Celebrating Abundance: A Thanksgiving Ritual

This day of giving thanks denotes the high point of the year; the crops are in their fullness, weather is warm and the countryside is bursting forth with the beauty of life. Pagans know we have the heavens above to thank for this and the gods of nature must be acknowledged for their generosity with a gathering of the tribe and a feast, ideally in the great outdoors.  Ask invitees to bring harvest-themed offerings for the altar: gourds, pumpkins, bundles of wheat stalks and corn, fresh pickings from their garden and food to share in thanksgiving made from the same- pies, tomato salads, cucumber pickles, green beans, corn pudding, watermelon, lemon cakes, berry cucumber, apple cider and beer brewed from wheat, hops and barley. This celebration of the reapings from the summer season should reflect what you grown with your own hands. Fill your cauldron or a big beautiful colored glass bowl half-full with freshly-drawn water. Get packets of tiny votive candles for floating in the water. At the feast table, make sure to have a place-setting for the godly guest Lugh who watched over the plantings to ensure this bounty. Place loaves of home baked bread by his plate.

When all guests have arrived, everyone should add a food offering to the plate of the god and light a candle to float in the cauldron.  Cut a slice of the loaf of bread for Lugh and begin the ceremony with this prayer of thanks:

    Oh, ancient Lugh of the fields and farms,

    We invite you here with open arms,

    In this place between worlds, in flowering fields of hay.

    You have brought the blessings we receive this Thanksgiving Day.

Begin the feast and before the dessert course, everyone should go around the table and speak to their gratitude for the gifts of the year.

September

September 1, Greek New Year September 2, St. Mama’s Day in Cypress

September 3, Sukkot, Feast of the Tabernacles, a Jewish moveable feast celebrated around this time

September 4, Founders day of Los Angeles (1835), the “City of Angels,” celebrated with processions, dance, rodeo, and Mass

September 5, Mother Teresa died in 1997

September 6, First day of the Hebrew calendar since 3761 BCE

September 7, Rificolne in Florence and Siena celebrating Cosimo de Medici’s 1260 victory: a celebration with picnics, lantern processions, folk singing, and street dancing.

September 8, Water Festival honoring springs (Tibet) 

September 9, Chrysanthemum Festival in Japan, Choyo no Sekku, Kiky bo Seku

September 10, St. Salvi Day, French bishop who died and came back to life in 574 BCE still celebrated with parades, feasts, and Mass

September 11, Coptic New Year in Egypt

September 12, National Grandparent’s Day (United States) 

September 13, Epulum Jova, The Great Banquet in Rome 

September 14, First day of Greek Eleusinian Mysteries 

September 15, Day to Respect the Aged (Japan)

September 16, Mexican Independence Day in Mexico (1810) 

September 17, Feast of Hildegard of Bingen

September 18, Feast of Demeter (Ancient Rome) 

September 19, International Talk Like a Pirate

September 20, International Day of Peace

September 21, Autumn equinox (on or around this day)

September 22, Birthdays of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings

September 23, Shubun no Hi, grave visiting day in Japan 

September 24, Schwenkenfelder, German Thanksgiving

September 25, Rosh Hashanah, the movable Jewish feast of the New Year, occurs around this date

September 26, Saint Cyprian and Saint Justina’s Day

September 27, Saints Cosmos and Damian’s feast day, Arabian doctors

September 28, Birthday of Confucius, the great Chinese scholar (551–479 BCE)

September 29, Day of Saint Michael and All Angels (also known as Michaelmas)

September 30, the first book is printed with movable type, The Gutenberg Bible, 1452

The autumnal winds bring change as we begin harvesting and preparing for the future. We unpack the warm clothes and woolens, and start to winter-proof our homes, offices and cars. In our modern world, we go back to school and college. Vacations are over, and we go off to work with renewed spirits and goals. We now reap what we have sown throughout the year. Winter is also coming, the “scouring storm.” To survive and thrive in the coldest times, we need to prepare by doing our inner work. 

August

August 1, Fiesta Day (Nicaragua)

August 2, Our Lady of the Angels Day (Costa Rica)

August 3, Drimes Day in Greece with offerings to the dead, all-night parties and bonfires in vineyards and orchards

August 4, Dom Perignon invents champagne in 1693— celebrate!

August 5, Grasmere Rush Bearing Festival in Cumbria, England, dating back to the medieval custom of weaving flooring for cathedrals

August 6, Peace Ceremony for World War II bombing of Hiroshima

August 7, Feast of Hathor (Ancient Egypt)

August 8, Dog Days in Japan, or Doyo

August 9, Nagasaki Peace Ceremony in Japan

August 10, Celebration of the Goddess of Reason, established 1793 in France

August 11, Puck Fair in Killarney, Ireland 

August 12, International Youth Day

August 13, Feast of Vertumnus, god of seasons, gardens, and trees, in Rome

August 14, Ferragosto, Italy’s traditional mid-August holiday 

August 15, Feast Day of the Assumption of Mary

August 16, Saint Roch’s Procession in France and Italy 

August 17, Potunis in Italy; Marcus Garvey Day for Rastafarians

August 18, St. Helen’s Day Pilgrimage

August 19, Roman Vinalia Rustica in honor of Venus since 293 BCE

August 20, Szent Isvan Napja, Day of St. Stephen, in Hungary

August 21, Consualia in honor of Consus, god of seeds, grain, and harvest

August 22, Feast of the Queenship of Mary, Star of the Sea, since 1954

August 23, Paper Costume Parade and Holy Bath Day in Portugal

August 24, St. Bartholomew’s Day

August 25, Opiconsivia, festival to the goddess Ops

August 26, Feast day of Luonnatar, Finnish goddess of fertility

August 27, Birth of Isis

August 28, St. Augustine’s Day to honor Augustine of Hippo (354-430), leading Christian theologian and Father of the Church

