Transcript
Speaker: Do you feel drawn to learn more about witchcraft and the occult, but feel lost on where to start? Then welcome to Get In Loser, Where You're Doing Witchcraft, a podcast all about what it means to be a witch and where to get started on your journey.
Speaker: Join us as we navigate through various witchy topics and share what we've learned about the craft. So get in witches for part five of our altar series, this time covering Lunasa.
Speaker: did you ever check out widow's bay did you get into apple no tv or whatever whatever you gotta watch it i know it's good we haven't had a whole lot of time for TV lately and the only thing that we have been watching just because it's easy is when we eat dinner, sometimes we'll put on mating season if we eat in the living room.
Speaker: And it's the most ridiculous show on the planet. If you have ever watched Big Mouth, it's basically that, but animals Like just being ridiculous during their mating seasons.
Speaker: So outside of that, not really watched anything. That's like the the show that we watch. ever It comes out on Wednesdays and that's our whenever we're done putting the kids to bed. Yeah.
Speaker: We watch it in our room before we go to bed. I feel like anytime we try to do anything – Like we watched the movie Apex and even that like it was really good. We enjoyed it. But he there's been a lot going on with his airmen lately. And so we've had a lot of just he's on his phone all evening, whether it's for emergency leave to help people get home to see, you know, sick people.
Speaker: parents or for funerals or whatever or just like crazy bullshit going on in his squadron he doesn't ever get a break so we never have time to watch anything which is lame watch him without it went out on my side yeah but we're not talking about that we say we're not talking about how boring my life has been lately like busy boring What are talking about today?
Speaker: We are talking about Lunasod altars. We are. Another like fun episode to research. So I don't know what it is about these episodes. I just love doing the research for them.
Speaker: It's like easy to do, but also like I don't know. I just enjoy it.
Speaker: So to kick us off, Lunasad is often considered the first harvest festival on the wheel of the year, marking the point where we begin to see the results of what has been growing throughout the season. It's a reminder that the energy of summer's growth is starting to shift into a time of gathering, reflecting, and appreciating what has come to fruition.
Speaker: What makes Lunasaw especially meaningful is that it invites us to take stock of our own lives. Just as farmers would look out over the first harvest fields, we're encouraged to look at the goals, projects, relationships, and personal growth that we've been cultivating and recognize the progress that we've made.
Speaker: This Sabbath also serves as an important seasonal turning point. While summer is still very much present, there is a subtle awareness that change is on the horizon. The days will gradually begin to shorten, the harvest season is beginning, and we're entering a new phase in the natural cycle of the year.
Speaker: Perhaps most importantly, Lunasaw reminds us not to rush past our accomplishments. In a culture that's often focused on what's next, this Sabbath encourages us to pause, express gratitude for what we've achieved, and honor both the work that brought us here and the abundance that surrounds us right now.
Speaker: So looking at a brief history, because if you've been a fan of the podcast for any amount of time, then you should know that we've covered Lunasad before at length back in season one, and that's episode 22. And I believe we also covered it on the Wheel of the Year episode as well.
Speaker: Lunasad traditionally is celebrated on August 1st and marks the beginning of the harvest season, as Tiffany mentioned. The festival is associated with the god Lu, a deity known for his many skills and talents, and according to Irish tradition, Lunasad was established in honor of his foster mother.
Speaker: Taltu, or sometimes pronounced Talchoo, who is said to have died after clearing the land for agriculture. Historically, communities would gather for feasting, games, fairs, and celebrations of the harvest of the first harvest, giving thanks for the abundance of the land and the work that made it possible.
Speaker: Over time, some of these customs blended with Christian harvest celebrations such as llamas, but at its heart, Lunasaw remains a celebration of gratitude, community, and the first fruits of the harvest.
Speaker: So there are quite a few themes for two this... There are too many. Oh, too many. Yeah, there are a lot. So we're just going to kind of briefly talk about them.
Speaker: So at its heart, Lunasa is the festival of the first harvest. It's the point in the seasonal cycle where we begin to see the results of everything that has been growing and developing throughout the year. And traditionally, this would have been the first grains being harvested from the fields. But for many of us today, the harvest is often more symbolic.
Speaker: Lunasaw reminds us that a harvest doesn't appear overnight. It comes after months of effort, patience, and care. Whether we're talking about a field of grain or a personal goal, there is value in recognizing that work went into getting us there.
