energyuntapped

[energyuntapped]

Crafts of the Witch Useful to Learn

Welcome to December 25th, here's some stuff about witchcraft to think about because you're on your phone looking for a distraction :)

So anyway here's stuff that's really useful to learn how to do before you actually need it because putting it all together for the first time on game day is stressful.

Creation and Desecration of a Poppet

A poppet is a deeply sympathetic representation of someone or something (usually another person).

According to the law of sympathy, whatever you do to the poppet will happen to the person it represents. You could cleanse and bless it, or smite it.

Poppets can be made in a wide variety of ways, from paper dolls, to clay figurines, to crocheted stuffies - anything you like. They also must be worked over magically to link them to their target.

The most ideal poppet is decorated to look very similar to the thing it represents, and is imbued with a taglock (such as hair, nail clippings, footprint dust, etc).

Learning Prompts:

The handicraft of creating the poppet - start with any arts and crafts you're interested in and see if they'll work for you

Practice making several poppets - you do not need to consecrate them. How easy is it for you to decorate it just like the real person? How easy is it for you to include taglocks?

Find a disposal plan. ""Voodoo dolls"" are steeped in public awareness; will it be safe for you to throw away the poppet in the trash when you're done with it?

Consecration or enlivening poppet as target. Find or develop a ritual to fill the poppet with magical life so that it becomes the target. Practice this once or twice (perhaps on a poppet of yourself, to cast blessings or prosperity magic on yourself)

Desecration or severing link. Find or develop a ritual to end the sympathetic link between the poppet and its target. Practice this once or twice.

Storage and tending of enlivened poppets. They are alive and they act like it. If you intend to have poppets sitting around for long-term spells or to use as-needed, you will need a system of storing them so that they "go to sleep" and remain undisturbed until you need them.

Consecration, In General

Here I mean "consecration" to be an act of magic which anoints an object as sacred unto a purpose, and therefore primed for magical use. In crude terms: you're making an object magical and giving it a purpose at the same time.

Consecration is a very useful thing to know how to do. In and of itself it can form a kind of minor enchantment (I consecrate this mug of oolong tea to be a potion of survival +1), but it can also prepare the way for powerful enchantments (I consecrate this ring to become a divine protector, ready to receive the powerful enchantment I soon cast upon it).

Learning Prompts:

Find or create a minor consecration spell which can be cast in under a minute. Strive to obtain one which is covert and can be done even in the presence of others. (Perhaps we could call this a 'cantrip'). Such a spell tends to be suitable for moving fate a few degrees over, or to dig a shallow pool in the tides of reality.

Find or create a hefty consecration spell. Consider what abilities or access you have that allows you to redefine the fate and purpose of an object. Contemplation of this spell can provide great insight into one's own belief and path. Such a spell may completely reorient fate, and carve new channels into the waterways of reality.

Practice minor consecrations on 5 different types of objects. Consecrating the tea, that's easy - stir it a few times. But how to consecrate a hairbrush? How to consecrate a mirror?

Practice major consecration twice, unto two very different domains. Perhaps a pepper oil of fiery smiting, and a crystal bracelet of deep soothing. This is an opportunity to compare and contrast the powers you raise when you work within different domains.

Desecration, In General; and Spell Reversal

To make profane; as in, to remove the magic from something and make it no more than a lump of physical matter, or a meaningless event like scattered dust on the winds of fate.

In my opinion, all witches should learn this - "don't raise up what you can't put down" also includes "don't enchant shit if you don't know how to undo enchantments."

To know how to nullify magic also means you can nullify unwanted and harmful things around you, and take the force and energy out of them.

Learning Prompts:

Find or create a minor desecration spell, one that you can cast on the fly and without tools or ingredients. Such a spell may be like a slapping a broom on a dusty rug; it will shake free things not tightly held.

Find or create a major desecration spell. Such a spell is like steam cleaning and shampooing a rug; it must remove every particle of magic and leave nothing behind but stripped fibers.

