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Morning Feast : August 1
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From: MSN NicknameDamage�?/nobr>  (Original Message)Sent: 8/5/2005 2:29 AM
GrannyMoon's Morning Feast
1 Aug 2005
 
Happy Harvest Home!
Sending You Harvest Wishes of Health, Wealth and Abundance!
No matter what days you celebrate!
Lughnasadh
Lammas
Teltane
Cross Quarter Day
Eighth Station of the Year
Kalends of August
Scottish Quarter Day
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Every day is a Feast Day!!!
Celebrate It!!!
GrannyMoon ~Bringing You The Feast Since 2001
GoddessSchool Celebrates it's 5th Year!
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
The Goddess Calendar
Goddess Month of Kerea runs from 7/11 - 8/8
Lunabar Moon Almanack for Monday, August 01, 2005
Phase: Waning, Balsamic Moon.       Age: 26 days 13h. 55m.
Moon Runs High.
In the 7th° of the Constellation ` Gemini, the Twins;
& in the 6th° of the Signe a Moonchild, the Crab fish.
Rises: 2:30 morn.  Souths: 10:28 morn.  Sets: 6:28 eve. 
~~~
View this month's Lunar Planner
http://www.lunarplanner.com
~~~
Sisters of the Burning Branch,Order of the White Moon
http://goddessschool.com
 Correspondence Courses by e-mail and postal mail available.
Fredericksburg Goddess Meetup Group
Thank you all my dear readers...be blessed.~ GrannyMoon
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current Moon Phase - Waning
Waning Moon Magick: From three-and-a-half to ten-and-a-half days after the full
moon. From the Full Moon to the New is a time for study, meditation,and magic
designed to banish harmful energies and habits, for ridding oneself of
addictions, illness or negativity.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Star IQ -  Monday, August 1
The Moon meanders into sensitive Cancer at 8:52 am EDT, the first time she
returns to her home sign in over two years without Saturn's weighty presence.
This makes for a lighter and more receptive lunar visit. We are still, however,
feeling some restriction from yesterday's Mars-Saturn square, but as the day
progresses, the frustrations will ease and emotions will flow, allowing us to
pick up on the more subtle Neptune influence that is on the horizon. It's a
tough day to start a work week, for emotions and fantasies may seem louder than
our obligations.
 
     Aries  Cancer  Libra  Capricorn
     Taurus  Leo  Scorpio  Aquarius
     Gemini  Virgo  Sagittarius  Pisces
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GrannyMoon Says Today Is: Moon Day -  Energy: Female Ruler: The Moon - Rules
emotions, protection, healing, and women's mysteries - Use for magick involving
the subconscious, healing, emotions, love, spirituality, healing wounds,
children, small animals, women's mysteries, the female side of men, mothers,
sisters, female partners, wives, instincts
  a.. Today's Magickal Influences: Agriculture, Domestic, Long Life, Medicine,
Travels, Visions, Theft
  b.. Today's Goddesses: Luna, Selene, Diana, Re, Gaelach, Ida, Artemis [Whom
The Greeks Associated With Bast], The Witches, Yemaya, Erzulie, Bast
  c.. Incense: Myrtle
  d.. Perfumes: White Poppy, White Rose, Wallflower
  e.. Color of The Day:   Silver, Grey, White
  f.. Colors for Tomorrow: Red
  g.. Lucky Sign:  Monday Is The Lucky Day For The Sign of Cancer
  h.. Candle: White
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Moon Moon, Mother Moon
    Lunar Lore
~~~
In the decay of the moon
A cloudy morning bodes a fair afternoon.
            - Tusser, "Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry" (17th century).
...
The Moon in opposition to Saturn,
denotes an ill day in all kind of business.
 - Bethem's "Centiloquium".
...
The Moon in conjunction with Mercury,
'tis good; but principally in Contracts and Writings.
            - Bethem's "Centiloquium".
...
Wheels of time are turning, turning, turning,
Solar fires are burning, burning, burning,
Mind of mine is learning, learning, learning,
In my round of days.
~~~
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seasons of the Witch - Ancient Holidays
And some not so ancient too!
