#Relevant
It was late July at an elegant restaurant in London, amidst banter and laughter and a view of Tower Bridge, that a peculiar topic arose – Lammas, one of the witches’ sabbats.
Cassandra, an ad-exec from Britain and one of five guests invited to the dinner party, showed up an hour and a half late in a whirlwind, explained to the table that she was wearing faux fur ‘so please no one throw red wine’, and promptly ordered a filet mignon ‘barely cooked’. I liked her already.
Within moments she announced in a cut-glass accent, “As a practicing witch from a long line of witches I’d like to speak about Lammas. Has anyone ever heard of it? Well then, let me satisfy your curiosity. I won’t be long.”
It struck the dinner guests as random and curious. There was silence. She had caught and then held everyone’s attention, especially my own. They were eager to hear more, and there were excited nods and loud yes’s and ‘Fantastic, Cassandra, I had no idea!’. As for me, it was finally a subject I knew well.
She began to teach.
Lammas is one of the eight sabbats celebrated by witches and falls on August 1. It’s a festival that accompanies the first harvest of wheat, and symbolizes reaping the benefits from what you have sown. It is a time for reflection and gratitude, and a celebration of the never-ending cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
The original meaning of the Anglo-Saxon word is unknown. But by the time it made its way to those who worship Christ, it described a holy, yearly ritual when the first loaf of bread made from the harvest was brought to mass for a blessing. Lammas probably means “Loaf Mass.” Loaf. Mass. You get it.
It is a time for the congregation to ask for a bountiful harvest for the coming year. It was a personal event as well, a time to give thanks after having reflected on what each person harvested over the past year.
Cassandra lifted her glass, “Cheers everyone! Here's to your first Lammas!”
Years later, I can still picture myself sitting at that table. It’s one of those “If only I knew then what I know now” kind of moments.
Not much has changed since the time Cassandra spoke – war, greed, and discord persist. But I have changed.
I've meditated during Lammas over many years, and my way of living and describing this sabbat is different than Cassandra’s. I imagine myself back at that dinner in London sharing what I've learned since then. The moment Cassandra put down her wine glass I stood up and raised my own.
“Thank you, Cassandra! Can I add something?” Nobody could suspect what was to come next, least of all me. So I began.
Now we know the history of Lammas, its origins, and its traditions. But where is the spiritual value? In order to truly live this great feast, a leap of faith is mandatory. It is time to confront the unknown. We must close our eyes and relax our minds, for a journey is about to begin. We must discard the facts and seek to penetrate the traditions, to find what truths lie hidden deep beneath them. This process is called meditation, and doing it led me to make a great discovery.
Lammas eve is the time to raise our eyes from the fields of wheat. Now we must plot out a course from the stars. I started by creating specific goals. When I found I could not attain them, I tried again. I altered them and made them easier. But I never gave up. If this personal harvest would yield even the smallest crop, I would know that I made progress. I created a legacy.
But don't take my word for it. Take Shakespeare's. Juliet is one of his most famous characters, and her birthday happens to fall on Lammas eve, an initially ambiguous portent. We, however, know that this play is a tragedy. Juliet never even reaches the first harvest. Her love for Romeo was never fully consummated. Death refused her the gift of sharing love on earth.
In my mind, the dinner resumes and the noise is near deafening. It drowns any impact my soliloquy may have had. And I had bared my most intimate thoughts.
Outside the walls of this restaurant, what of the state of humanity? Has anything changed in this world? What was true then – at the table – is still true now. Cruelty, war, discord, and greed thrived. They were as relevant to the 21st century as they were to the 1990's.
Tell me, then, exactly when is a person no longer relevant? What removes us from or joins us to the times in which we live? Do we lose relevance as we age, mentally and physically? Because we do not match society's standards of beauty; because of our culture, religion, gender, or sexual orientation?
Fortunately there is an answer to it all: The only way you are irrelevant is if you no longer believe you are relevant, when you lose your will to leave a legacy.
This Lammas eve be that impetus for change, recognize your relevance. Light an earth-tone candle. Look into the flame for a moment and relax your mind. Chant this affirmation:
Now I choose to enhance the quality of my life more and more each day.
Ask yourself: What is my legacy and what can I do to shape its fate? Will it thrive, proffering golden waves of wheat for future harvesters? I would be content to know that it was enough to sustain one soul.
Turn your eyes to the stars, just for one minute on Lammas eve and chart your course.
