Lughnasadh and Divination

Dear All,

Just as it is good to energetically cleanse your home and yourself every turn of the Wheel of the Year with, for example, incense, so it is good to do some divination during every celebration of the Wheel of the Year. So are you someone who reads Tarot cards or Oracle cards, consults the Ogham or the Runes, do that at every Turn of the Wheel of the Year.

Each period of the Wheel of the Year has its own energy and with the help of divination you can use that energy for yourself. This way you know where you stand in the year in relation to yourself, your loved ones, your goals, your results and you also know where there is work to be done, where you can focus more and what you can let go of to make room for new things. If you keep up with that, you will see a beautiful development and growth in yourself and you will gain insights that you can use.

Below is an example of a Lughnasadh card spread for you that you can use for your Tarot cards, Oracle cards, Runes or Ogham.

I wish you an insightful Lughnasadh♥

With love,
Elke )O( The Alder Scrolls /|\

Lughnasadh and his Spiritual Meaning

Dear All,

It’s time to collect and keep in mind the coming Fall and Winter. It’s time to start stocking up on the things we need mentally and physically to get us through the dark months. The energy that began to rise from the earth at Imbolc is now beginning its return journey. It is now the time to reflect on what we have symbolically sown during the spring (Ostara) and let it go again. In letting go, space is created for a new phase in which we can harvest the fruits (knowledge/experience) of what we have sown.

Lughnasadh is a time to reflect on abundance. Abundance in the broadest sense of the word. So everything we harvest from the land or from the greenhouses and find in the supermarkets and restaurants and our own refrigerators and pantries. But also what has been processed and that we find in the form of furniture, for example, in shops and our homes. In addition, you can also reflect on your own harvest this year and celebrate it.

As in Nature the entire process of sowing, growing, ripening and harvesting is followed, so is it with you. And here we find the spiritual meaning of Lughnasadh. Through your plans and your commitment you can also harvest successes and results. At the beginning of this year you may have had certain wishes or goals in mind.

How has the year gone?
Are you still on the right path for you?
Or do you always have to adjust your goals?
What are your blockages or obstacles to achieving your successes and results?

In short, what has been your growth process in the past year and do you still have a clear destination in mind?

Pause for a moment and focus your energy and enthusiasm on what you (still) want to achieve this year.

A nice ritual to do is the following:

Grab a piece of paper, a pen or pencil and make a (safe) fire. Take a moment to think about what has happened to you since Ostara and what has or has not changed. Write down in a few short words what is important to you on a piece of paper. You roll up this piece of paper into a tube and meditate for a few minutes on what you have written down. Then you blow your intention into this tube with a big breath and put this tube in the fire. The fire represents transformation and helps you to validate what you have written down.

May you all have an abundant and warm Lughnasadh!

With love,
Elke )O( The Alder Scrolls /|\

Lughnasadh and Incense

Dear All,

Incense is not only fun to burn, it’s also great fun to make yourself.

For a nice incense for Lughnasadh, mix equal parts (1 teaspoon) of:

• Heather (finely chopped) or Sunflower petals (finely chopped)
• Marigold (finely chopped)
• Bergamot (oil) (finely chopped or a few drops of oil)
• Sweet almonds (very finely chopped or ground) or dragon’s blood resin
• Oats (very finely chopped or ground)
• Rosemary (finely chopped)
• Laurel (finely chopped) (takes away nasty energy and brings back cheerful)
• Lavender (finely chopped) or Hollyhock (finely chopped)
• Juniper (good cleaner)

With this incense you can cleanse your house during Lughnasadh. It is good to energetically cleanse your home on a regular basis. This way old energies disappears and there is room for new energies.

Sometimes you can have such a heavy energy or atmosphere in your home. And, no matter what you do, opening windows, dusting, it won’t disappear. Then cleanse your house with incense and notice the difference.

I wish you a beautiful and abundant Lughnasadh♥

With love,
Elke )O( The Alder Scrolls /|\

Lughnasadh and Autumn Fairs

Dear All,

On the night of August 1st to 2nd, the Wheel of the Year turns from Litha to Lughnasadh or also called Lammas. We celebrate the beginning of Autumn and the celebration of the first harvest of the year, which consists of grain and fruit. Hence, Lughnasadh is also called Grain Festival. Lammas is the Saxon name of the feast and literally means bread mass. Here we find the reference back to the grain festival and the celebration of the grain, the main ingredient of our daily bread. Even today it is good to reflect on and be grateful for the abundance of grain. It is one of the most important food sources for humans worldwide. Lughnasadh is the older, Celtic name for the festival, meaning celebration of Lugh, the Celtic Sun God, also known as the God of Great Ability.

Lughnasadh, the period or celebration of Lugh, refers to the end of Summer and the beginning of Autumn. The power of the Sun is waning and its energy has been transferred to the wheat that has matured. The first harvest festival is the end of the ‘Summer Vacation’, the Summer’s Rest, and heralds the beginning of a time of hard work. It used to be the time when the warriors came back to help on the land. Over the next two or three months, our ancestors prepared for the coming Winter.

Working hard together on the land to bring in the harvests on time, fraternized and created the need to celebrate work done together. The celebration of Lughnasadh included horse racing, athletic contests or games, reciting of poems, musical performances, Hand Fasting and a large exhibition of arts and crafts. Here lies the origin of the Autumn Fairs that are held all over the country from August.