August 1 - 3 - Drimes
The Greeks honor the first three days of August as a transition point in the
year. Proverbs such as "August has come--the first step of winter," and "Winter
begins in August, summer in March," reflect the sense of change which occurs on
this quarter-day.
August is a favorite month because of its abundance. On the isle of Lesbos,
August is welcomed with the exclamation "August! Figs and walnuts!" said while
jumping across bonfires built at crossroads. This is also a time for
house-cleaning, all night parties in vineyards and making offerings to the
spirits of the dead. According to the Greeks, the third day of August predicts
the weather for the next three months.
The first three days of August, the Drimes, are especially significant. They are
called the "sharp days." People avoid chopping wood, washing hair, swimming in
the sea and (children especially) going out in the noonday sun. Washing clothes
is also forbidden although if it must be done, putting a nail in the laundry
will nail the sharp days. These proscriptions (like that on eating meat) recall
the celebration of Tisha B'Av (see August 7) and the Hebrew month of Av usually
overlaps with August.
August 1st is the start of a meat-free period which lasts until the Feast of the
Assumption (August 15). Probably in earlier times, the fasting period extended
from the new moon to the full moon of August and the feast of Artemis-Hecate.
Urlin says Greek Christians, Copts and Armenians call this period of fasting
"Assumption Lent."
For all of the trepidation of the Sharp Days, August is a favorite month of the
Greeks, where old prints show fruits or sheaves of wheat with the traditional
verse: "August, my lovely month, come twice a year." Storace writes:
this is the month that gives the greatest feeling of security, overflowing
abundance, of ease and earned pleasure, when the farmers have stored in their
cellars grains and corn, hay and feed for their animals, wood for their fires.
August is the month of the richest eating, with its seemingly endless fruits and
vegetables, "so many you need shawls to gather them," one verse says.
Blackburn, Bonnie & Leofranc Holford-Strevens, The Oxford Companion to the Year,
Oxford University Press 1999
Rufus, Anneli, The World Holiday Book, Harper San Francisco 1994
Storace, Patricia, Dinner with Persephone, Pantheon 1996
Urlin, Ethel L, Festivals, Holy Days and Saints' Days: A Study in Origins and
Survivals in Church Ceremonies and Secular Customs, republished by Gale Research
1979

St Faith - There are two Saint Faiths (see Oct 6). This one is the spurious
daughter of the spurious St. Sophia (see Sep 18). Her sisters are Hope and
Charity.
A good day for reviewing your beliefs. Or for pondering this selection from T.
S. Eliot's Four Quartets:
I said to my soul, be still, and wait without hope
For hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love
For love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith
But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting.
Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought:
So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.
St Peter's Chains - A feast commemorating the escape of St Peter from the prison
into which he was thrust by Herod. In the middle of the night he was awakened by
a bright light heralding the presence of an angel. His chains fell off, the
angel walked him past all of his guards and the iron gate to the city opened
before them. Then the angel disappeared.
Ponder the things which keep you enchained and pray for divine intervention.

School of the Seasons
Remember the ancient ways and keep them sacred!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GrannyMoon's Book Nook
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Circle of Friends
Don't let loneliness hurt your health; reconnect with a family member or old
friend this weekend. Studies show
that loneliness can have deleterious effects on your health. Surrounding
yourself with friends and family,
on the other hand, can give your heart and health a boost. Make it a point to
see three or more of your closest
friends and family members at least once each month.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Goddess For Today: Tailtiu
Lammas (Various Locations)
Themes: The First Harvest; Excelling in a Craft or Sport
Symbol: Bread
About Tailtiu: The Irish Goddess Tailtiu reconnects us with the earth's cycles
and the spirit of excellence. Tailtiu was the foster mother to the god of light,
Lugh, whom this date venerates. Lugh held her in such high regard that he
created the Tailtean games, which took place during Lammas (rather like the
Olympics). This honor may have also had something to do with Tailtiu's
association as an earth Goddess.
To Do Today: In Wiccan tradition, and in many others, today is a day for
preparing food from early ripening fruits like apples. It is also a time for
baking bread in honor of the harvest. Combining the two, make an applesauce
bread. Stir the batter clockwise, focusing on any craft or sport in which you
wish to excel. As you stir, chant,
"Flour from grain, the spell begins, let the power rise within; Apples from
trees, now impart, Tailtiu, bring _______ to my heart."