Speaker: So before rushing ahead to the next thing, this season encourages us to pause and appreciate what is already beginning to bear fruit. To go along with the first harvest, Lunasaw is the celebration of the first fruits, grains, and the first signs that a community has what they need to sustain itself through the coming seasons. And so the core theme of abundance is also tied with Lunasaw.
Speaker: And abundance isn't just about material wealth and physical abundance. It's also about recognizing what has grown in your life since the beginning of the year. What goals have started to bear fruit, as Tiffany mentioned? Are there any relationships that have deepened? And are there any skills that you've cultivated?
Speaker: Gratitude is also one of the strongest themes that's woven throughout this Sabbath. The harvest season naturally brings attention to the abundance around us, and with that comes an opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate what supports our lives. So gratitude during Lunasaw isn't just about being thankful for material things. It's also about recognizing opportunities for lessons learned, personal growth, and the people that have helped us along the way. None of us achieve anything entirely on our own. So we are supported by our communities, our families, our teachers, our friends, and in many traditions by the land itself.
Speaker: So this is a time to consider not only what we've received, but also what has made those blessings possible. The food on our table, the experiences that have shaped us, and the connection that sustains us all have roots somewhere.
Speaker: Lunasa invites us to acknowledge those roots and approach the season with a sense of appreciation rather than taking things for granted. Next core theme is hard work and effort, and an important core theme here is realizing that the harvest doesn't appear just out of nowhere. The abundance created is a result of labor, patience, hard work and perseverance. This theme is reflected in the story of Tal Tu as she died from the effort of clearing land for agriculture and, as I mentioned earlier, Lunasad was established in her honor, making the Sabbath a way to remember hard work and the sacrifice needed to create the abundance that we see in our lives.
Speaker: Additionally, Lu is remembered for being the god of many skills and not just a god of the harvest. Lunasad is a way to recognize the hard work it took to master certain practices.
Speaker: And just piggybacking on that when it comes to skills and talents, Lunasad is often associated with Lu. So Lu is a figure from Celtic mythology known for his many talents and mastery of numerous skills. Because of this connection, the Sabbath is often seen as a celebration not only of harvests from the land, but also the gifts, abilities, and passions that we cultivate within ourselves.
Speaker: This can be a great time to reflect on the skills we're developing and the areas of our life where we're growing. Maybe it's a creative pursuit, a craft, a professional skill, or simply something that you've dedicated time and energy to learning. Lunasa reminds us that mastery doesn't happen overnight.
Speaker: Like any harvest, it requires commitment, practice, and patience. It's also an opportunity to honor our unique strengths. We all have talents that contribute something valuable to the world around us. So this season encourages us to recognize those gifts, celebrate our progress, and continue nurturing the things that we're passionate about.
Speaker: Community is another massive theme for Lunasod, and traditionally Lunasod was not a solitary observance. Communities would gather for fairs, games, feasts, storytelling, etc. And the harvest was everyone's concern because the survival of the community depended on everyone rolling up their sleeves and working hard to achieve the success.
Speaker: The theme of community related to Lunasod is a reminder that abundance isn't always created alone. And when we achieve something personally, there are people in our lives who have helped to make that achievement possible.
Speaker: And although Lunasad is a harvest festival, it's also a festival of transition. it arrives at the point of the year when summer is still very much present, but subtle signs of change are beginning to emerge.
Speaker: The days are gradually becoming shorter, the first harvests are underway, and the wheel of the year is quietly beginning to turn towards autumn. This makes Lunasa a liminal time, a threshold between what has been and what is coming next.
Speaker: It's a reminder that change is a natural part of every cycle. Nothing remains in a state of peak growth forever, and every season eventually gives way to another. On a personal level, many people find themselves reflecting on transitions during this time as well. We all move through different seasons in our lives and Lunasaw encourages us to acknowledge where we currently stand, what chapter is beginning to close, what new phase is starting to take shape. And rather than resisting change, the Sabbath invites us to work with it.
Speaker: Just as the land shifts from growth towards harvest, we too are constantly evolving. So Lunasa offers an opportunity to recognize those transitions and trust the cycle unfolding in our own lives.
Speaker: And the last theme is sacrifice and reciprocity. And this theme is at the heart of Lunasa. The harvest itself is an act of reciprocity. The earth provides nourishment, but only after seeds are planted, fields are tended, and the labor is invested in caring for those seeds. The myth surrounding Lunasad in Tale 2 emphasizes this. This story is a reminder that every blessing we receive is connected to effort and sacrifice at some point.