Practice minor desecrations 5 times in day-to-day life, targeting stank vibes and irritating situations that do not serve you.

Practice minor consecrations and desecrations 5 times by consecrating a stone, candle, etc., unto a magical purpose, and then removing the consecration.

Find an opportunity to cast a major desecration, which you may find the opportunity to do the next time the need for banishment comes up; or when sorting through old magical tools you no longer need, etc.

Find or create a solid spell reversal, one that you can use without having to have physical spell remnants on hand. Note that reverse to sender is not the same as nullifying your own magic.

Binding Divination Tools to Veracity, and Sundry Divination Management

Or if you like, binding veracity to divination tools. Binding is not baneful magic. Binding means to attach one thing to another thing, or to prevent something from being ways.

You can cast a binding on your divination tools to constrain them to only tell the truth, to truly peer beyond the veil, and only deliver what it can see; and never reflect your personal whims.

There's plenty of magic you can cast for your divinatory tools to make your life easier.

Prepare a binding spell to constrain a divination tool to only reflect the kind of truth you want. Do you want a tarot deck to only show your true state of mind? Do you want a set of runes to only read the will of the gods? Do you want your charm set to only read on the future, and not the past?

Find or create a protection spell to stop undue influence on a divination tool. This does not mean "evil spirits are manipulating your reading." Undue influence also means the strong emotions of querents, random psychic garbage, and the like; but it can also have an impact on the way you phrase questions and work with the tool itself.

Find or create a spell to enchant your tool as a magical seer/oracle. You can use a tarot deck out of the box, of course. You can also enchant it to be a magical object that obtains truth from mystical sources. Try it and see if you like the difference.

Find or create a charging ritual to revitalize your divination tools. This is a good opportunity to examine elemental energies; what kinds of energies are best suited to the purposes of divination and seeing beyond? The full moon is classically used for such purposes. Challenge yourself to recharge your divination tools once a month for 3 months, and see if you like the difference.

Blessing, In General

You have the power to generate and coalesce benevolent and helpful energies, and to distribute them into the world around you. You can bless anything you like, and perhaps the more the merrier; it's a very fine way to transform a space, and put love into the world.

Try considering blessings to have 2 parts; the first is to evoke a desirable force, and the second is to apply the force in a certain way: You could evoke the winter dawn as a blessing power, and then ask it to do something specific (provide a calm day, to make wise choices, to avoid bad traffic, etc).

Write your own minor blessing spell that you can perform in a minute or less. Try centering this blessing around a wonderful and benevolent force, whether it be a certain god, mushrooms, unconditional love, and so forth.

Write a separate minor blessing spell using a very different focus. Try the deep blue calming waters of the deep ocean, or the sprightly breezes of alpine hills, or the feeling of the first sip of a perfect bowl of soup; but make it have really different vibes from the first blessing.

Practice both minor blessings and see the difference. Challenge yourself to use each blessing cantrip 5 times. Try clustering the blessings to fill a space with that kind of energy (such as five items on desk blessed under the alpine breeze, and five items in the bathroom blessed under the deep ocean). Can you feel a difference in the spaces as you move in and out of them?

Write a major blessing using the various benevolent and lovely powers of your practice. This is another good opportunity to explore your practice. When you are in need of love, kindness, grace, and softness, what part of your path rises to meet your needs?

The Big Practice

Consecrate a poppet unto yourself. Bind and enchant a divination tool to be a powerful oracle of truth, and read on the most helpful equipment the poppet needs (RPG style: weapon, armor, familiar, potion?).

Whatever the answer, make a tiny container spell which serves the purpose. Consecrate it to be the tool that the poppet (you) needs.

Give the enchanted container spell to the poppet and cast a blessing on it, to be empowered with the new tool it has been granted in life.

Carefully store the poppet and its tool.

Periodically, perhaps between 1 to 6 times a year, recharge your divination tool and discern what new tools the poppet might need. Desecrate the old tool if you need to (or let them stack up), and consecrate new tools.

