Volume 18 Issue 4
Lammas 2021
Seasons of the Moon is a quarterly online magazine published by students and members of The Order of The White Moon, an eclectic international order of women dedicated to The Goddess. The Order provides personal empowerment and priestess training, and operates local groups. All contributions are original material submitted by our students and members. (We do not accept outside contributions.) Please direct comments and questions to the Ezine Editor.
Lammas 2021
Contents
- Holy Days
Lammas and Mabon, Ajna DreamsAwake
- Southerly Sisters
Imbolc and Ostara, Ajna DreamsAwake
- Goddess Work
Financial Protection Jar, Peace Whitehorse
Fertility Magick, Peace Whitehorse
- Witchy Writings
Corn Dollies, Peace Whitehorse - Thou Art Goddess
Accepting My Shadow Self, Emily Beatrice
- Sacred Sites
Isla Mujeres, Ajna DreamsAwake - OWM Awareness
OWM Happenings, Ajna DreamsAwake - The Bardic Soul: Poetry and Song for the Spirit
Mabon Harvest, Peace Whitehorse
- Recipes Fit for a Goddess
Apple Cake for Modron, Jenai May
Holy Days
Lammas
Lammas introduces the season of ripening. Its focus is on the first harvests of Summer. Our ancestors celebrated the crops, knowing that a successful harvest would see them through the long dark months to come.
Sunlight is noticeably beginning to decline as the Wheel turns toward the dark half of the year. We may already be starting to lament Summer's end, but for now, we can rejoice in warm sunny days, and partake of the endless bounty of seasonal fruits and vegetables.
As a grain festival, our ancestors would burn an effigy of the Grain God at Lammas, to ensure the continuing cycle of death and rebirth in the Spring. The God was a willing sacrifice, giving up His life so that His people may live. We can honour this tradition by celebrating the abundance of the Earth and all She has to offer, sharing our bounty with others in Her name, and make our own sacrifices for the greater good of our communities.
Sacrifice is something that we do willingly. We can look at our metaphorical garden, the seeds we planted, the ways we nurtured our dreams, prioritizing what needed nourishment and what needed to be thinned out. We pulled the weeds, removing some things in order for others to prosper and grow. We did a lot of hard work to arrive at this point. We can celebrate our successful harvest as we acknowledge the sacrifices we made. We can look honestly at the sacrifices that may still be required, letting go of the attitudes, behaviours, or beliefs that may still be hindering us. This is but the first of the harvests, there remains time to work on our goals and reap the benefits in the coming months.
Mabon
Mabon is a celebration of the Second Harvest on the Wheel of the Year. The spirit of the God that was sacrificed at the First Harvest is now journeying to the Underworld. As the God withdraws from the land, the life force of the mourning Goddess follows him, creating a portal which can facilitate our own transition into the Underworld.
Offerings of fruit from our harvest can serve as a reminder of the sweetness of life. Even though Mabon signals the end of the growing season, and a transition into death, we celebrate the abundance and blessings that our hard work has reaped.
At Mabon, we say farewell to the power of the sun, and give thanks for the warmth and the light it has provided. This is also a time of rebalancing after intensive work, an opportunity to rest after our labour. We honour our hard work and celebrate all that we have brought into manifestation in the past few months.
People are busy gathering from fruit trees and gardens, canning and freezing, preserving their bounty for the coming months. But we will also leave some of our harvest behind, to lie fallow. In the act of dying, their remains will form a rich compost that will nourish our gardens in the Spring.
We can do the same for the inner garden of our visionary mind. The seeds we first planted at Winter Solstice, which germinated in the Spring, manifested this summer. But at Mabon, it is time to harvest the memories of dreams fulfilled, even as we mourn the loss of what did not come to pass. We often tend to be more focused on what did not grow rather than celebrating our successes. Not all that we plant will be fruitful, some of our dreams will get left behind, transforming into compost for next year's harvest.
Think on the things you wanted to accomplish or enjoy but did not have the opportunity to do so this Summer. Select one event you were looking forward to that did not occur. Without judgment, consider the reasons why it didn't happen. Perhaps you were too busy, too tired, too overwhelmed, or the timing wasn't right. Feel the disappointment, mourn the loss, then allow those emotions to lie fallow. Let them go, to break down into compost which will feed the seeds of future dreams and goals. Who knows what the future will bring. But it is never too early to begin dreaming about next year's garden.