Speaker: Okay, so now we're going to talk about a shit ton of deities because there's old there are so many. There's too many, and this isn't even all of them.
Speaker: No, no, no. just not um Not even close. This is some, and this is going to be very brief because – It's so many. So the first one is going to be Adonis, who is a god associated with vegetation, beauty, and the seasonal cycle of death and rebirth in ancient Greek traditions.
Speaker: Adonis' connections to Lunasa represent the life cycle of crops and the themes of growth, harvest, and the inevitable decline that follows abundance. The next is Addis, a god of vegetation, fertility, and renewal through cyclical death and rebirth.
Speaker: um Their connection to Lunasa embodies the idea that sacrifice and transformation are part of nature's cycles, echoing the harvest theme of giving in order to receive.
Speaker: Next is Baal, a god from ancient Near Eastern traditions associated with storms, rain, fertility, and agricultural prosperity.
Speaker: Their connection is his role in bringing rain and fertile growing conditions, which aligns with gratitude for successful crops and seasonal abundance. Ceres is the Roman goddess of agriculture, grain, and nourishment, and her connection is closely linked to the harvest itself, making her a natural symbol of the grain harvest and the bounty of the earth.
Speaker: Cornus is a titan god in Greek mythology, often associated in later traditions with agriculture and the golden age. His connection is agricultural associations um that connect him to themes of cultivation, harvest, and the cyclical passage of time.
Speaker: Next is Danu, mother goddess in Celtic tradition associated with the land abundance and the divine ancestry of the Tua de Danan.
Speaker: Donu's connection to Lunasaw represents the fertile earth that sustains all growth and provides the abundance celebrated during the harvest season. Dagon is an ancient Mesopotamian and Levantine god associated with agriculture and grain. His strong connection to grain and food production makes him like a fitting symbol for the first harvest.
Speaker: Demeter, who was the Greek goddess of agriculture, grain, fertility, and the harvest, was connected for those exact reasons. Hestia, the Greek goddess of the hearth, home, and sacred domestic fire, um connects to the communal and household aspects of the harvest, including baking bread, sharing meals, and gathering in gratitude. And then, of course, Lu, a major Celtic god associated with skill, craftsmanship, leadership, and a master of many arts.
Speaker: Lu's connection is... First off, the festival is traditionally named for Lou, who is honored through themes of achievement, talent, community gathering, and celebration of the first harvest.
Speaker: That was my half. So now moving into mine. So Mercury from the Roman pantheon, known as the god of profit, trade, travel, commerce, and merchants.
Speaker: And he's connected to Lunasad because he's often connected to luck, fertility, abundance, and even celebrated for military success. And being that he is a god of prosperity, he is also often depicted with a large member.
Speaker: a lodge A large, a large tally whacker. A large. A large, a very large one if you get my drift. Parvati, Parvati, Parvati. I feel like i have to say it with a British accent and I know that that's like not, like, I don't know.
Speaker: Parvati is a Hindu goddess of the hearth and home, marriage and family. She was also an ascetic goddess that practiced certain things that were normally reserved for men in ancient Indian society, which involved things like leaving the home, only surviving on one meal a day, meditating for hours, holding an arm over their head for years at a time, making four fires and sitting between them during the hottest part of the day. et cetera, et cetera. So kind of tying back to that whole like sacrifice and hard work and whatnot, but it couldn't be me.
Speaker: Pomona from the Roman pantheon rules over orchards and gardens and represents fertility and abundance. She's often depicted as a beautiful maiden who is adorned in fruits and flowers and in ancient Rome, it was believed that by honoring Pomona, the Roman people would secure good harvest and plenty of fruits and grain. Renanutet is an ancient Egyptian goddess of nourishment, fate, and protection. She was a spiritual guarantee that life would continue and that there is always hope. And she watched over ripening fields and guarded granaries, and that is why she's connected to Lunasad.
Speaker: Saturn from the Roman pantheon is said to be the original god of Latinum and ruled over Italy during a golden age of peace, prosperity, and abundance. He was also said to have introduced agriculture to the ancient people of Italy and He governs over agriculture in all aspects. And he's also believed to be, his name is also believed to mean stuffed or sewing. And so this is what ties him back to Lunasad.