Keep the poppet and its tools for as long as you like, carefully severing the link between yourself and it when you're done with it.

[energyuntapped]

I’m seeing a bunch of posts that make me think most USAmericans don’t know about The No Surprises Act.

It was passed in 2021 (thank you Biden) and essentially states that if you don’t have insurance or your insurance doesn’t cover a service you need (or want) you are entitled to a Good Faith Estimate of the cost of care. (If your insurance does cover the service, you should be able to estimate the cost of care based on your deductible and co-pay.)

As a healthcare provider who does not accept any insurance, I am very careful to not violate The No Surprises Act. Why? Because for every penny more than $400 that the Good Faith Estimate was “off” (or if it wasn’t provided), you are entitled to a refund for that amount.

Y’all. Ask for a Good Faith Estimate. Get it in writing. Compare it to what you are paying. If you are not provided an estimate or if it’s wrong by more than $400, demand a refund.

[energyuntapped]

Fairy Tale Spells by Bree NicGarran

Fairy tales have always been with us. Apart from teaching moral lessons and practical cautions, they remain a source of wonder and inspiration that persists even in a modern age dominated by technology.

There is magic in these tales as well - spells and charms that aid the worthy and conquer obstacles, heal the ailing and bring wealth to the poor, thwart the wicked and exact terrible revenge, or grant someone their hearts' desire and make their dearest wishes come true.

I have created over a hundred such spells, inspired by the tales recorded by the Brothers Grimm and the folklore collected by Andrew Lang. One volume was published back in 2017 and another is forthcoming. If you're curious (and maybe a little bit daring), here are some previews of the spells to be found in the pages of The Sisters Grimmoire.

After all, who couldn’t use a bit of Happily Ever After?

The Sisters Grimmoire, Vol. I

A Bellyful of Stones - A curse to punish the greedy.

Eyes Like Coals - To summon a spirit guardian.

Roughskin - To protect and disguise oneself from those who mean to harm you.

Straw Into Gold - A spell to bring wealth.

Table of Plenty - To obtain needed money or provisions.

The Red Flower - For removing enchantment.

The Sorrow Pot - To relieve your sorrows and bring justice for a grievance.

The Wall of Thorns - To protect one’s home and property.

The Sisters Grimmoire, Vol. II (forthcoming)

Make Sure You Lock Up - To set your household wards when you lock your front door.

Gilded Locks - To braid wealth into the caster's hair.

Something In The Water - To discover whether a person is suffering from the effects of baneful magic.

The Ferryman's Curse - To curse another with the problems that plague your own life.

The Shining Web - To repel trouble from the home.

You can find more spells from The Sisters Grimmoire, Vol. I and potion and powder recipes from Pestlework by checking out the mid-month minisodes of Hex Positive, available on your favorite podcast platform.

All of my titles can be found on Amazon or ordered from the Willow Wings Witch Shop. (If you'd like to see them in your local witch shop, feel free to give the proprietor my contact information!)

If you're enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar and tune in to my monthly show Hex Positive! 😊

[energyuntapped]

Just because a spell doesn't seem to manifest exactly how you wanted doesn't mean that nothing happened.

A spell could have:

Resolved blockages or entanglements behind the scenes

Paved the way to make accomplishing your goal more likely

Patched over energetic "leaks" in adjacent areas that had to be fixed before this manifestation would work

Prevented the situation from worsening

It is possible for an effective spell to not appear to have done much at all.

This could also hypothetically mean that you really do have to cast the same spell three or four times before enough underlying issues are resolved to get you what you want.

I do not think all magic necessarily works like this.

But I do think that sometimes, witches underestimate the amount of times they need to engage with magical reality in order to affect real change in the world around them.

[energyuntapped]

Library Tips For Magic Practitioners

As a Missouri librarian, I've gotten to know my library district pretty well. So here are some tips for you!

Tip 1: Dewey is your friend.