© Ajna DreamsAwake
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Southerly Sisters
OWM is a global organization, with Sisters in countries around the world, including the Southern Hemisphere. The Wheel of the Year is reversed for our Southerly Sisters. To ensure we remain inclusive, we would like to share some information about the Holy Days that pertain specifically to them.
Imbolc and Ostara
Imbolc symbolizes renewal and is the traditional time for many pagans to dedicate themselves to their chosen path, or to renew their vows. Renewing one's vows provides us the opportunity to reflect ‐ have we been true to our vows? Do they need to be revised? Students enrolled in our OWM schools create or renew a vow upon completion of each Level of study. Imbolc is an ideal time for all Sisters in the Order to look back on the vows they have made, and renew their commitment ‐ to offer service to their communities, to pray or send healing to those who request it etc…
Ask yourself the following:
What am I spiritually dedicated to?
What are my spiritual goals for the coming year?
How can I deepen my connection to Goddess?Imbolc is also a good time to bless new magickal tools, or re‐consecrate old ones.
Ritual to consecrate Magickal Tools
You will need:
The tools to be consecrated
Item to represent Brighid
Three white tea light candles
Items representing the four Elements (eg. salt, water, incense, candle)On Imbolc Eve, at twilight, light one of the candles. Cleanse your tools with each of the four Elemental items. (note: a quick sprinkling or pass through is all that is required to prevent damage to the tools)
Place items outdoors where they can absorb the moonlight.
State your intent aloud. Pick up the item representing Brighid. Ask the Goddess to bless and consecrate your tools.Allow your tools to charge in the moonlight overnight. Leave the white candle on your altar and allow it to burn out naturally.
At dawn, before the sun rises, collect the tools and place them on your altar. Light the second white candle and repeat your statement of intent. Let the white candle burn out completely.
Leave the tools on your altar, untouched, until evening.
At sunset, Light the third candle and repeat your intent a third time. Your tools are now cleansed, charged, re‐consecrated.At Ostara, we honour the rebirth of the Maiden. It is a time of resurrection, Daughter is reunited with Mother in joyful celebration. This is a good time to strengthen the bonds with Mother figures in your life.
Ask yourself the following:
What wisdom have I learned and how will it manifest in the months ahead?
What am I awakening within myself?
Who are the women in my life who have inspired me? How can I honour them?© Ajna DreamsAwake
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Goddess Work
- Supplies
- Jar
- Black candle
- Urine of all to be protected
- Dollar bill from wallet of all to be protected with name written on it
- Basil ‐ financial, protection
- Clover ‐ financial, protection
- Patchouli ‐ financial
- Mugwort ‐ protection
- Oakmoss ‐ financial
- Clove ‐ financial
- Sage ‐ financial
- Dragon's Blood ‐ protection
- Frankincense ‐ protection
- Sandalwood ‐ protection
- Bloodstone ‐ financial
- Tiger's Eye ‐financial
- Salt ‐ financial
- Citrine ‐ protection
- Malachite ‐ protection
- Black Tourmaline ‐ protection
Herbs:
Oils:
Gemstones:
Instructions
- Assemble supplies
- Jar
- Herbs
- Oils
- Gemstones
- Dollar bills
Combine ingredients in the jar.
Add urine.Say the following:
Financial protection I do weave
By my will and by my power.
Let none harm us or any deceive
So mote it be now from this hour.
In the name of
The Maiden, The Mother and the Crone
Blessed be,
SO MOTE IT BE.
Seal jar with black wax.
Bury jar to left of front door as you are facing the house.© Peace Whitehorse
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Mojo Bag
- Items needed
- Green cloth bag
- Green Aventurine
- Rose Quartz
- Green Jade
- Aquamarine
- Carnelian
- Red raspberry leaf
- Alfalfa
- Stinging nettle
Gemstones:
Herbs:
Instructions
Place items in the mojo bag and hang over the head of the bed.
