FRESH EGGS LAMMAS 2023
Lammas 2023
Fresh Eggs
Newsletter of the Women's Spirituality Forum
Edited by Lisa Crow & Tinnekke Bebout
What's Fresh?
Z and her able friend and assistant, Xavia, have embarked on a series of live rituals accessible via Zoom. This is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate and work magick with Z no matter where you are! Check Z's Facebook page to sign up for the Blue Moon Ritual.
From Z:
Lammas: Festival of the New Bread
Lammas (Old English “Loaf Mass”) is a festival of regeneration dedicated to the inventors of agriculture. Women and men celebrate the Goddess as the source of life and offer her the first ears of corn. In Hungary, public tables, on which are placed lovely new loaves of white bread and glasses of wine, are set up at the crossroads.
Lammas (Old English “Loaf Mass”) is a festival of regeneration dedicated to the inventors of agriculture. Women and men celebrate the Goddess as the source of life and offer her the first ears of corn. In Hungary, public tables, on which are placed lovely new loaves of white bread and glasses of wine, are set up at the crossroads.
The festival is connected with the movement of the soul between the worlds. Our Lady of the Gates is the goddess who guides our souls from one life to the next. This is one of the witches’ high holidays, opposite the feast of Brigid on the wheel of life.
August is the month of fulfillment, the first harvest of the year, and the manifestation of abundance. Since anthropologists believe that women invented agriculture, this is a very feminine festival. The planting of the seeds and harvesting of the grain is a wondrous achievement. History changed when woman planted the first seedlings.
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| Lughnasadh by Sharon McCarthy |
Salutations!
This summer’s synchrony of cycles permits today’s Full Sturgeon* Moon to illuminate Lughnasadh.
~ Today the 9° Leo Sun directly faces the 9° Aquarius Moon at 11:32 am PDT ~
August’s auspicious arrival brilliantly welcomes the first of our harvest festivals.
The solar festival of Lughnasadh (Loo-NA-sah) celebrates the gathering of fruits and grain
~ midway between Summer Solstice and the Autumnal Equinox ~
August 1st is the traditional date, though August 7th is this year’s exact midpoint.
While few of us live in an agrarian setting, many of us enjoy tending our own wonder filled gardens.
Our unique ‘fields’ of creativity may be planted in the soil, expressed through our life’s path, or blooming in our hearts.
Seeds that we sprouted half a year ago at Imbolc are ripening now and ready for sharing.
To honor the harvest, we find ways to express gratitude for the Land, and for our Mother Earth who sustains us.
We gather with friends and family to share the beauty of our aliveness and the bounty of the Green World.
Reveling in the delights of August, we also make time to relax in the soft open awareness of Blue Sky Mind.
By Lughnasadh/Lúnasa we have an instinctual sense of the gradually decreasing daylight.
So we gladly celebrate these golden days with our friends by the sea, in meadows, forests, parks or our own back yard.
If we are on our own right now, we can connect with the birds, flowers, trees, pets, or animals in our habitat.
Sun in Leo expresses the joy of an endless summer in a child’s heart, with September seeming so far away.
Remember breathing in the radiance of a warm summer playday, opening wide to our own belonging.
May we find our way home to re-experience this nostalgic timelessness, renewing the freedom of our spirit.
On this Luna lit Lúnasa, a Yeats poem that I love is sitting in my heart.
It begins as he goes ‘out to the hazel wood’, a tree magically associated with August ~
As a fire was in his head’ ~ the element associated with Leo.
This mystical poem is alive with wonder, which I hope touches you.
(You can hear me reading it on the attached audio file)
As we gather those near and dear to us
The silver apples of the Moon can be all the people we might imagine inviting to our feast ~ (Aquarius)
The golden apples of the Sun are the ones that are with us, here now ~ (Leo)
~ Bless your Summer Revels with the Sun and Moon ~
Love,
Sharon
*Sturgeon:
They are an ancient fish that have no teeth, scales or bones.
The largest sturgeon found was a female weighing in at 3,463 pounds and 23 feet long!