And by that I mean the Dewey Decimal System (a more in-depth list is in that link) is your friend. It breaks down as follows:

000: General Knowledge (encyclopedias, newspapers, almanacs, etc)

100: Psychology & Philosophy (feelings, logic, friendships, etc)

200: Religions & Mythology (Bible stories, Native American myths, classical mythology, etc)

300: Social Sciences & Folklore (families, career, money, government, etc)

400: Languages (English, Spanish, American Sign Language, grammar, etc)

500: Math & Science (arithmetic, animals, rocks, plants, fossils, etc)

600: Medicine & Technology (inventions, machines, farming, health, etc)

700: Arts & Recreation (crafts, painting, music, games, sports, etc)

800: Literature (poetry, plays, novels from other countries, etc)

900: Geography & History (countries, biographies, etc)

If you're looking for ghosts, divination, and witchcraft specifically, look around 133. That's where I've found most of my magic-based books to borrow. You'll also find books talking about people's near-death experiences or reincarnation around this point.

While fiction technically falls in the 800s, most libraries will have it separate from nonfiction. You may still find things like poems or memoirs in the nonfiction section. Some libraries will have the biographies separated into their own section. A few libraries (at least here in Missouri) will have state-specific sections where you can learn more about local stuff.

Tip 2: There are computers and printers to use.

If you can't research something at home for literally any reason, getting a library card will often grant you access to using the computers and printers in the library.

When using the printer, some libraries will charge based on how much ink you use, other libraries will charge based on how much paper you use, and other libraries will charge based on some other criteria.

Be aware that you lose access to these if you reach a certain level of overdue materials or money is charged to your library card until the materials are returned/paid for or the money is paid off. Luckily, librarians are here to help you and can tell you what's missing.

Tip 3: Libraries have more than books.

Seriously. The main branch of my library district has 3D printers, telescopes, gaming systems to use in-building, and more stuff that I didn't even pay attention to because I was scrambling to learn the behind-the-counter stuff. Feel free to ask us for something and we can see if it's in-county for ya!

Audiobooks are often available on CDs and in the form of Playaways, which are like MP3 players with a single book on them. You will need a wire-connected set of earbuds or a wire-connected headset and batteries. Some libraries sell earbuds, but not batteries.

Large Print books will often have their own special designation as LP, but more often they have their own shelf sections. You'll find a surprising number of Westerns there, but there are Large Print nonfiction books.

Tip 4: Requesting materials.

Not finding something you're looking for? Ask the front desk for help! In Missouri, we have the Missouri Evergreen system, which means we can borrow books from all over the state* on the topic you're looking for.

If we can't find it (or you're in a library that doesn't have such a monumental reach), then you can often fill out a book request form. We will then do our best to order the book for you - but be aware that it could take many months, and most of the time, people will cancel their order of the book well before our budget catches up or we even have time to get the book processed and integrated into the system. Patience is key when ordering a new book.

*At participating branches - not every library district in our state is part of Missouri Evergreen.

Tip 5: Self-checkout is a thing.

At least, it is here in Missouri. If you don't want to interact with the front desk, there are often self-checkout stations for books, DVDs, audiobooks, et cetera. Even my middle-of-nowhere branch has one!

Unfortunately, this won't work for other things, like updating your card once it expires or resolving monetary charges (which will both send you to the front desk).

Tip 6: Search the new shelves.

Some libraries like mine will have specially-designated "New Shelves", where you can find a lot of the most recent releases. If you're trying to find something in a particular number that you saw on the search but can't find it, it may be on the new shelf. These get cycled out whenever new books come in, which may mean that you have several months' worth of new releases to dig through.

In short, I hope this helps you in your search through the library! Best of luck to you!

~Jasper

[energyuntapped]

Samhain info dump 🖤🧡🖤

[energyuntapped]

Fairy Tale Spells by Bree NicGarran

Fairy tales have always been with us. Apart from teaching moral lessons and practical cautions, they remain a source of wonder and inspiration that persists even in a modern age dominated by technology.