Fertility Oil Blend
- Ingredients
- Sage ‐ 3 drops
- Orange ‐ 6 drops
- Lemon ‐ 3 drops
- Sandalwood ‐ 6 drops
- Geranium ‐ 6 drops
- Ylang Ylang ‐ 6 drops
- Lavender ‐ 3 drops
- Carrier oil
Instructions
Apply to pulse points. External use only.
Fertility Tea
Instructions
Brew Red Raspberry leaf tea
Drink each morning and before having sex.© Peace Whitehorse
Peace Whitehorse is the founder of Peace Grove School of the Goddess and facilitator and High Priestess of the Peace Grove Coven. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and her Shetland sheepdogs, and is active in Sheltie Rescue.
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Witchy Writings
According to Wikipedia, corn dollies [also called corn mothers] are a form of straw work made as part of the Lammas harvest celebration. It was believed that the "spirit of the corn" or "spirit of the grain" lived in the field with the crop and that harvesting the fields made this spirit homeless. A corn dolly would be made to house this spirit over the winter until it was plowed into the ground in the spring, thus returning the spirit to the fields.
Usually crafted for Lammas ‐ which is the First Harvest ‐ corn dollies are relatively easy to make. They have long been used as altar pieces for Lammas. The dolly can be charged under the full moon, and should be thanked whenever you pass by it sitting on your altar.
While waiting for spring, the corn dolly can be brought out at Imbolc. She can be dressed as one would imagine the Goddess would, and placed in a basket or small bed overnight. This is done in hope of and to welcome the coming of spring. Spring is not very evident yet at Imbolc but Pagans have faith that it is getting closer.
At this time, the harvest corn mother becomes the Imbolc bride Brigid. You can re‐use your Lammas corn doll or make a new one, although corn husks may be hard to come by at Imbolc time. You can save husks from harvest time and soak them in water for a couple hours to make them pliable enough to fashion into a dolly. You can also check the produce section of your local grocery store to see if corn is available, to obtain the husks.
At Imbolc the corn dolly should be placed near the hearth or in the kitchen, or on your altar. By honoring Brigid in this way, you are inviting Her fertility and abundance into your home and your life.
If you have made a second corn dolly for Imbolc, the dolly and perhaps even her bed or bedding can be burned in celebration following your Imbolc rites. The Lammas corn dolly should be buried in the spring to bring fertility and abundance.
Click on the link to follow Peace at Witchy Writings
© Peace Whitehorse November 18, 2020
Peace Whitehorse is the founder of Peace Grove School of the Goddess and facilitator and High Priestess of the Peace Grove Coven. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and her Shetland sheepdogs, and is active in Sheltie Rescue.
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Thou Art Goddess
Recently I decided to take the leap in exploring my shadow self. You know what I mean. That side of yourself you don't like. That side you try to hide, to ignore. The ugly parts. The sometimes frightening parts. The parts that rear their head at the worst times and after you want to curl up in a ball and hide from the shame.
The thing is, you cannot expect to move forward if you don't get curious and explore every part of yourself. It hurts, I can't tell you how much it hurts, and how uncomfortable it is. Allowing myself to feel. Asking the uncomfortable questions. Things I would rather not think about and avoid. However, I knew I was on the downhill side of High Priestess training and if I expected to be a good leader in my community I had to be comfortable with myself as a whole. Even the parts I found disturbing, and actions I'm not particularly proud of.
It's a good season to work through this. We have moved past Litha and into the season when the sun starts to temporarily fade. The days are getting shorter. The nights will get longer. It's a good time to start to explore getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. We're preparing for winter. Harvest is upon us. The sun will always return, the light is always there. It's just getting a little dimmer right now. That's okay as long as you realize there is a balance and keep it in perspective.
It is painful to dive into that side of yourself and confront those things. You have to be kind to yourself. I have found it helpful to have people who love me who are willing to just listen with little to no feedback. No one can do the work but you though.
Stop for a second and think about that. No one. Can do the work. But YOU!
You can have all the tools laid out in front of you to help you work through that pain, but no one can make you pick them up and use them. That is a choice you have to make for yourself. There is no set timeline. When you decide to it hurts, and it's messy. Who really wants to reflect upon the frightening choices they've made? We can't change the past, but we can learn from it in order to have a brighter future. That is what this reflection period is for me. The light may be going away, but it's not gone. I'm going to use this time to be sad, to be disappointed, and to mourn. Feelings are scary, but not acknowledging the pain you have caused can have greater consequences.