They are playful and intelligent and can live up to 100 years.
They are bottom feeders and will jump several feet into the air.
Sturgeon Medicine: They are considered royal among fishes by the Ojibwa Nation.
They represent depth and strength, endurance and power.
Imagine releasing our deep murky shadow material allowing it to rise up into the bright Leo Light!
The Song of Wandering Aengus
By William Butler Yeats
I went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;
And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.
When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire a-flame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And someone called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.
Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands,
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done,
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.
This summer’s synchrony of cycles permits today’s Full Sturgeon* Moon to illuminate Lughnasadh.
~ Today the 9° Leo Sun directly faces the 9° Aquarius Moon at 11:32 am PDT ~
August’s auspicious arrival brilliantly welcomes the first of our harvest festivals.
The solar festival of Lughnasadh (Loo-NA-sah) celebrates the gathering of fruits and grain
~ midway between Summer Solstice and the Autumnal Equinox ~
August 1st is the traditional date, though August 7th is this year’s exact midpoint.
While few of us live in an agrarian setting, many of us enjoy tending our own wonder filled gardens.
Our unique ‘fields’ of creativity may be planted in the soil, expressed through our life’s path, or blooming in our hearts.
Seeds that we sprouted half a year ago at Imbolc are ripening now and ready for sharing.
To honor the harvest, we find ways to express gratitude for the Land, and for our Mother Earth who sustains us.
We gather with friends and family to share the beauty of our aliveness and the bounty of the Green World.
Reveling in the delights of August, we also make time to relax in the soft open awareness of Blue Sky Mind.
By Lughnasadh/Lúnasa we have an instinctual sense of the gradually decreasing daylight.
So we gladly celebrate these golden days with our friends by the sea, in meadows, forests, parks or our own back yard.
If we are on our own right now, we can connect with the birds, flowers, trees, pets, or animals in our habitat.
Sun in Leo expresses the joy of an endless summer in a child’s heart, with September seeming so far away.
Remember breathing in the radiance of a warm summer playday, opening wide to our own belonging.
May we find our way home to re-experience this nostalgic timelessness, renewing the freedom of our spirit.
On this Luna lit Lúnasa, a Yeats poem that I love is sitting in my heart.
It begins as he goes ‘out to the hazel wood’, a tree magically associated with August ~
As a fire was in his head’ ~ the element associated with Leo.
This mystical poem is alive with wonder, which I hope touches you.
(You can hear me reading it on the attached audio file)
As we gather those near and dear to us
The silver apples of the Moon can be all the people we might imagine inviting to our feast ~ (Aquarius)
The golden apples of the Sun are the ones that are with us, here now ~ (Leo)
~ Bless your Summer Revels with the Sun and Moon ~
Love,
Sharon
*Sturgeon:
They are an ancient fish that have no teeth, scales or bones.
The largest sturgeon found was a female weighing in at 3,463 pounds and 23 feet long!
They are playful and intelligent and can live up to 100 years.
They are bottom feeders and will jump several feet into the air.
Sturgeon Medicine: They are considered royal among fishes by the Ojibwa Nation.
They represent depth and strength, endurance and power.
Imagine releasing our deep murky shadow material allowing it to rise up into the bright Leo Light!
The Song of Wandering Aengus
By William Butler Yeats
I went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;
And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.
When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire a-flame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And someone called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.
Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands,
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done,
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.
Zsuzsanna Budapest is calling the women back to our sacred land to meet in 2024! Join her in the redwoods of California to sing, dance, celebrate over a half century of Goddess culture, and howl at the moon!
The Goddess Festival Early Registration has opened! Sign up before January 1, 2024 to get the best rates and the most options for payment. We need volunteers and we need vendors! If you are interested in doing either at the Festival, please email Tinn at dreamweaver93@sbcglobal.net and put Goddess Festival in the subject line. Many hands make the work of the Goddess light! 💗
We are in the process of confirming Presenters. Confirmed so far are Astarte Tzighan, Joann Silverwitch, Lisa Crow, Iris Eve, Letecia Layson, Tinnekke Bebout, Valerie Byrne, Kris Freewoman, Larissa Montfort, Susun Weed, and, of course, Z herself.