Fill in the blank with a word that describes the area in which you want to
encourage improvements or develop mastery. Eat the bread to internalize the
energy.
Time-friendly alternatives here are buying frozen bread and adding diced apples
to it, having toast with apple butter, or just enjoying a piece of bread and
apple anytime during the day. Chant the incantation mentally. Then bite with
conviction!
By Patricia Telesco ~ From "365 Goddess" and GrannyMoon's Morning Feast

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 I look forward to being older, when what you look like becomes less and less
an issue and what you are is the point. ~ Susan Sarandon
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{} {} {} AngelVoice by Zsuzsana {} {} {}
Welcome to AngelVoice, where you meet the Angel that is guiding you each
day, and receive the loving Angel Message sent to you for contemplation and
motivation. And - as a special inspiration from the angelic realms -  you
are given a joyful daily thought or idea to help light up your world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EARTH ELEMENT: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Your Guiding Angel today is: The Angel of Decisions. Angelic
Advice: The time is right to examine your relationships and
connections, and make the decisions that will enable you to
enrich your journey. There is no wrong decision which comes
from a loving heart.  Your Angels wish you joy in: WisdomFIRE ELEMENT: Aries,
Leo, Sagittarius
Your Guiding Angel today is: The Angel of Adventure. Angelic
Advice: The angels are with you as you give yourself
permission to explore what is new and unknown in your life.
Go ahead and explore the priceless spirit treasures that are
waiting for you! Follow a rainbow, or follow the yellow
brick road - and let your soul fly. Your Angels wish you joy
in: Permission.AIR ELEMENT: Aquarius, Gemini, Libra
Your Guiding Angel today is: The Angel of Unconditional
Love. Angelic Advice: Allow your heart to swell in
compassion and union with everyone and everything you see
today. If you drop the judgements and truly open yourself,
your love for both humanity and your own special loved ones
can soar to new heights. As you experience the bliss of
unconditional love, you will also invite beautiful
experiences into your life. Your Angels wish you joy in:
Seeing the best in othersWATER ELEMENT: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Your Guiding Angel today is: The Angel of Frolic.  Angelic
Advice: So often in our world we become caught up in the
work of day-to-day living and forget to enjoy our journey
through this life. Stop and smell the roses. Do something
just for the pure joy of doing it. Your angels wish you joy
in: Playing Like a Child.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New!!! Angels Abound a new book by Zsuzsana, is available in paperback and
e-book. Both can be browsed
or ordered exclusively through Zsuzsana's site www.arcanamatrix.com  {"I
received mine!!! It is awesome!
A must read says GrannyMoon!"}
The Now Age : Demystifying Spirituality, the New Age and the Metaphysical  By
Zsuzsana
Submitted and Written by: [email protected]
When we speak kindness, from the heart, we speak the language of angels.
http://www.arcanamatrix.com http://www.zsuzsana.com
http://www.ghostsandspirits.com  © 2000 - 2004 Arcana New Age Centre. All Rights
Reserved
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs. ~Pearl
Strachan Hurd
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summer Song Spell
Incense of the day: Poplar
Where has the summer gone? It seems like it was just the other day that I
prepared my garden for planting. Let the following meditation fill you with
summer's joy, even as you are aware of its inevitable ending. Take time to think
where your life is going.
I am life force at its peak,
I am what you seek.
My days of the seasoning are here.
I will sustain you through the coming year.
You trusted me with your crops to raise,
Now they stand tall in the sunny haze.
I color the corn yellow in the field,
I swell the orchard's yield.
The ripening days have come.
Sing with me as I sing summer's song.
By: James Kambos, Llewellyn and GrannyMoon's Morning Feast
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In tarot, a triple staff symbolizes spirit, body and soul.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lammas, or Teltane
Lammas, or Teltane is a cross-quarter day midway between summer solstice and
fall equinox. Although the days are still long, the sun rises later and sets
earlier. The rhythm of the earth is shifting and energies are beginning to draw
inward. To ensure the balance between sun and earth energies necessary for a
successful harvest, the ancient Celts celebrated a ritual marriage between earth
and sun, male and female, each Teltane. Likewise, August is a time for us to
bring about balance between our male and female aspects so that we can harvest
the fruitfulness of our souls.