There is magic in these tales as well - spells and charms that aid the worthy and conquer obstacles, heal the ailing and bring wealth to the poor, thwart the wicked and exact terrible revenge, or grant someone their hearts' desire and make their dearest wishes come true.

I have created over a hundred such spells, inspired by the tales recorded by the Brothers Grimm and the folklore collected by Andrew Lang. One volume was published back in 2017 and another is forthcoming. If you're curious (and maybe a little bit daring), here are some previews of the spells to be found in the pages of The Sisters Grimmoire.

After all, who couldn’t use a bit of Happily Ever After?

The Sisters Grimmoire, Vol. I

A Bellyful of Stones - A curse to punish the greedy.

Eyes Like Coals - To summon a spirit guardian.

Roughskin - To protect and disguise oneself from those who mean to harm you.

Straw Into Gold - A spell to bring wealth.

Table of Plenty - To obtain needed money or provisions.

The Red Flower - For removing enchantment.

The Sorrow Pot - To relieve your sorrows and bring justice for a grievance.

The Wall of Thorns - To protect one’s home and property.

The Sisters Grimmoire, Vol. II (forthcoming)

Make Sure You Lock Up - To set your household wards when you lock your front door.

Gilded Locks - To braid wealth into the caster's hair.

Something In The Water - To discover whether a person is suffering from the effects of baneful magic.

The Ferryman's Curse - To curse another with the problems that plague your own life.

The Shining Web - To repel trouble from the home.

You can find more spells from The Sisters Grimmoire, Vol. I and potion and powder recipes from Pestlework by checking out the mid-month minisodes of Hex Positive, available on your favorite podcast platform.

All of my titles can be found on Amazon or ordered from the Willow Wings Witch Shop. (If you'd like to see them in your local witch shop, feel free to give the proprietor my contact information!)

If you're enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar and tune in to my monthly show Hex Positive! 😊

[energyuntapped]

Practicing discernment: Some ways of testing and ruling out the mundane

As many folks in the witchcraft community say, "mundane before magic." That is, before assuming that your problems have a supernatural cause or require a magical solution, look into mundane causes and fixes first. So, I made a list of stuff to consider and try out before committing yourself to something supernatural/magical. This of course a generalized list, so not everything is going to apply to everyone. (The kind of people who get mad at a bean soup video because they don't like beans are advised to skip the rest of this post.)

(This is inspired by that bit of advice going around that's like, "If you hate everyone, eat", etc, which is very good advice.)

I know some of this stuff might sting the ego a little bit, but in all of my experience these problems really are super common among people who feel or suspect certain things. And a little kick to the ego is a lot easier to deal with than the fallout of completely detaching yourself from the real world.

If you feel like the apocalypse is near: examine your living and financial situations (are they stable?), cut down on your consumption of bad or politically-charged news, examine your childhood religious/political indoctrination, and socialize with normies more.

If you feel like you're under spiritual attack or you're constantly sensing bad energies: examine your unresolved tensions with people, work on your social skills (especially your ability to set and maintain boundaries), and examine whether you might have PTSD or C-PTSD (such as from childhood trauma).

If you're stuck on the idea of meeting your soulmate: work on your self-image, work on your social skills, and socialize more.

If you feel like a supernatural or divine being stuck in a mortal body: examine whether you might have autism and/or ADHD.

If you show symptoms of trauma but can't think of a reason you'd be traumatized: examine whether you might have autism and/or ADHD, whether adults were more supportive or invalidating when you were a child, whether you were more often included or excluded at school, and how stable and relaxed your home life actually was.

If you feel like you have a purpose presently unknown to you: build a skill or get into a hobby. Also socialize more.

If you feel called to be a spiritual healer or teacher: examine whether adults emotionally neglected or invalidated you as a child.

If you feel like the gods hate you: examine how your parents treated you when you were growing up, and examine childhood religious indoctrination.