I am wishing you a wonderful and abudant Lughnasadh♥

With love,
Elke )O( The Alder Scrolls /|\

Lughnasadh is coming

Dear all out there,

We are on the eve of Lughnasadh. On the night of August 1st to 2nd, the Wheel of the Year turns from Litha to Lughnasadh, also called Lammas.

We celebrate the beginning of Autumn and the first harvest of the year, which consists of grain and fruit. Hence, Lughnasadh is also called Grain Festival.

Lughnasadh, the period or celebration of Lugh, refers to the end of Summer and the beginning of Autumn. The power of the Sun is waning and its energy has been transferred to the wheat that has matured.

The first harvest festival is the end of the ‘Summer Holidays’, the Summer’s Rest, and heralds the beginning of a time of activities and hard work. It used to be the time when the warriors came back to help on the land.

Over the next two or three months, our ancestors prepared for the coming Winter.

How are you preparing for the coming Winter?

With love,

Elke )O( The Alder Scrolls /|\

Blessed Alban Hefin ~ Blessed Alban Arthan

Alban Hefin ~ Divination

Dear All,

All Celebrations of the Wheel of the Year are good times to do some divination. Also with Alban Hefin ~ Midsummer ~ Litha.

You are half way through the year and the harvest is just around the corner.

• What can you still work on?
• What is better to let go of in order to plant or organize something new?
• What is hidden in you for the Light to see?

Here is a pattern that can help you with contemplation and self-reflection during the Summer Rest.

I wish you an insightful Alban Hefin♥

With love,
Elke )O( The Alder Scrolls /|\

Alban Hefin ~ Incense

Dear All,

Every celebration of the Wheel of the Year has its own herbs. Also Alban Hefin ~ Midsummer ~ Litha. Below are suggestions for a delicious Midsummer Incense.

Midsummer Incense: Make a mix of equal parts of:
– Lavender
– Thyme
– Rosemary
– Basil
– Reed

Add to this:
– Rose petals
– Marigold
– Linden blossom
– Lavender
– Mint
– St. John’s wort

Cleanse your home and yourself with this incense during Alban Hefin. And burn this in your Summer Fire or sprinkle it over the smoldering coals after a cozy barbecue.

Other herbs associated with Alban Hefin ~ Midsummer ~ Litha: All herbs you can harvest now, such as:
– Catnip
– Daisies
– Yarrow
– Chamomile
– Mugwort
– Wild Marjoram
– Verbena
– Clover
and much more

Before using herbs in food or tea or herbal water, check thoroughly whether they are safe for consumption.

Wishing you a lovely sunny and fragrant Alban Hefin♥

With love,
Elke )O( The Alder Scrolls /|\

Alban Hefin ~ Celebrating

Dear All,

During an Alban Hefin ~ Midsummer ~ Litha celebration you honour the Sun for its power and warmth. This is a time of gaining energy and strength before the rush of harvest time begins on August 1st.

You can celebrate this in different ways.

For example, by wearing a garland of flowers to absorb the power of the sun. Or you can also have a big barbecue with family and friends. What’s really special, is to stay awake during the night of June 20th-21st and sit outside around a fire that burns safely in a fire pit or to sit and watch the sunrise (together).

The fire that burns during Midsummer is considered sacred. Our ancestors mixed the ashes with the fodder to protect the livestock against health and disease. Remains of the Midsummer fire were also placed in the fireplace. Everything that came in contact with the Midsummer fire, was regarded as nourished by the power of the sun.

And celebrate Alban Hefin ~ Midsummer ~ Litha with Sun bathing, like Moon bathing during the Full Moomn. Do this in a good and correct way for your health. Keep in mind that…

…there is a lot to do about the Sun and sunbathing. Follow your own feelings regarding Sun bathing. Let your skin gradually get used to the Sun. And do you want to rub yourself against burning? Then take a good look at what you put on your skin. Many substances in sunscreen products are not as good for you as they would have you believe. Although it ensures that you do not burn, the chemical reaction of the mixture of ingredients, your skin and the sun can cause nasty side effects. It is therefore preferable to opt for organic products or products with as little addition of chemicals as possible. Because it’s the chemicals that cause the misery.

If you like being oitdoors the whole time, then it’s best to just enjoy the Sun under a parasol or in the shade between 12.00 and 14.00. Make sure that you and your skin do not dry out by drinking enough water and use a skin heatlhy mostorizing product.

And also give your eyes the beautiful Sun Power.

We need the Sun for good health, resistance and the production of vitamins and hormones.

The Sun would like to be there for you, will you let him?

To a Sunny and Happy Summer!

With love,
Elke )O( The Alder Scrolls /|\

Alban Hefin ~ Summer’s Rest

Dear All,

As soon as Summer arrives, we go into a kind of rest mode. All the seeds have been planted, everything is growing and blooming and all we have to do is care, love and maintain. In the Summer, just like in the Winter, we visit each other to spend time together, celebrate and be together. Hence the many Summer Festivals.

During the Summer Holidays, the Western Hemisphere goes into a kind of resting position. Regaining the needed energy for the harvest time to come. That is why this period is also regarded as Summer’s Rest. As with Winter’s Rest, it is a time for contemplation and reflection. You can already see which seeds bear fruit, which grow and bloom and from which a good harvest can be expected. You can also see which seeds have not grown. You may want to remove them, so that there is room for new seeds that you can then harvest later in the fall. During this Summer Rest, take a look back at the year so far.

What were your goals, your plans, your wishes.
What has or has not become of that?
What would you do differently?
What else would you like to start?

Take stock and enjoy what you have achieved and be inspired by what you may wish for. Go for it♥

With love,
Elke )O( The Alder Scrolls /|\