Prayer/Practice
Great Spirit, I give thanks for the celestial harmony which turns the cosmic
wheel this cross-quarter day. My energy, like Mother Earth's, is beginning to
draw inward. Yet I am aware that it is still a season of outgoing activity. May
I find balance by aligning with the energies of earth and sky, sun and moon,
male and female, through whose dance all creation comes into being.
Take a few letting-go breaths and mindfully feel your way into the place of
inner stillness. Sense the energy of Mother Earth. Sense the energy of Father
Sun. Weave them together in the meditation of bridging earth and heaven,
simultaneously inhaling both energies into your heart, then exhaling their union
back out into creation.
GrannyMoon's Morning Feast Archives 2002
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fairy Message for July 31-Aug.7, 2005~
~Fairies help us to believe and have faith~
by Mystiblu
~Quiet Time~
I am hearing the fairies saying to me "People are wanting and
whining, but they still refuse to listen!" What a power
statement!
Many are wondering what's happening, but if they would just
take the quiet time they know they need, they would connect
to their source and understand so much more! We cannot make
you listen, but we can continue to share what comes from our
hearts. Pay attention to what your heart is telling you at this
time. Slow down... think things through and know that a plan
well thought is one that will work but taking time to relax and
have quiet time, is very important right now. Honor your soul
and spend some time with yourself, perhaps walking on the
beach or a day in the country, closer to nature, read a book
you've been meaning to read, soak in a long bath, take the
phone off the hook and just find quiet time for you! I cannot
stress how important this is at this time and how many of you
have come to me saying you've felt so many emotions swarming
around and within you recently... you need this time away to
ground and center yourself and the New Moon is the perfect
time!
Affirmation:  I now give myself permission to be silent within
and without. My mind is quiet, and I enjoy my own company.
Peace and blessings,
Mystiblu~
**Please always replace Spirit/God/Goddess/Creator with whatever
you believe in... all paths lead to the ONE**
Fairies~The little Angels of Nature~*
© Copyright Mystickblue 2005 All rights reserved.
Cards USUALLY used are the "Healing with the Fairies" cards by DoreenVirtue
Images Copyright©1999 Doreen Virtue All Rights Reserved. Permission graciously
given by Doreen Virtue.On occasion, Mysti will use Claire Nahmand's Fairy Cards
illustrated by Danuta Mayer. These cards scream out for attention and are filled
with great energy, wisdom and magic from the
Fairies...right into your life! Please do share this message... in it's entirety
~Thank you~*Do not Copy or use any parts of this message without permission.
Fran Hafey is a Spiritual Counselor, Healer, Visionary Writer, Teacher and
Lightworker. She provides guidance and inspiration via her Website, groups and
newsletter on the World Wide Web. To read more of her articles visit the
Author's Website: http://Mystickblue.com or her Weekly inspiration group at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SpiritualPathways/
She's currently working on publishing her own books about love,inspiration,
magic and nature stories for Children of all ages.
© Copyright Mystickblue- July-Aug. 2005 All rights reserved.
See this message at the Webpage
at....http://Mystickblue.homestead.com/FairyReadings.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crone's Corner - Celebrating Lughnasadh, or Lammas  
Lughnassadh (pronounced "LOO-nahs-ah") or Lammas, is one of the Greater Wiccan
Sabbats and is usually celebrated on August 1st or 2nd, although occasionally on
July 31st. The Celtic festival held in honor of the Sun God Lugh (pronounced
"Loo") is traditionally held on August 7th. Some Pagans celebrate this holiday
on the first Full Moon in Leo. Other names for this Sabbat include the First
Harvest Festival, the Sabbat of First Fruits, August Eve, Lammastide, Harvest
Home, Ceresalia (Ancient Roman in honor of the Grain Goddess Ceres), Feast of
Bread, Sabbat of First Fruits, Festival of Green Corn (Native American), Feast
of Cardenas, Cornucopia (Strega), Thingtide and Elembiuos. Lughnassadh is named
for the Irish Sun God Lugh (pronounced Loo), and variant spellings for the
holiday are Lughnasadh, Lughnasad, Lughnassad, Lughnasa or Lunasa. The most
commonly used name for this Sabbat is Lammas, an Anglo-Saxon word meaning
"loaf-mass".
