About Lughnassadh
Background about a High Rite
Jack Green, Cedar Light Grove, ADF
I am most
annoyed because I feel like this is at least the third time I've
written a description on the background of Lughnassadh for
ADF. First, I did it in rather a chaotic way, mixing
descriptions of High Rite with description of ritual. So at my
mentor's urging, I redid it. Then I made a annoying error and
used the same name for the ritual as I did for the High Rite
description, hence overwriting one of the two. So, alas, I
find myself writing once again about Lughnassadh (which occurred about
a month and a half ago). At least I have my initial
notes.
It is a High Rite that is very meaningful to me. It was the first one that I participated in, back in August of 2004. I had never even been to a Pagan group, when I stumbled into Cedar Light Grove in late June of 2004. I had no idea what I'd find. Subversive Satanists stirring a cauldron boiling with bubbles, toil, and trouble? I ended up finding an extended family, albeit sometimes a bit disfunctional, that adopted me in, warts and all. I haven't looked back since.
But since I am beginning to waver off course once again, I better get back on topic. Lughnassadh is the first of three harvest festivals, celebrated in the neopagan calendar. After Lughnassadh comes Mabon. After Mabon comes Samhain. Lughnassadh and Samhain tend to be more Celtic in origin. The fall equinox is more Nordic. Though I believe it wasn't even a major happening even with the Norse.
Lughnassadh focuses on two key personalities or deities: Lugh and Tailtiu. Lugh was a great Renaissance Man of the gods. He could do everything well. There is a story that when he first came to the Castle of Tara, the gate keeper would not let him in. The gate keeper told him that he could only enter if he could contribute to the community. What can you do? Lugh explained he as a wright. Oh we have one of those. He then said he was a cobbler. Oh we have one of those. He was a poet. Oh we have one of those. He was a warrior. Oh we have one of those. The list went on and on. Finally, Lugh asked, do you have anyone that can do all those things well and at the same time? By golly, we don't. And Lugh was quickly allowed in.
Tailtiu was the foster mother of Lugh. War was a common hobby of men and communities back in these early times. (Actually, war is still a common hobby of men and communities). Between the first and second battles of Mag Tuireadh, Tailtiu tried to get the communities from solving their problems through violence and destruction. She explained that there was enough land for all the groups involved. To emphasize her point, she cleared a huge amount of land so that it could be settled in peace. She did this massive work in just a twenty-four hour period of time, which was impressive even for a goddess. She collapsed from exhaustion and was on the verge of death when Lugh came to her. Lugh promised that in her honor he would hold a great fair filled with peaceful competitions rather than warlike aggression. These yearly fairs became Lughnassadh and the Tailtean Games. By the way, I readily admit that I interpret this story in a very modern manner. It may have held far different meaning to the ancient Celts. But I am not an ancient Celt and this is the meaning the story holds for me.
Many neopagan groups actually hold Tailtean Games as part of the Lughnassadh festivities. We've done so at Cedar Light before. Bread, corn, wheat, the grains of the field are the key harvest in this festival. Lughnassadh is an even more important rite at Cedar Light due to the fact that Tailtui is the matron of our grove.
I could write more, but this is the third time I've written this, and....I'm just tired. I have my notes on the link below. Feel free to use it for more information and the various webpages I used to gather it.
Link to my notes
Link to a description of the high rite at Cedar Light Grove
Return to High Rite Page
It is a High Rite that is very meaningful to me. It was the first one that I participated in, back in August of 2004. I had never even been to a Pagan group, when I stumbled into Cedar Light Grove in late June of 2004. I had no idea what I'd find. Subversive Satanists stirring a cauldron boiling with bubbles, toil, and trouble? I ended up finding an extended family, albeit sometimes a bit disfunctional, that adopted me in, warts and all. I haven't looked back since.
But since I am beginning to waver off course once again, I better get back on topic. Lughnassadh is the first of three harvest festivals, celebrated in the neopagan calendar. After Lughnassadh comes Mabon. After Mabon comes Samhain. Lughnassadh and Samhain tend to be more Celtic in origin. The fall equinox is more Nordic. Though I believe it wasn't even a major happening even with the Norse.
Lughnassadh focuses on two key personalities or deities: Lugh and Tailtiu. Lugh was a great Renaissance Man of the gods. He could do everything well. There is a story that when he first came to the Castle of Tara, the gate keeper would not let him in. The gate keeper told him that he could only enter if he could contribute to the community. What can you do? Lugh explained he as a wright. Oh we have one of those. He then said he was a cobbler. Oh we have one of those. He was a poet. Oh we have one of those. He was a warrior. Oh we have one of those. The list went on and on. Finally, Lugh asked, do you have anyone that can do all those things well and at the same time? By golly, we don't. And Lugh was quickly allowed in.
Tailtiu was the foster mother of Lugh. War was a common hobby of men and communities back in these early times. (Actually, war is still a common hobby of men and communities). Between the first and second battles of Mag Tuireadh, Tailtiu tried to get the communities from solving their problems through violence and destruction. She explained that there was enough land for all the groups involved. To emphasize her point, she cleared a huge amount of land so that it could be settled in peace. She did this massive work in just a twenty-four hour period of time, which was impressive even for a goddess. She collapsed from exhaustion and was on the verge of death when Lugh came to her. Lugh promised that in her honor he would hold a great fair filled with peaceful competitions rather than warlike aggression. These yearly fairs became Lughnassadh and the Tailtean Games. By the way, I readily admit that I interpret this story in a very modern manner. It may have held far different meaning to the ancient Celts. But I am not an ancient Celt and this is the meaning the story holds for me.
Many neopagan groups actually hold Tailtean Games as part of the Lughnassadh festivities. We've done so at Cedar Light before. Bread, corn, wheat, the grains of the field are the key harvest in this festival. Lughnassadh is an even more important rite at Cedar Light due to the fact that Tailtui is the matron of our grove.
I could write more, but this is the third time I've written this, and....I'm just tired. I have my notes on the link below. Feel free to use it for more information and the various webpages I used to gather it.
Link to my notes
Link to a description of the high rite at Cedar Light Grove
Return to High Rite Page