© Emily Beatrice
Emily Beatrice is a Priestess of the Order. She is currently enrolled in Level IV High Priestess training.
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Sacred Sites
Across the bay from Cancun, where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Caribbean Sea, lies a small island sacred to the Mayan Goddess Ix Chel. It was believed to be the home of the Goddess and Her court of Priestesses. Isla Mujeres gets its name from the Spanish Conquistadors, who arrived in the 16th century. They discovered gold, silver, and clay statues of the Goddess, and so named the island "Isla de Mujeres", the Isle of Women.
The island was also known as "El Amanecer de Mexico", the sunshine of Mexico. As the easternmost point of Mexico, it is the first place in Mexico that the sun touches each morning. As the highest point in the Yucatan peninsula, it made for an ideal place for Astronomers to track the movement of the sun and other celestial events. The most famous of its temples lies at the southern tip of the island, the temple also served as a lighthouse, a beacon of hope, seen from miles around.
Ix Chel is the Goddess of the Moon, Water, Medicine, Midwifery, and Weaving. As a Moon Goddess, She represents love and sexuality, and is usually depicted as a young Maiden with a rabbit and is associated with fertility. The crescent‐shaped chair on which She sits is the Maya glyph for the Moon. As Goddess of Weaving, She is the Mother Goddess who sets the Universe in motion. She holds a drop spindle representing the center of the universe. She may also be depicted as an ancient Crone with jaguar ears and claws, and a serpent headdress. In this guise, She is the goddess of Healing, Midwifery, and sweat baths. She has power over rain and water. One of Her symbols is an upside‐down jar, which She uses to control the waters, unleashing great floods, or nourishing the farmers' fields. Art shows Her wearing a skirt of fertile waters, adorned with water lilies, turquoise, and jade. This skirt reaches all the way to earth, filling our lives with abundance.
Archaeologists date the original inhabitants to the 4th century CE, when the island was a small fishing village. The island was resettled in the 10th century and became an important center of trade. The island was known for its salt, not only a vital ingredient for food preservation and medicine, but used as currency across the Maya region. By the 13th century, temple structures were built across the island and the island served as a sanctuary for women, housed an orphanage, and a habitat for honey bees. The island was abandoned shortly after the Spanish arrived, but has since been repopulated, with a new patron deity, the Virgin Mary.
In 1890, several fishermen discovered three statues of the Virgin, believed to have been brought over by the Spaniards. They were carved out of wood, with hands and face of porcelain. Each of the fisherman carried a Virgin to his own village. On Isla Mujeres, the Virgin's first shrine was a small chapel made of palm and wood. She was later moved to a new chapel, where she remains to this day. It is said that the Virgin walks on the water around the island from dusk to dawn looking for her sister statues. Several years ago, an islander saw the Virgin walking on the sea early in the morning. Later that day, burrs and sand were discovered upon the statue's dress.
From the 30th of November to the 8th of December, the Bajada (Descent of the Virgin) takes place on Isla Mujeres, celebrating the Immaculate Conception. Thousands of worshippers gather together in the main square to begin the week‐long procession of the Virgin. The festival culminates in a grand fiesta, open to both the faithful and visitors.
Whether you honour Ix Chel, or celebrate Virgin Mary, Isla Mujeres is a wonderful place to embrace the Divine Feminine.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isla_Mujeres
https://isla-mujeres.net/history.html
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixchel
https://www.gods-and-goddesses.com/mayan/ix-chel/© Ajna DreamsAwake
Ajna DreamsAwake is a High Priestess and founder of Dark Moon's Heart School. Her personal journey of self‐discovery continues as she supports and guides women along their own healing paths.
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OWM Awareness
OWM is proud to announce that Jenai May has completed Level II, to become an Adept in our Order!! Please also enjoy her magnificent Final Project, on the Goddess Modron
OWM is proud to announce that Rin Fairweather has completed Level II of the White Moon studies to become an Adept in the Order. Please see her wonderful Final Project on Ursula K. LeGuin
We are, of course, delighted to welcome our new students in Sacred Three, Moonlit Path, Peace Grove School, Pyramid of Light, and Dark Moon's Heart from all over the world! We are always happy when sisters find their way to OWM!