The Lughnassadh Sabbat is a time to celebrate the first of three harvest
celebrations in the Craft. It marks the middle of Summer represents the start of
the harvest cycle and relies on the early crops of ripening grain, and also any
fruits and vegetables that are ready to be harvested. It is therefore greatly
associated with bread as grain is one of the first crops to be harvested.
Wiccans give thanks and honor to all Gods and Goddesses of the Harvest, as well
as those who represent Death and Resurrection.
This is a time when the God mysteriously begins to weaken as the Sun rises
farther in the South, each day grows shorter and the nights grow longer. The
Goddess watches in sorrow as She realizes that the God is dying, and yet lives
on inside Her as Her child. It is in the Celtic tradition that the Goddess, in
her guise as the Queen of Abundance, is honored as the new mother who has given
birth to the bounty; and the God is honored as the God of Prosperity.
Symbols to represent the Lammas Sabbat include corn, all grains, corn dollies,
sun wheels, special loaves of bread, wheat, harvesting (threshing) tools and the
Full Moon. Altar decorations might include corn dollies and/or kirn babies (corn
cob dolls) to symbolize the Mother Goddess of the Harvest. Other appropriate
decorations include Summer flowers and grains. You might also wish to have a
loaf of whole cracked wheat or multigrain bread upon the altar.
Deities associated with Lughnassadh are all Grain and Agriculture Deities, Sun
Gods, Mother Goddesses and Father Gods. Particular emphasis is placed on Lugh,
Demeter, Ceres, the Corn Mother and John Barleycorn (the personification of malt
liquor). Key actions associated with Lammas are receiving and harvesting,
honoring the Parent Deities, honoring the Sun Gods and Goddesses, as well as
celebration of the First Harvest.
It is considered a time of Thanksgiving and the first of three Pagan Harvest
Festivals, when the plants of Spring wither and drop their fruits or seeds for
our use as well as to ensure future crops. Also, first grains and fruits of the
Earth are cut and stored for the dark Winter months.
Activities appropriate for this time of the year are the baking of bread and
wheat weaving - such as the making of Corn Dollies, or other God & Goddess
symbols. Sand candles can be made to honor the Goddess and God of the sea. You
may want to string Indian corn on black thread to make a necklace, and bake corn
bread sticks shaped like little ears of corn for your Sabbat cakes. The Corn
Dolly may be used both as a fertility amulet and as an altar centerpiece. Some
bake bread in the form of a God-figure or a Sun Wheel .
It is customary to consume bread or something from the First Harvest during the
Lughnassadh Ritual. Other actions include the gathering of first fruits and the
study of Astrology. Some Pagans symbolically throw pieces of bread into a fire
during the Lammas ritual.
The celebration of Lammas is a pause to relax and open yourself to the change of
the Season so that you may be one with its energies and accomplish what is
intended. Visits to fields, orchards, lakes and wells are also traditional. It
is considered taboo not to share your food with others
Traditional Pagan Foods for the Lughnassadh Festival include homemade breads
(wheat, oat and especially cornbread), corn, potatoes, berry pies, barley cakes,
nuts, wild berries, apples, rice, roasted lamb, acorns, crab apples, summer
squash, turnips, oats, all grains and all First Harvest foods. Traditional
drinks are elderberry wine, ale and meadowsweet tea.
It is also appropriate to plant the seeds from the fruit consumed in ritual. If
the seeds sprout, grow the plant with love and as a symbol of your connection to
the Divine. A cake is sometimes baked, and cider is used in place of wine.
As Summer passes, Wiccans remember its warmth and bounty in the food we eat.