Goddess of the Month - August 2023: Maat
WHO IS MA'AT?
Ma'at or Mayet, is the Egyptian Goddess who regulates all things, bringing order to the 
universe. She embodies truth, balance, order, and justice. She directs the stars and the actions of the Gods. She informs humanity of the right way of being. She weighs the souls of the dead to see if they have lived lives of rightness. The earliest written records of Ma'at date from the 3rd millenia BCE and describe Her as settings the norms for both nature and social structure. She had many different titles, which reflect the esteem in which She was held and Her importance to all Egyptian society. Some of these titles include :
universe. She embodies truth, balance, order, and justice. She directs the stars and the actions of the Gods. She informs humanity of the right way of being. She weighs the souls of the dead to see if they have lived lives of rightness. The earliest written records of Ma'at date from the 3rd millenia BCE and describe Her as settings the norms for both nature and social structure. She had many different titles, which reflect the esteem in which She was held and Her importance to all Egyptian society. Some of these titles include :
Ma'at the Beautiful
Directress of the Underworld
Tracer of the Course of the Sun
Lady of the Hall of Judgment
Sustainer of the Sun
Lady of the Heavens Queen of Earth
The Measure of the Heart
Ma'at in Social Order
Ma'at was the center of Egyptian social structure in so many ways. Their culture emphasized the order and harmony of the universe and the thread than ran through their philosophy was one of an intrinsic link between the rightness of people's actions and the balance of life and nature. Pharaohs from the earliest periods often named themselves "Lord of Ma'at" or "Beloved of Ma'at" to show the people that Ma'at was in their heart and their words were of Ma'at. For it was known that an impious king, one who manifested Isfet: chaos, lies, and violence, could cause disasters to strike his people. The correct public and religious life that was part of the unity of things was essential in all aspects of behavior - for both monarch and the everyday person.
Little is known of Egyptian laws, but one thing that is quite telling is that from the 5th dynasty onward the Vizier, who was responsible for the administering of justice and overseeing of the law, was High Priest of Ma'at. In later times, it has been recorded that judges wore masks in the likeness of Ma'at when acting in their official capacity. It is also interesting to note that during the time when Egyptians ran their own kingdom, women had much greater rights and could act with much more autonomy than they could under both later Greek and Roman rule.
Judgement of the Dead
One of Ma'at's best known roles is as Judge of the Dead. In Duat, the Egyptian underworld, the dead would come to have their souls weighed against the Feather of Ma'at. Those that lived lives of goodness and right action were allowed to continue on to Aaru, The Field of Reeds, where Osiris would welcome them into blissful eternity. Those who did not measure up had their hearts devoured by the goddess Ammit, who was shown in the semblance of a lioness in Egyptian tomb art depicting this scene, thereby suffering a second, permanent death. One of the things most commonly found in Egyptian tombs of any period and of any station of person are the Forty-Two Declarations of Purity, which were the statements said by the deceased before their heart was weighed under the supervision of Anubis. These statements summed up the ideals of a life of Ma'at and are part of Book of Coming Forth by Day, also known as The Egyptian Book of the Dead.
The Declaration of Innocence and the Forty-Two Declarations of Purity from the Papyrus of Ani (trans. Allen and Faulkner)(19th Dynasty, circa 1240 BCE)
Hail Far-strider who came forth from Heliopolis, I have done no falsehood.
Hail Fire-embracer who came forth from Kheraha, I have not robbed.
Hail Nosey who came forth from Hermopolis, I have not been rapacious.
Hail Swallower of shades who came forth from the cavern, I have not stolen.
Hail Dangerous One who came forth from Rosetjau, I have not killed men.
Hail Double Lion who came forth from the sky, I have not destroyed food-supplies.
Hail Fiery Eyes who came forth from Letopolis, I have done no crookedness.
Hail Flame which came forth backwards, I have not stolen the godšs offerings.
