able to provide just the right kind of help to others, and more capable of identifying and fulflling our purpose on this earth.

RITUAL PERFORMED The performing of ritual is a deeply human experience. Everyone has rituals— common ones like birthdays, graduations, holidays, marriages, and funerals. We delineate time, making it more meaningful by repetition of yearly or daily rituals. Some center around family tradition, cultural legacy, or spiritual practices. Others are simple, personal actions like preparing a cup of tea with attention and reverence, setting the table a certain way, or getting oneself ready for the day using the same sequence of tasks as the day before.

If you feel you don’t know enough to practice ritual, trust yourself. You carry all you need within. INTENTIONAL MAGIC There is magic in every choice you make. Your presence places real power behind all you do. It’s no coincidence that paying attention makes things clear, that belief activates action, that understanding brings light to the unknown or feared.

In this way, intentional magic is how you live.

At the heart of intentional magic are three things—personal connection, knowledge, and ritual. To help you discover this in your own life, think about the way your days unfold and ask yourself these questions.

• What daily ritual of mine just makes things feel right? • What natural items am I drawn to and what do I know about them? • What rituals (mine or others) have touched me deeply, and why?

You may wish to take a moment to write down some of your thoughts.

MAKING MAGIC Begin where you are. Celebrate your history and what you know to be true. Listen to what speaks to you. Pay attention to your heart, your breath, your body. Hear the wind, feel the sun, walk barefoot upon the earth. The better you come to know yourself, magic will naturally fow. CAST YOUR CIRCLE

SEVEN DIRECTIONS INVOCATION

A circle is sacred. The wombs of women encircle life as it grows, then open to form an O as our children enter this world. Our mouths form an O as we open to speak our truths. Earth is a globe, the orb which is our home. The moon in turn circles our Earth and it too is a sphere. To cast a circle is to make a sacred vessel to hold your ritual. Guidance is provided here.

PREPARE Clean your space and cleanse your body with a soothing shower or soak. Consider turning off all devices. Be still and remember your intention. Choose a location either indoors or out. Protect our Earth by following local guidelines regarding outdoor fames. You may wish to use a compass to locate and mark the directions of north, south, east, and west with a stone or crystal. Walk your circle clockwise and smudge its entirety with sage or incense. Light your candle at the center. BEGIN Invoke the seven directions by reading aloud:

EAST — AIR — KNOWLEDGE I face East, the direction of the rising sun & all beginnings. I call upon the element of Air & the creatures of fight. I welcome the beauty of new life & understanding to this circle.

SOUTH — FIRE — ACTION I face South, the direction of sustained activity & service. I call upon the element of Fire’s forms of fames, lightning, & electricity. I think of the quick coyote & welcome powerful action to this circle.

WEST — WATER — INTUITION I face West, the direction of the setting sun & visions. I call upon the element of Water in all her forms & depths. I trust my emotional strength & welcome its true instinct to this circle.

NORTH — EARTH — WISDOM I face North, the direction of guidance & all paths home. I call upon the element of Earth in her nurturing solidity. I feel my body grounded by soil & stone. I stand & welcome its deep wisdom to this circle.

ABOVE — SKY MOON STARS — FATHER I look up, raise my arms, & contemplate infnite galaxies, deep space, all consciousness. I honor the masculine energies of grandfathers, fathers, uncles, brothers, & sons. I honor how such energy also exists within the feminine & welcome it to this circle.

BELOW— SACRED EARTH — MOTHER I look down, bend & touch Earth to deeply know the home of our humanity, all creatures, all of the natural world. I feel how we are all one. I honor the feminine energies of grandmothers, mothers, aunts, sisters, & daughters. I honor how such energy also exists within the masculine & welcome it to this circle.

WITHIN — SPIRIT — CONNECTION & LIGHT I close my eyes & look within. I place my hands upon my heart & know I am love. I trust my connection to the true light of the spirit in all forms—gods, goddesses, ancestors, animal & human guides, dreams, visions, feelings. I honor the one in all and welcome spirit to this circle. PERFORM YOUR RITUAL With your circle cast and a sacredness held within your heart, read or recite the words for a ritual of your choosing. This is your moment, take your time. Repeat words of intention, release, or affrmation as many times as necessary in order for you to feel the gravity of those words within your body.

In order to bring about change, one must feel it fully.