Lawren Leo
Dragonflame
Love's Shadow: Nine Crooked Paths
Spell to Attract Excitement
Cassandra, an ad-exec from Britain and one of five guests invited to the dinner party, showed up an hour and a half late in a whirlwind, explained to the table that she was wearing faux fur ‘so please no one throw red wine’, and promptly ordered a filet mignon ‘barely cooked’. I liked her already.
Within moments she announced in a cut-glass accent, “As a practicing witch from a long line of witches I’d like to speak about Lammas. Has anyone ever heard of it? Well then, let me satisfy your curiosity. I won’t be long.”
It struck the dinner guests as random and curious. There was silence. She had caught and then held everyone’s attention, especially my own. They were eager to hear more, and there were excited nods and loud yes’s and ‘Fantastic, Cassandra, I had no idea!’. As for me, it was finally a subject I knew well.
She began to teach.
Lammas is one of the eight sabbats celebrated by witches and falls on August 1. It’s a festival that accompanies the first harvest of wheat, and symbolizes reaping the benefits from what you have sown. It is a time for reflection and gratitude, and a celebration of the never-ending cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
The original meaning of the Anglo-Saxon word is unknown. But by the time it made its way to those who worship Christ, it described a holy, yearly ritual when the first loaf of bread made from the harvest was brought to mass for a blessing. Lammas probably means “Loaf Mass.” Loaf. Mass. You get it.
It is a time for the congregation to ask for a bountiful harvest for the coming year. It was a personal event as well, a time to give thanks after having reflected on what each person harvested over the past year.
Cassandra lifted her glass, “Cheers everyone! Here's to your first Lammas!”
Years later, I can still picture myself sitting at that table. It’s one of those “If only I knew then what I know now” kind of moments.
Not much has changed since the time Cassandra spoke – war, greed, and discord persist. But I have changed.
I've meditated during Lammas over many years, and my way of living and describing this sabbat is different than Cassandra’s. I imagine myself back at that dinner in London sharing what I've learned since then. The moment Cassandra put down her wine glass I stood up and raised my own.
“Thank you, Cassandra! Can I add something?” Nobody could suspect what was to come next, least of all me. So I began.
Now we know the history of Lammas, its origins, and its traditions. But where is the spiritual value? In order to truly live this great feast, a leap of faith is mandatory. It is time to confront the unknown. We must close our eyes and relax our minds, for a journey is about to begin. We must discard the facts and seek to penetrate the traditions, to find what truths lie hidden deep beneath them. This process is called meditation, and doing it led me to make a great discovery.
Lammas eve is the time to raise our eyes from the fields of wheat. Now we must plot out a course from the stars. I started by creating specific goals. When I found I could not attain them, I tried again. I altered them and made them easier. But I never gave up. If this personal harvest would yield even the smallest crop, I would know that I made progress. I created a legacy.
But don't take my word for it. Take Shakespeare's. Juliet is one of his most famous characters, and her birthday happens to fall on Lammas eve, an initially ambiguous portent. We, however, know that this play is a tragedy. Juliet never even reaches the first harvest. Her love for Romeo was never fully consummated. Death refused her the gift of sharing love on earth.
In my mind, the dinner resumes and the noise is near deafening. It drowns any impact my soliloquy may have had. And I had bared my most intimate thoughts.
Outside the walls of this restaurant, what of the state of humanity? Has anything changed in this world? What was true then – at the table – is still true now. Cruelty, war, discord, and greed thrived. They were as relevant to the 21st century as they were to the 1990's.
Tell me, then, exactly when is a person no longer relevant? What removes us from or joins us to the times in which we live? Do we lose relevance as we age, mentally and physically? Because we do not match society's standards of beauty; because of our culture, religion, gender, or sexual orientation?
Fortunately there is an answer to it all: The only way you are irrelevant is if you no longer believe you are relevant, when you lose your will to leave a legacy.
This Lammas eve be that impetus for change, recognize your relevance. Light an earth-tone candle. Look into the flame for a moment and relax your mind. Chant this affirmation:
Now I choose to enhance the quality of my life more and more each day.
Ask yourself: What is my legacy and what can I do to shape its fate? Will it thrive, proffering golden waves of wheat for future harvesters? I would be content to know that it was enough to sustain one soul.
Turn your eyes to the stars, just for one minute on Lammas eve and chart your course.
Lawren Leo
Dragonflame
Love's Shadow: Nine Crooked Paths
Spell to Attract Excitement
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