August 29, Festival of St. John, commemorating his death 

August 30, Santa Rosa (Mexico); Saint Rose of Lima (Peru)

August 31, Anant Chaturdasi, a women’s purification festival (Hindu)

The Romans honored Demeter, the grain mother and overseer of the harvest, during August. The Celts celebrated Lughnassadh in honor of Lugh, their god of many skills. Lughnassadh was adopted and adapted by the Christian church as Lammas (“Loaf-mass”) and is still celebrated. The custom is that when the first grain is harvest, it must be baked into a loaf and offered to Lugh as thanks for healthy crops. Native Americans called August the Corn Moon, and the Franks referred to this time of year as Aranmanoth, The Corn Ears Month. 

Lammas Day: Harvesting Happiness

This major sabbat denotes the high point of the year; the crops are in their fullness, weather is warm and the countryside is bursting forth with the beauty of life. Pagans know we have the heavens above to thank for this and the gods of nature must be acknowledged for their generosity with a gathering of the tribe and a feast, ideally in the great outdoors. Ask invitees to bring harvest- themed offerings for the altar: gourds, pumpkins, bundles of wheat stalks and corn, or fresh pickings from their garden, and food to share in thanksgiving made from the same, like pies, tomato salads, cucumber pickles, green beans, corn pudding, watermelon, lemon cakes, berry cucumber, apple cider and beer brewed from wheat, hops and barley. This celebration of the reaping from summer season should reflect what you have grown with your own hands. Fill your cauldron or a big beautiful colored glass bowl half-full with freshly-drawn water. Get packets of tiny votive candles for floating in the water. At the feast table, make sure to have a place- setting for the godly guest Lugh who watched over the plantings to ensure this bounty. Place loaves of Lammas bread by his plate.

When all guests have arrived, everyone should add a food offering to the plate of the god and light a candle to float in the cauldron. Cut a slice of Lammas bread for Lugh and begin the ceremony with this prayer of thanks:

Oh, ancient Lugh of the fields and farms,
We invite you here with open arms,
In this place between worlds, in flowering fields of hay.
You have brought the blessings we receive this Lammas Day.

Begin the feast and before the dessert course, everyone should go around the table and speak to their gratitude for the gifts of the year. Storytelling, singing, spiral dances and all manner of merriment is part of Lammas Day.

Blessings From the East: Prayer to Honor the Summer

For summer festivals such as the Summer Solstice on June 21, you should honor the deities who gift us with such plenty. Light yellow and green candles at your altar and on the feast table and offer this appeal:

Oh, Lady of Summer
Who brings and sun and life-giving rains,
May each harvest bring the crops that fill our cups.
The rivers and oceans, fields and farms are yours.
We honor you today and give thanks to you for all we have. 
A toast to thee, blessed be!

Bay Leaf Money Magic

Harvest several leaves from your neighborhood Bay laurel tree—or just from the space rack in your cupboard—and place them inside a clear bowl on your altar overnight. In the morning, remove the leaves and let them dry in your kitchen window. Touch the water to your fingertips and touch your purse, wallet and anywhere you keep money. If you handle money at your workplace, bottle some of the bay leaf water in a tiny jar and do the same. Once the soaked leaves have dried, place in your wallet, purse and pockets, and it will attract money to you and yours. (It also repels thieves and loss of wealth.) You can also put some bay leaves in your desk at home or work to enhance prosperity for your employer, or before asking for a raise. Thursdays are the ideal day for this but try this anytime the need arises!

Prosperity herbs and plants: bay leaf, bayberry, basil, chamomile, cloves, cinnamon, honeysuckle, Irish moss, mint, strawberry leaves, Tonka beans

Lammas Day, August 2 – Harvesting Happiness

This major sabbat denotes the high point of the year; the crops are in their fullness, weather is warm and the countryside is bursting forth with the beauty of life. Pagans know we have the heavens above to thank for this and the gods of nature must be acknowledged for their generosity with a gathering of the tribe and a feast, ideally in the great outdoors. Ask invitees to bring harvest-themed offerings for the altar: gourds, pumpkins, bundles of wheat stalks and corn, or fresh pickings from their garden, and food to share in thanksgiving made from the same, like pies, tomato salads, cucumber pickles, green beans, corn pudding, watermelon, lemon cakes, berry cucumber, apple cider and beer brewed from wheat, hops and barley. This celebration of the reaping from summer season should reflect what you have grown with your own hands. Fill your cauldron or a big beautiful colored glass bowl half-full with freshly-drawn water. Get packets of tiny votive candles for floating in the water. At the feast table, make sure to have a place setting for the godly guest Lugh who watched over the plantings to ensure this bounty. Place loaves of Lammas bread by his plate.

When all guests have arrived, everyone should add a food offering to the plate of the god and light a candle to float in the cauldron. Cut a slice of Lammas bread for Lugh and begin the ceremony with this prayer of thanks:

Oh, ancient Lugh of the fields and farms, 
We invite you here with open arms, 
In this place between worlds, in flowering fields of hay. 
You have brought the blessings we receive this Lammas Day. 

Begin the feast and before the dessert course, everyone should go around the table and speak to their gratitude for the gifts of the year. Storytelling, singing, spiral dances and all manner of merriment is part of Lammas Day.