1 Wiccid Academy of Witchcraft & Magic Second Quarter Lesson 1 By Wiccid ©Wiccid www.wiccid.com.au [email protected] 2 Wiccid Academy of Witchcraft & Magic Lesson 4 Greetings Apprentice! We now move into the Second Quarter of our 12 month apprenticeship – How exciting! From now we begin to delve more deeply into everything In this lesson we learn about the Sabbat Lammas, We talk about the season Autumn and 2 new Moon phases. We will be adding to your altar set up and tap into the wisdom of some of the Celtic Gods/Goddesses – how can we call them in to assist our magical work? Tool of the month is the Wand, in your ritual for this month you will learn how to cast a full circle, we take a closer look at Faerie magic, we are introduced to Chakra’s, Crystal magic and Divination and there is a new self-care ritual. You also get your regular tasks - A new meditation, We start a new book, There is a new practical activity for you to try out and you will be adding to your Book of Shadows!! There is a lot to cover this month so just a reminder that this is self-paced and self-monitored learning, meaning I won’t be marking your work - how much or how little you participate and integrate these teachings into your life will be entirely up to you. I am simply here to provide you with the tools you need to bring magic into your everyday life. Have a beautiful month, Love, Light and Blessings to you, Bella x How to get the most out of your lessons: When you receive your lesson each month, I recommend you print and then skim through all the material to give you insight into what you will be doing for the month. Then gather the materials you will need and create a sacred study space for yourself that is quiet and private. I like to cleanse my space with a smudge stick or incense to clear any negative energies before I start. It is up to you how you choose to study, some of you might like to tackle it all in one big hit and some might like to do a bit each day. There will be some tasks that will be required to be done daily but may only take a few minutes such as your morning ritual. Once you read through your material you will better understand how you will work through it. A few other things to note: - If you see this symbol it means there is an important point to note - This symbol means you are asked a question that you will be required to ponder/explore/journal about Some simple Terminology you may see throughout this course: Athame: A magical black handled knife used in ritual Boline: A magical white handled knife used in the preparation of magic ingredients such as herbs ©Wiccid www.wiccid.com.au [email protected] 3 Wand: A magical tool used to cast circle and direct energy Book of Shadows: A sacred book to record all your magic information, rituals, recipes and more Pentagram/Pentacle: A 5 pointed star representing Earth, Air, Fire, Water & Spirit. A symbol used to represent unity and protection Guardians: Each direction has a Guardian that represents the qualities of that direction and who you can ask to attend your magic ritual for guidance and protection. (Please note: in the North the directions and representations are different) Cast circle: To create a sacred space Altar: A table/surface where you can place all of your magical tools/ingredients and use as your sacred space to perform ritual and magic Things to do for the month at a glance Read through your lesson Take note of any supplies you may need and make plans to attain them Continue to perform your morning ritual (Lesson 1) Set up your altar with this month’s Altar Set Up suggestion Do your energy work Perform your ritual Do your meditation Read your book Perform the monthly practical activity Add to your Book of Shadows Carry out your self-care rituals Journal the journal questions ©Wiccid www.wiccid.com.au [email protected] 4 Lesson 4.1 Sabbats – Lammas or Lughnasadh Southern Hemisphere: February 1st Northern Hemisphere: August 1st A greater Sabbat – A fire festival A History of Lammas/Lughnasadh Lughnasadh is the first of 3 Gaelic harvest celebrations according to the Wheel of the year and is held from Dusk July 31st – Dusk August 1st. This festival can also be timed astrologically or agriculturally to fit in with the lifestyle and culture of the person/people celebrating. Lughnasadh, Lunasa or Lugnasad originated in Ireland and the name comes from the Celtic God Lugh – God of the Harvest, Human Skill and Kings. He himself was King of the Tuatha de Danaan, a race of Divine beings. In Scotland it was called Lunasda or Lunastal. In the Isle of Man this day was called Luanistyn. In Wales it was celebrated as Gwyl Awst (Feast of Augustus) and in England it was called Lammas, meaning loaf-mass (this is a feast of the bread). This Sabbat would bring together great gatherings of people and was traditionally celebrated in some of the following ways: Dating back to the 6th century there are actual records that describe the Fair of Tailteann created by Lugh in honour of his Earth Goddess step mother Tailtiu –who died of exhaustion after clearing all the fields of Ireland for agriculture. Originally funerary rites - This became a fair that was held every year on August 1st near what is believed to be the gravesite of Tailtiu in country Meath Ireland. There would be feasting, games, athletic contests, horseracing, music, storytelling and handfastings, people would travel from miles around to attend the festivities. This fair later became known as ‘Telltown on the Blackwater’. Other fairs were held at sacred sites throughout the country, typically burial mounds of mythical, divine female hero’s, such as Carman – the Goddess Mother of invaders threatening Ireland who allowed herself to become hostage and sacrificed herself as a way of ensuring the invaders would never return. The 7 day fair of Carman celebrated with daily races, food and exotic goods markets, trading of foreign gold and silver, clothing stalls and a livestock market. Matters of law were also settled at the fair. In the second half of the 5th century, Germanic tribes from Denmark and Germany began to migrate into England and became known as Anglo-Saxons. While they did integrate into the local customs and traditions, they also bought their own and over time their August 1st harvest celebrations became a meld of the olde ways and new Christian traditions they called hlafmaesse or Lammas. This Sabbat marks when the first crops of Summer are ready to harvest and joyful feasting, dancing and games were part of the celebrations whether you were attending one of the many fairs, celebrating locally or conducting your own rituals. Feasts were typically made up of the food collected from harvest, berries and the meat from a freshly sacrificed Bull (so it is said, be your own judge on the whole sacrifice issue). Protection magic was practiced and used for animals, homes and crops and symbols of fertility such as floral wreaths were hung around the home or worn. Some Olde Lammas Traditions: Festivals consisted of ceremony, feasting and theatrical productions, usually held on hilltops. Although later Christianised – this tradition survives today. The first fruit from the harvest was taken to the hilltop and buried as an offering to the Gods ©Wiccid www.wiccid.com.au [email protected] 5 In Rome around the 23rd of August the people would hold a celebration called Volcanalia to honour the God Volcan (or Volcanus) – the God of Volcanoes and fire. He was offered ritual sacrifices in the hopes that he would protect the cities from fire Corn dollies were made to honour and represent Lugh Bulls were sacrificed and rituals performed with their skins. Plays about Lugh’s triumph over blight and famine were performed People would make a pilgrimage to hilltops wearing fresh flowers and bury them at the top as a symbol that Summer was ending. Traditionally a time for craft fairs. People would make elaborate items, decorate their shops and wear bright coloured clothing – often parading for all to see. A good time for handfastings and trial marriages (marriages that lasted for a year and a day & then dissolved if both parties desired it) Games and athletic competitions were held – these were thought to be like an Olympic games Protection magic was performed In Lothian Scotland opposing groups of young men would build ‘forts’ made out of sod with a flag on top. Over a few days they would try to bring down each others towers and on Lughnasadh they would fight it out with a mock battle Known as ‘The feast of the bread’. Fresh breads were baked and special Lammas cakes were made An Anglo Saxon Lammas tradition was to bake a loaf of bread and then break it into 4. A piece was taken to each corner of the house and crumbled to invite blessings and give protection to the home Red ribbons were tied to cows tails and magical incantations spoken over their udders to ensure a plentiful milk supply for the year ahead In Islands off Scotland, a cup of hand brewed ale was offered to the water spirit Seonaidh to bring in lots of seaweed to fertilize crops In Africa celebrations were held to mark the beginning of the Yam festival.