Every meal is an act of attunement with Nature
Corn Bread Ear Sticks
Recipe by StormWing
Purchase an iron mold shaped like little ears of corn in flea markets or kitchen
supply shops, or look in grandma's kitchen wherever she keeps her bakeware -
there just might be one there already! Grease lightly and preheat in a 425
degree oven. You will need:
3/4 cup Flour
3/4 cup Yellow Corn Meal
1/4 cup Sugar
3/4 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
2 Eggs
1 cup Milk (or Buttermilk if you prefer)
1/4 cup Shortening
Sift dry ingredients together. Add milk, eggs, shortening, and beat until
smooth. Pour into preheated and greased molds and bake 20-25 minutes or until
golden brown.
Whole Grain Bread
Recipe by Dan & Pauline Campanelli
In a large mixing bowl combine:
2 cups milk (warm to the touch)
2 packages of dry baking yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
Cover this mixture and set aside in a warm place until it has doubled (about
half an hour).
Add to this mixture:
3 tablespoons softened butter
2 eggs
1 cup of unbleached white flour
Stir until bubbly. Now mix in:
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup of rolled oats
2 cups stone ground wheat flour
2 tablespoons sesame seed
With floured hands, turn this dough out onto a floured board and gradually knead
in more unbleached white flour until the dough is smooth and elastic and no
longer sticks to your fingers. Place this dough in a greased bowl, turning it so
that the dough is greased. Then cover it with a clean cloth and keep it in a
warm place to rise until it is doubled (about an hour).Then punch it down and
divide it into two or more elongated loaves, roughly sculpted into mummiform
shapes, and placed on greased cookie sheets. Cover these and return them to a
warm place until they double again. Bake the loaves in a pre-heated oven at 350
degrees for about an hour, or until they are done and sound hollow when tapped.
(The above recipe for "Whole Grain Bread" is quoted directly from Pauline & Dan
Campanelli's book "Ancient Ways: Reclaiming Pagan Traditions", page 132-133,
Llewellyn Publications, 1991/1992)
Brigid's Blackberry Pie
Recipe by Edain McCoy
(Makes one nine-inch pie)
4 cups fresh blackberries (thawed frozen is okay)
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
Unbaked pie crust
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a deep pie dish with the pie crust, or
purchase a commercially-made one. Set aside. Mix all other ingredients together
in a large mixing bowl. If it appears too "wet", mix in a little more flour
(about 2 tablespoons). Turn the fruit into the pie shell and dot with butter or
margarine. You can bake the pie as is, or cover it with another pie crust. If
you do this, pinch down the ends to hold it to the other crust. Then score the
top several times with a sharp knife. Bake for 1 hour, or until the top crust is
a golden brown. (Note: A sugar-free version can be made by substituting
appropriate amounts of artificial sweetener.)
(The above recipe for "Brigid's Blackberry Pie" is quoted directly from Edain
McCoy's book "The Sabbats: A New Approach to Living the Old Ways", page 179,
Llewellyn Publications, 1994)
From Miss Daney's Folklore, Magic and Superstitions

GrannyMoon's Morning Feast Archives 2002
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My name is Macha, she said.
I am the daughter of Sainrith mac Inbraith.
And my name, and the names of my children,
will be given to this place.
She said this, and then she set off
to race a horse-driven chariot.
She was huge with child,
but she kept pace with the horses.
When she reached the end of the field,
still alongside the chariot, she lay down
and gave birth. A daughter was born to her,
and a son; the twins of Macha, Emain Macha,
after which the famous hill is named.
~Irish Epic, Tain bo Cuailnge
Macha, a Goddess of the ancient Irish, was insulted by her human husband, who
had been foolish enough to wager his life on her ability to outrun a team of
horses. Though pregnant, she ran the race and won, giving birth at the end of
the field. There she cursed not only her husband for his cruel selfishness, but
all those who watched in humiliation.
On this day in ancient Ireland, the great Celtic feast of Lughnasa was
celebrated with horse races and other contests. The Goddess of the harvest,
Tailte, looked on benignly as her children frolicked and feasted, traded and
mated. Behind the joys of the festival, however, there was serious intent, for
when the clans came together so, it was to affirm and strengthen the bonds of
friendship and family. Such myths as that of Macha served as a reminder that,
however important it seems to look well in front of others, the safety and
happiness of one's own loved ones is the most significant value.
By Patricia Monaghan ~ From "The Goddess Companion" and GrannyMoon's Morning
Feast 


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