This past Sunday, August 11th, Gryphons Moon Coven joined other members of the Columbus pagan community in celebrating Lunasa. Many thanks to the Magical Druid for hosting! I would say that we were a little late (the official celebration is usually on the first day of the month), but Lunasa is the entire month of August, so really, we were right on time.
Despite a slightly rocky start (thanks to everyone who was there for your patience!), ritual went beautifully! Lunasa is the first of three harvest festivals that make up the latter quarter of the pagan wheel of the year which is founded in agricultural traditions and celebrates the planting, growth, harvesting and fallow times of the living Earth, both her crops and her peoples. Lunasa is a celebration of the grain harvest – bringing in the grasses and seeds that will sustain livestock through the winter, allow the baking of bread and ensure the Spring planting will happen.
Our celebration centered on Mother Earth, embodied in our own Karen M, as she presents her bounteous wheat to the community for harvest. Gryphons Moon initiates Karen A and Lauren led the community through a teaching chant describing the correct timing and process of harvesting grains. Lugh, god of the ploughshare (among his many names), in the person of Grafton led the community through the process of bringing in the harvest. Each participant was asked to cut two stalks from the sheaves of Mother Earth, contributing one to the community by placing it in a container on the sacred altar and keeping one for their own benefit and growth. High Priestess Literata read out an omen for the community, drawing the ogham Coll (hazel) representing wisdom and poetry by which the community shall do its work and prosper. After, she thanked Lugh and Mother Earth for their presence and the circle was opened.
It’s wonderful to see the Columbus pagan community coming together for festival days and sharing both material and spiritual bounty. We had a good dozen folks in attendance and everyone joined in wholeheartedly. Leesa provided 2 loaves of fresh-baked bread (her first ever!) for after-ritual feast. We had honey and maple cream to pour over them and there was apple and carrot juice to drink. Folks stood around chatting and everyone helped clear away before leaving to carry the fruits of our labors back out into the World. I look forward to celebrating the turning of the wheel here for many moons to come.
May your Lunasa be bountiful!