Speaker: And as we've already mentioned, Tal Tu, was known as the Earth Mother, and she was known as a foster mother to Lou. She was a goddess of the Earth and fertility and the nurturing aspects of nature, and she is tied to the cycle of planting, harvesting, and symbolizing the life-giving force of the Earth itself.
Speaker: Lastly, Vesta from the Roman pantheon. She was a goddess of the household hearth and the eternal flame, and she also governed over sown fields and is considered a goddess of vitality that sparks and sustains life.
Speaker: So let's talk about correspondences now. For colors, you can use brown, bronze, gold, green, yellow, orange, or warm metallics.
Speaker: Plants and herbs, you can use basil, cinnamon, cornflower, fennel, garlic, patchouli, poppy, rose, rosemary, and sunflowers. For animals, bees, cattle, dogs, eagles, horses, lions, roosters, and squirrels.
Speaker: And for magical workings, you could practice abundance, cleansing, creativity, anything with fire, gratitude, growth, inspiration, motherhood, prosperity, success, and transformation.
Speaker: For symbols, this would include corn, cornucopia, red and yellow flowers, sheaves of grain, first fruits or vegetables harvested in a garden, corn dollies, baskets of bread, spears, cauldrons, the sickle, the scythe, threshing tools, harvested herbs, bonfires, and god figures made of bread, and also phallic symbols.
Speaker: Penises. Big danglings. i Next, incense and oils, and this would include wood, aloes, rose, rose hips, rosemary, chamomile, eucalyptus, safflower, corn, passionauer passion flower, passion flower, which, okay, hold on, back up. I did not know. Well, guess oils, nevermind. was say, I know corn came in an incense, and but it's incense and oil.
Speaker: um Passion flower, frankincense, and sandalwood. And the element associated with lunisod is fire. As far as crystals and gemstones, this would include aventurine, citrine, peridot, sardonyx, and yellow diamonds.
Speaker: And for food and drinks, this is this would include, of course, loaves of bread, barley cake, corn, potatoes, summer squash, nuts, acorns, wild berries of any sort, apples, rice, pears, berry pies, elderberry wine, crab apples, mead, blackberries, meadow sweet tea, grapes, cider, and beer.
Speaker: So let's talk about some different altar styles or setups. The first one is going to be the traditional harvest altar. And this is more of a classic lunisod setup that focuses on the first harvest. So for this type of altar, you might include wheat, oats, barley, or corn. And this can be the actual plants or grains, um or it can even just be imagery or some kind of like symbol of them.
Speaker: You could put bread or some form of baked goods with this one Baking them yourself is also a great way to connect to this season. Seasonal fruits and vegetables, going back to the correspondences that we just covered, but also a good indicator for what to use would be what's available within your grocery stores or local farmers markets. I feel like we've kind of lost this a bit in today's world because you can get most things, especially like within America at any time of the year. But I've noticed being here in Germany, if something's not in season, it is a very hard to find. And I recently found this out with Brussels sprouts because I just really wanted Brussels sprouts. And they looked at me like I was insane.
Speaker: They were like, it is not the same thing. ah um You can only get in Okinawa. That's like your first, like you could only find Brussels sprouts like one time a year in the store. Yeah.
Speaker: I apparently missed that season. So yeah. Another thing you can include would be sunflowers. This is the time of year that they are in full bloom and just living their best lives. If you don't want to cut a whole sunflower or maybe you lack the space because they are pretty big, um you can always just pluck a couple of the petals, use sunflower seeds, or even just use imagery of a sunflower. And also include any of the correspondences that we've already covered or what you're drawn to, what's available to you in your own yard this time of year. Any of that would fit this altar setup.
Speaker: Another altar style setup is a gratitude altar, and this is centered on appreciation, reflection, and recognizing the abundance that already exists in our lives. This altar style asks us to take a pause and reflect on how far we've come literally and metaphorically. A gratitude altar can be a great visual representation as well of everything and everyone that has supported you throughout the year.
Speaker: And so some ideas for this, i think one of the best ideas for this and something that I am hoping to do this year for my Lunasad altar is a gratitude journal or handwritten list. And i would like to say,
Speaker: Like when I was thinking about this, I was like, I feel like this would be so fun to do like the entire month of since August 1st is whenever Lunasad is celebrated the entire month of July or even just the last few weeks of July leading up to Lunasad, making it a practice for that month or those weeks to do a daily ritual at your altar related to this specifically.