More About OWM
If you're not an OWM student and you'd like to learn more about the Order of the White Moon, the schools offering Traditional White Moon Studies, or browse the Goddess Gallery, we welcome you to learn about us!
For those who are not currently Sisters of the Order but would like to feel supported, we encourage you to visit OWM's website and submit a Prayer Request. This Public Outreach program is one of the ways that OWM gives back to the community. We offer prayers, distance healing, and loving support to members of public.
You can connect with OWM on social media! Follow us on Twitter at @OrderWhiteMoon for regular updates on Seasons of the Moon, the Weekly Tarot Zodiac and other OWM public outreach programs. Our Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/orderwhitemoon.
Visit and like us! The Twitter feed and Facebook page are available to the public. Feel free to share these links. We appreciate your feedback so please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.
May the Peaceful, Compassionate and Healing Presence of the Goddess be with you now and always.
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The Bardic Soul: Poetry and Song for the Spirit
Harvest time is now in full swing,
Boughs bend down with apples sweet.
Gardens given up their bounty,
Grapes for wine and pears to eat.Cucumbers and peppers picked,
Tomato harvest now is done.
Fall is here and winter nearer,
With the waning of the sun.Light and dark equate again,
Autumn Equinox is here!
Hospitality, forgiveness
Share the food and mead and beer.Settle your accounts and debts,
Burn tobacco, cedar, hops.
Honor passed as pass the gravesite,
Look out for the great Cyclops!Grapes and acorns, nuts and wheat,
Dogs and wolves and birds of prey,
The harvest and the aging Gods
Are symbols of this special day.God prepares now to depart,
And grow from weakness to be strong
Nestled in the Goddess' womb,
The days grow short, the nights grow long.We celebrate the second harvest,
Cold, long winter closer now,
Put away what will be needed
Until it's time to pull the plow.Prepare ye now for time to come.
Winter's cold and soup be thin.
Weave for warmth and can the goods,
For 'til the Sun is high again.© Peace Whitehorse, December 2013
Peace Whitehorse is the founder of Peace Grove School of the Goddess and facilitator and High Priestess of the Peace Grove Coven. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and her Shetland sheepdogs, and is active in Sheltie Rescue.
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Recipes Fit for a Goddess
Modron was the ancient Celtic Mother Goddess and mother to Mabon (the Autumn Equinox). She is equated with the Matrona (mother goddesses worshipped widely in Roman Britain), and her statues often depict her as carrying apples. She is also equated with Morgan le Fay and Avalon, the Isle of Apples. This delicate and simple apple cake recipe honors Modron’s connected to the fall harvest, and apples in particular. If you can, use fresh picked apples, either by yourself or from a local farmer’s market. You may also consider soaking the apples in spring water on the day or eve of the Equinox, prior to processing them for the cake.
- Ingredients:
- 3 large apples, peeled (Granny Smith is commonly used for baking, but I also love Gala)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup flour
- Cinnamon sugar to sprinkle after baking (optional)
- Method:
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Grease (with butter, margarine, or shortening) the sides and bottom of a 9‐inch springform pan, then set a circle of parchment in the bottom. Spray the parchment circle with oil (such as Pam).
- Quarter apples, then slice across into small pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and salt on high speed for about 5 minutes. The mixture will be thick and form ribbons. Add in the vanilla and nutmeg.
- Sift a third of the flour into the egg mixture and then gently fold with a spatula just until no visible flour remains. Repeat two more times with the remaining flour. The resulting batter will be very thick.
- Layer half of the chopped apples on the bottom of the pan. Cover with half the batter, spreading the batter evenly over the apples. Add the remaining apples and batter. Gently tap the pan on the counter to release air bubbles. Place in the oven and bake for about 50 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then release the cake with a butter knife run around the sides and then gently remove the springform sides. Using a flat spatula, move the cake to a platter and finish cooling.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, or leave plain, then serve.
© Jenai May
Jenai May is a Level II Adept in the Sacred Three Goddess School
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The articles featured in Seasons of the Moon are written and/or submitted by members of the Order of the White Moon and are their own intellectual property. Please feel free to share this publication but do give credit where credit is due and link back to the source.
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Many blessings to you and yours,
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