If you feel like you've been cursed for a long time: examine whether you might have ADHD, autism, some form of mental illness, some form of chronic illness, poor social skills, or shitty doctors.

If all of the spells you cast seem to be weak: work on your self-image (including your faith in yourself) and work on your social skills (including your ability to set and maintain boundaries).

If you feel like there has to be a massive conspiracy or global deception: examine whether you might have some form of mental illness, consider childhood indoctrination (were you raised with highly polarizing or conspiratorial beliefs?) and socialize with normies more.

[energyuntapped]

You know the problem with being a witch who also grew up on crime shows? I cannot stand most halloween movies. Like I was oonly able to come up with 15 that I like. Most of the ones for adults have me saying you are stupid either in a magical or mundane sense and now i just want them to hurry and kill you. The kiddo ones while cute also tend to be a year around thing. I feel like they stopped making creative halloween movies after like 2012. Give me something interesting and compelling beyond the witch and her tools are evil or it's scary that this person or thing is trying to murder you in what could have been a prevented situation.

[energyuntapped]

Blessed Mabon and Happy Solstice to all who celebrate.

[energyuntapped]

I like the word “witchery” because of its linguistic similarity to “fuckery.” Witchcraft is fuckery; fuckery is witchcraft. They are inextricably connected in my mind and it makes me happy.

[energyuntapped]

Housewarming Magic

For when you’ve moved into a new living situation or are ready for a new start <3

Finding your home/moving:

House hunting crystals

Spell jar to find a house

Spell for your dream house

Spell for securing a home/property purchase

Property locater spell for house-hunting

Moving witch tips

Moving house cleansing ritual

The witch’s moving checklist

Cleansing:

A deep room cleanse

To absorb negative energy from a room

Magical spring cleaning tips

Summer house cleansing

Witchy cleaners

Clean house powder

Home cleansing tips

Thoroughly clearing spaces

Crystals to cleanse the home

Cleansing your space without smoke

Low energy cleaning + cleansing

Warding + Protection:

A crash course on warding

To ward the home

Threshold magic 101

Protect my home spell

Home protection steam spell

Simple home protection jar spell

Room/home protection

Protection oil for windows and doors

Sharehouse peace witch’s ladder

Wall of fire property & house protection spell

Protection (wind) chimes

The Rowan cross

Protecting the property

Check out the sigils below!

Sigils:

For a magical and happy home

Find a home that will bring you happiness

My new home suits me well

I find a good place to live

I have found a safe place to rent in my price range

Sospidonum

This space is full of life, light, and bright energy

My home is safe

This home is safe for all

This home is a safe and healthy environment

My house is protected from unwanted influences

My home is protected

I live well on my own

Witchin’ it up:

Happy home spell jar

Home sweet home spell jar

Hestia’s house blessing

Fire spell hospitality blessing

House to home spell

Laundry magic

Pleasing household spirits

When a bad guest leaves

Building a magical home

The magical home

Herbal home blessing

Odds and ends:

Magic, and power, in homemaking

The history and creation of witch bottles

Bringing nature inside

Cottage witch tips

Hearth witch tips

The basics of kitchen and cottage witchcraft

You may also like:

Bedridden witch: garden / stale energy / kitchen edition

Spells for job seekers

Travel witchery

Updated April of 2024. Please inform me of broken links via ask-box. Click original post to check for updates!

[energyuntapped]

Lammas & Lughnasadh Resource Masterpost

A collection of categorized posts for your Lammas needs! What is Lammas? [X] Lammas is generally celebrated on August 1st in the Northern Hemisphere and February 1st in the Southern Hemisphere. Also called/merged with Lughnasadh.

The Basics:

Lammas or Lughnasadh?

