Lughnassadh is the time of turning from the growing season to the harvest season. The heat of the summer is at its most intense, and will begin to wane throughout the next few months.
For Stone Creed Grove, this is one of our major Celtic rites, a time to specifically honor two of the Celtic warrior deities, Morrigan and the holiday’s namesake Lugh. Prior to the ritual proper, those who choose to participate compete in a series of games designed to test warrior skill and ability, and from those games a worthy champion is chosen to carry the spear of Lugh (shown above in ritual) for the upcoming year. The rite focuses on ritually marrying the heroic Lugh to the sovereignty of the land as represented by Morrigan, patroness of heroes.
The incoming champion wields the spear of Lugh whilst engaging in the symbolic dance with the outgoing champion, and the eye of Balor as a loaf of tasty bread.
Honoring the Hallows
Shawn & Nina asperge and cense the bilé.
Lughnassadh Games: Tug of War
It would appear Ian let go of the rope...
Lughnassadh Games: Tug of War
Mike and Ian battle for supremacy in "Tug of War".
The Omen
The Omen for StoneCreed Grove, ADF's 2003 Lugnassadh Rite.
The Victorious Champion
One of this year's co-Champions, Ian holds aloft the newly slain Sun that ensures this years harvest and foretells the coming of Winter.
Opening the Gates
Ian & Liafal make offering to Mannannan and open the Gates.
Lughnassadh Games: Poetry
The final portion of our Lughnassadh Games is the poetry competition and these are the poets left standing after the elimination round.
Beltaine is the time of late planting and the beginning of the growing season in colder climates. For many ancient peoples, this was the beginning of their summer season, which
Imbolg is a time of the year where the sun is starting to return to the world, and the coldest days are behind us. In this time, current scholarship suggests
We are now in the late harvest season. The fields have become bare, and the pantries full. In ancient times, the folk would have observed that the entire world around