We build energy and make solid change as we continually return to the practice. You may suddenly voice your own words for casting the circle, invoking the seven directions, or performing a ritual. Use them to connect more profoundly to your own awareness and heart.

Special rituals are offered in this booklet as a place to begin.

CLOSE To close your circle, release the elements and seven directions by speaking a simple phrase of dispersal and gratitude of your own choosing, or something like this—

“The elements, seven directions, and energies of all, I thank you for your presence here and release you.”

Extinguish your candle, collect your markers for the directions as you walk your circle once more. With reverence and gratitude, walk out and go forth.

Blessed Be. LAMMAS

QUESTION & AFFIRMATION

How to experience a year? Have you watched a sun rise over a landscape gently waking? Have you tilted your face up to a night sky and had your breath taken away by the clarity of the stars? We sense it—a year as it moves within us in our daily gestures of love and longing. To truly encounter the moments of a passing year, we here at Magic Fairy Candles, have dedicated myriad days to the task of honoring the cadence of its unfolding.

Our symbols for the Light Eight are intentionally defned to represent each eight celebrations marking our journey through the Wheel of the Year. With each, we pose a thoughtful question and affrmation as entryway for connecting more deeply to its placeholder in our passing year.

You may wish to read one or both aloud as part of your ritual or celebration.

QUESTION With a bounty of life’s nourishments before you, how shall you honor the essential?

AFFIRMATION

By my hands a legacy of their labors has been realized— strong effcient and unwavering.

In them rests every reward. From them fows all life’s generosities.

May I build upon my strengths. May I build courage in others by my pure benevolence. PENDULUM DIVINATION RITUAL

SOLEMN RITES

We all have questions. Life is a series of questions. While sometimes it may seem as if there are no answers, if we allow time and a period of refection for ourselves, the answers do come. The use of a pendulum and pendulum card are tools to help focus your innate ability to sense the culmination of our world’s energies. Here’s how.

GATHER Collect your pendulum and pendulum card, along with any other energetic tools, talismans, or amulets which you fnd helpful in supporting your intuition.

QUESTION Have a specifc question ready. Write it down. The most common questions humans have asked with the assistance of a pendulum include: Where are my lost keys, phone, ring, wallet? Am I having a boy or a girl? What’s the best date for my event? Questions may be as serious or light as you wish.

SET & REFLECT Set up an area for your ritual. Perhaps light your candle or incense. Be still. Close your eyes and relax your heart. Follow your breath for a short time as you center your mind upon the question.

DIVINE When you feel settled and ready, open your eyes, take up your pendulum and hold the end of the chain between your thumb and center fnger. Some like to use their non- dominant hand for divination. Others swear by use of the dominant hand. Follow your intuition. The choice is yours.

With the crystal hanging from the chain, hold it about an inch above the lower edge or center of your pendulum card and close your eyes again for a moment. Breathe and repeat your question. Open your eyes and continue a steady breath and steady hand as you watch your pendulum. OPEN Be open to the answer you may receive. Your pendulum will swing or circle on its own. This is a natural result of energy both within you and around you. You may feel the energy focused in your fngertips or hand. The place over which your pendulum swings or circles most denotes all or part of your answer.

If your question’s answer requires specifc letters or numbers, continue a steady breath as you watch the pendulum swing frst over one letter or number and then move to a different letter or number. When the crystal swings repeatedly 3-5 times over any a single letter or number before moving on, you may consider that letter or number part of your answer. Write it down, or remember it, and wait for the next.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS • Under what moon will I meet someone special or new? • On what date should I start a project, travel, take a retreat? • What might be the initials of my next lover, spouse, friend? • In what month will my circumstances change?

INTERPRET Your pendulum card contains both specifc and more general items. There is both a simple yes and no. There are numbers and letters too. However, there is also a maybe, as well as phases of the moon from new moon to full moon. If your pendulum doesn’t swing or circle much or not at all, perhaps rephrase your question to make it more specifc.

Above all, approach your pendulum divination ritual with ease. You don’t have to use the pendulum card. You may wish to divine a tarot card by letting it swing over a spread of cards face down, with a question in mind. Or hold your pendulum over a map, calendar, a personally created collage, or your own self-designed pendulum card containing all sorts of possibilities. ©2021 Magic Fairy Candles www.magicfairycandles.com