A wonderful way to celebrate the day of Lammas is to make a Lammas or lughnassad ribbon. This is a lovely project that can be done on your own or with friends to celebrate Lammas the festival of the first harvest and the God Lugh and Goddess Ceres. If you are making this ribbon with friends you can choose to make one plait each or one between all of you.
First of all you need to find the ribbons that you wish to use. One of the ribbons needs to be something that you can write on. The sort of ribbon that you use for curling and wrapping up presents is ideal for this. Then you need either two other ribbons or pieces of wool or string. You may choose to find something from your garden to really make this Lammas ribbon a part of nature. You can use more than three strands of course in your plait- let your imagination run wild. Choose colours that appeal to you, they may be bright Lammas colours of red gold and yellow for example. I have included blue for my love of the moon and green for my love of nature and our mother earth Gaia.
If you don't have any curling ribbon you can use a long piece of strong paper in your plait, just be very careful when you plait it that the paper doesn't tear.
When you have found all the ribbons that you are going to use in your Lughnsadh ribbon it is time to write down your hopes and wishes. Write down all that you hope for in the year to come for you, your family and your friends. If you are able then sit outside whilst you are doing this under the warm glow and strength of the Lammas sun. Feel the wondrous vitality of the Sun God Lugh pour down into your ribbons along with the nurturing love of the Goddess Ceres. If it is close to midday then so much the better for the extra energy that you will feel. As you write each word, think carefully about what this truly means to you, and believe in the fact that this will be happening for you in the coming year. Trust that the universe will give you your Lammas wishes.
When you have written all your Lammas wishes out it is time to weave your hopes into your Lammas plait. Knot all your ribbons together at one end and then slowly begin to weave the ribbons, wool, cord, branch stems, ivy, whatever materials you are using, all together to form your Lammas plait. If you are doing this as a joint activity, each hold one of the ribbons or cords and take it in turns to do the plaiting, this can become quite an exercise of co-ordination!
As you are doing so, notice the words you have written down, repeat them slowly in your head and ask the God Lugh and Goddess Ceres that these wishes be granted for you, your family, your friends and all your loved ones. When you come to the end of the plait tie a final knot. Give thanks to all the Gods, Goddess and nature spirits that have been present at your ritual. Be sure to thank our mother earth Gaia for all that she has provided for us this day of Lammas, offer up your gratitude for all that we have upon this earth.
Finally, If you are with friends give each other a big hug to round off this lovely activity. If you are on your own, give yourself a big hug. You are wonderful and blessed and may all your wishes come true.
Lammas blessings of strength, happiness, and vitality to you, Alison
...(O:
ReplyDelete