Lammas correspondences / more correspondences / even more

Lammas: easy ways to celebrate / more ways to celebrate / even more

Lammas tips

Secular Lughnasadh celebration

Low spoons ways to celebrate Lammas

Lughnasadh - spoonie witch friendly

Subtle ways to celebrate

Lammas Crafts:

Leaf envelopes

Corn husk dolls

Lammas Recipes:

Lughnasadh sun tea

Honey lavender bread

Soda bread for Lammas

Lughnasadh blackberry danishes

Oatmeal bread for Lughnasadh

No-knead artisan crusty bread

Strengthening magical onion jam

Lammas Spells:

Lammas bread protection spell

Lughnasadh/Lammas ritual

Ritual for Lughnasadh/Lammas

Lammas jar

Lammas Tarot Spreads:

Lammas tarot spread (3 card)

Baking bread spread (3 card)

The harvest: a Lammas spread (3 card)

Lughnasadh harvest spread (4 card)

Lammas harvest tarot spread (5 card)

Lammas spread (6 card)

Other:

First harvest incense recipe

Lughnasadh oil

Invocation to Brigid

Updated February of 2024. Please inform me of broken links via askbox!

Imbolc / Ostara / Beltane / Litha / Lammas / Mabon / Samhain / Yule / Bedridden ideas

[energyuntapped]

Important Facts about Lughnasadh from an Irish Celtic Reconstructionist

Spelling and Pronunciation

OI. Lughnasadh (Loo-na-sa), sometimes spelled Lughnasa or Modern Irish Lúnasa. Not to be confused with other harvest festivals like Lammas.

Dates

Most reconstructionists celebrate Lughnasadh on July 31st - August 1st from sundown to sundown by the Gregorian calendar, while others choose to celebrate the transitional period between the months as they would have been by the Julian calendar (about 13 days later by the Gregorian calendar).

Traditionally this festival likely would have happened as the grains were ready for harvesting or possibly even when the wild bilberries were ripe (as some scholars mention that if the grains were not ripe they would still preform a ritualized ‘first harvesting’ but it is possible this tradition came after the festival was firmly tied to a calendar date.)

Importance in the Mythos

In the mythologies it is well documented that this festival coincides with Lugh’s funeral games in honor of his foster-mother Tailtiu, known as Aonach Tailteann. In the mythologies she is said to have died of exhaustion after clearing the plains of Ireland for agricultural needs. The first documented instance of Lughnasadh in the mythologies was in the Wooing of Emer, Tochmarc Emire, which makes sense given the importance of marriages at this time of the year. It is not known specifically but widely speculated that the curse of the Ulstermen by Macha took place at a horse race for this festival.

In later time periods it is common to see a form of struggle, normally between the ‘protective’ forces and ‘destructive’ forces. The modern equivalent being the struggle between Saint Patrick and Crom Dubh but this is likely a reflection of an early struggle between Lugh and Balor (which I previously mentioned in my info-dump on Bealtaine).

Celebration Traditions

Aonachs, funeral games, have (to the best of our knowledge) been a custom in Ireland since the bronze age and were practiced on and off into the middle ages. They had both personal and community functions and occurred in three stages. Stage one was the funeral proceedings themselves. They would last one to three days, likely depending on the importance of the individual in question. Mourning songs and chants were participated in by both the attendees and the Druids. The second stage was for proclaiming of laws. Aonachs were a time when universal peace between túaths was declared. The third stage was that of Cuiteach Fuait, games that tested mental and physical abilities. These games included the well known horse and chariot races, wrestling games, boxing, high jumps but also competitions in strategy, singing, story telling and between various skilled craftsmen.

It was incredibly common for marriages to be arranged and preformed during this festival. More well known ‘trial marriages’ (lasting a year and a day) were still preformed at this festival up until the 13th century. It is likely that the coupling occurring at this time of year had an effect on the relationship to births seen at Imbolg (which falls 9 months later).

MacNeill, a leading scholarly expert on the festival, notes that a ritualistic bull sacrifice was made at this festival and the bull would then be eaten. I could not find any definitive evidence to support the idea, but I think it was likely that bulls in general would be culled from the herd at this point in the year to supply the feast.