Hail Bone-breaker who came forth from Heracleopolis, I have not told lies.
Hail Green of Flame who came forth from Memphis, I have no taken food.
Hail You of the cavern who came forth from the West, I have not been sullen.
Hail White of teeth who came forth from the Faiyum, I have not transgressed.
Hail Blood-eater who came forth from the shambles, I have not killed a sacred bull.
Hail Eater of entrails who came forth from the House of Thirty, I have not committed perjury.
Hail Lord of Truth who came forth from Maaty, I have not stolen bread.
Hail Wanderer who came forth from Bubastis, I have not eavesdropped.
Hail Pale One who came forth from Heliopolis, I have not babbled.
Hail Doubly evil who came forth from Andjet, I have not disputed except concerning my own property.
Hail Wememty-snake who came forth from the place of execution, I have not fornicated with a child.
Hail You who see whom you bring who came forth from the House of Min, I have not misbehaved.
Hail You who are over the Old One who came forth from Imau, I have not made terror.
Hail Demolisher who came forth from Xois, I have not transgressed.
Hail Disturber who came forth from Weryt, I have not been hot-tempered.
Hail Youth who came forth from the Heliopolitan nome, I have not been deaf to words of truth.
Hail Foreteller who came forth from Wenes, I have not made disturbance.
Hail You of the altar who came forth from the secret place, I have not hoodwinked.
Hail You whose face is behind him who came forth from the Cavern of Wrong, I have neither misconducted myself nor copulated with a boy.
Hail Hot-foot who came forth from the dusk, I have not been neglectful.
Hail You of the darkness who came forth from the darkness, I have not been quarrelsome.
Hail Bringer of your offering who came forth from Sais, I have not been unduly active.
Hail Owner of faces who came forth from Nedjefet, I have not been impatient.
Hail Accuser who came forth from Wetjenet, I have not transgressed my nature, I have not washed out the picture of a god.
Hail Owner of horns who came forth from Asyut, I have not been voluble in speech.
Hail Nefertum who came forth from Memphis, I have done no wrong, I have seen no evil.
Hail Tempsep who came forth from Busiris, I have not made conjuration against the king.
Hail You who acted according to your will, who came forth from Tjebu, I have not waded in water.
Hail Water-smiter who came forth from the Abyss, I have not been loud-voiced.
Hail Prosperer of the common folk who came forth from your house, I have not reviled mankind.
Hail Bestower of good who came forth from the Harpoon nome, I have not been puffed up.
Hail Bestower of powers who came forth from the City, I have not made distinctions for myself.
Hail Serpent with raised head, who came forth from the cavern, I am not wealthy except with my own property.
Hail Carrier-off of His Portion who came forth from the Silent Land, I have not blasphemed God in my city.
Report from Goddess Rising - Tinn
Goddess Rising took place August 11-13 at Sacred Waters in northern Indiana. Women from Moonlit Crossroads Coven and Temple of Hekate Einalian gathered to awaken the energy of the land after a long hiatus caused by COVID. A collection of long-time Sisters and those new to the groups joined together to sing, dance, and celebrate the Mysteries of Hekate.
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| Awakening the Land | |
A new Priestess, Jayme, was initiated on Friday evening into the Circle of the Little Bears after studying spell craft, feminist philosophy, the Dianic tradition, and ritual work. Jayme joyfully dedicated herself to the work of the Goddess in the presence of her Sisters.
Saturday morning, prior to the Mysteries, Jayme was consecrated as Ariadne Priestess for the Rites. She took up the Keys as her sacred charge to serve as guardian of the Mysteries after extra months studying specifically for this Work.
Saturday's activities included a sound bath, a workshop on making gris-gris bags, and a class on divination using tarot. The Mysteries of Hekate were celebrated that night, following which, many Sisters retired to the lawn to watch the Perseid meteor shower and commune with the owls and bats who graced the dark sky.
Sunday morning saw two Sisters request training when the next cycle begins in February. Many hugs were given and the Land was thanked for a wonderful and magickal time.
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