Art credit @ire-ethereal

[energyuntapped]

[energyuntapped]

Sabbats Masterpost

The History of Samhain

Samhain Facts

Samhain Correspondences

Samhain Crystals

Samhain Colors

Samhain Plants

Samhain Incense & Oils

Samhain Animals

Samhain Foods

Samhain Ritual & Magick

Samhain Deities

Samhain Altar Ideas

Samhain Activities

Last Minute Samhain Ideas

—————————————-

The History of Mabon

Mabon Facts

Mabon Correspondences

Mabon Crystals

Mabon Colors

Mabon Plants

Mabon Oils & Incense

Mabon Animals

Mabon Foods

Mabon Ritual & Magick

Mabon Deities

Mabon Altar

Mabon Activities

Last Minute Mabon Ideas

———————————–

Lughnasadh/Lammas History

Lughnasadh/Lammas Facts

Lughnasadh/Lammas Correspondences

Lughnasadh/Lammas Crystals

Lughnasadh/Lammas Colors

Lughnasadh/Lammas Plants

Lughnasadh/Lammas Incense & Oils

Lughnasadh/Lammas Animals

Lughnasadh/Lammas Food

Lughnasadh/Lammas Ritual & Magick

Lughnasadh & Lammas Deities

Lughnasadh & Lammas Altar Ideas

Lughnasadh & Lammas Activities

Last minute Lammas Ideas

—————————————-

Litha History

Litha Facts

Litha Correspondences

Litha Crystals

Litha Incense & Oils

Litha Colors

Litha Plants

Litha Animals

Litha Foods

Litha Deities

Litha Altar Ideas

Litha Ritual & Magick

Litha Activities

Last Minute Litha Ideas

—————————————–

The History of Beltane

Beltane Facts

Beltane Correspondences

Beltane Incense & Oils

Beltane Colors

Beltane Crystals

Beltane Plants

Beltane Animals

Beltane Altar

Beltane Food

Beltane Deities

Beltane Ritual & Magick

Beltane Activities

Last Minute Beltane Ideas

———————————-

Ostara History

Ostara Facts

Ostara Correspondences

Ostara Colors

Ostara Crystals

Ostara Incense & Oils

Ostara Plants

Ostara Animals

Ostara Food

Ostara Altar Ideas

Ostara Ritual & Magick

Ostara Deities

Ostara Activities

Last Minute Ostara Ideas

—————————��

The History of Imbolc

Imbolc Facts

Imbolc Correspondenses

Imbolc Colors

Imbolc Crystals

Imbolc Incense & Oils

Imbolc Plants

Imbolc Animals

Imbolc Food

Imbolc Altar

Imbolc Ritual & Magick

Imbolc Deities

Imbolc Activities

Last Minute Imbolc Ideas

————————————–

The History of Yule

Yule Facts

Yule Correspondences

Yule Crystals

Yule Colors

Yule Plants

Yule Incense & Oils

Yule Animals

Yule Foods

Yule Ritual & Magick

Yule Deities

Yule Altar

Yule Activities

Last Minute Yule Ideas

[energyuntapped]

LUGHNASADH SWEET CORNBREAD

Unlike regular cornbread, this is a more southern-style cornbread that's a lot sweeter than cornbread. But really good!

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 large eggs

A splash of cream

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Pinch of sea salt

For The Honey Butter:

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. In a separate bowl mix butter, sugar, and honey together. Then, whisk in your eggs, cream, and buttermilk.

Pour dry ingredients in increments to wet ingredients until just combined making sure not to overmix. Pour into a buttered and floured baking dish.

Bake for about 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick/knife comes out clean when stuck in the middle. This was just will my oven so cook times could be different when it comes to you. Make sure after 30 minutes, you check every 10 minutes.

To make your honey butter just combine your melted butter with honey and mix.

Serve in squares and top with honey butter and a tab of salted butter on top.

Enjoy! Have a blessed Lughnasadh!