Speaker: Writing in a gratitude journal or just handwriting something on a slip of paper related to what you're grateful for. And so some some reflection prompts that you can include for this is things like, what am I harvesting in my life right now? What blessings have I overlooked? Who helped me get to where I am today? What challenges have I overcome or that have become opportunities for growth in my life? Any of those things can work.
Speaker: And then for additional things on your gratitude altar, you can include candles and colors like gold, yellow, orange, or green. any of the seasonal offerings of fruit, vegetables, and breads that are available to you, photos or symbols of people that you're thankful for, small tokens representing any of the blessings you received this year, and then also any of the crystals associated with gratitude or abundance or just lunasata in general that I mentioned.
Speaker: The next is a personal harvest altar, and I thought this one was really cool to include because not everyone harvests things. Like not everyone has a garden or a farm or whatever it is. So this altar is focused more on your own personal achievements, growth, and accomplishments. Okay.
Speaker: It's a more modernized way to connect with the season since, you know, today's society, we're not always out there growing or harvesting our own foods. So this altar can include things like certificates, awards, or project mementos from your achievements this year, um symbols of any of the goals that were reached.
Speaker: You could create a vision board showing your progress that fits your aesthetic. And then you could also include any written reflections on your personal growth for that year.
Speaker: The next altar style is a Lou-inspired craft altar. And as we've mentioned already, Lou is associated with the mastery of many arts and skills. And rather than focusing solely on harvest-related themes, you could create an altar that celebrates the talents or abilities that you've cultivated through your own hard work and effort.
Speaker: And this can include having things like, say, if you're really into art, like so art supplies, whether this be your paints, your sketchbook, paintbrushes, etc., If you're musically inclined, this can include potentially musical instrument or a sheet music. for um If you're a writer, or you like to journal, like any of your writing tools, whether that be your journal itself, fountain pens, your favorite books, pencils, whatever.
Speaker: Handmade crafts, so if you are into knitting or... crocheting or sewing, woodworking, gardening, any of those, you could put any of those tools that you use in your handmade crafts on your altar. And this altar style is all about progress and not perfection. And it's recognizing how far you've come. So really it's very open to interpretation and you can make it as personal as you want.
Speaker: The next is going to be community and community and ancestral altar. So this altar is inspired by the gathering and communal aspects of Lunasa while also honoring your ancestors. And this could include things like family photos, any ancestral offerings that you'd like to give, Family recipes or ones given to you by friends to bring in that communal aspect. um Symbols of friendship and community or family heirlooms or symbols that make you feel more connected to your ancestors and to your own heritage.
Speaker: Next, we have the nature-based altar, and this is perfect for people who want a simple earth-centered practice. This altar style reflects the festival's agricultural roots and can be great for those of us who have maybe limited space or resources.
Speaker: And for this style of altar, you can just, I mean, really just do whatever you want related to nature. So this could be picking up stones that you've gathered respectfully from meaningful places to you, fallen leaves or branches, wildflowers, pine cones, acorns, or seed pods,
Speaker: corn, wheat, oats, or barley, and this could be directly from your own pantry, and as well as apples, berries, tomatoes, squash, or any other local produce that is in season where you're currently living.
Speaker: So next is the minimalist altar. This altar is great for those living in apartments, dorms, or even just great for beginners as a way to not overwhelm you. For this altar, you want to keep it super simple.
Speaker: And some examples of what you could include would be just a single candle in one of the corresponding colors that we already gave you. Something like a single piece of bread or grain or even just a small bowl of grain, um dried corn, sunflower seeds, etc.
Speaker: A piece of seasonal fruit like just a single blackberry or even something like a hazelnut since this is their seasonal harvest time as well. And you could even include a written intention or gratitude note on this altar. um this The idea of this one is just to keep it small, simple, nothing overwhelming or anything that's going to crowd or take up too much space.
Speaker: And as far as offerings for this season, this would include things like anything from a harvest. So whether that be grain, bread or produce, It would be amazing if you grew it, but obviously we know that growing your own fruits and vegetables and making your own bread isn't for everyone. So this can even be something that you buy at the grocery store or something that you pick up from a local farmer's market.
Speaker: Another option for an offering is anything related to abundance. So this can be seasonal bounty, warm colors, anything that speaks, anything that reflects abundance in your own eyes.
Speaker: Another offering can be related to the theme of gratitude. So this could be any sort of offerings itself, notes and prayers, um or reflections on what you're thankful for.
Speaker: As far as skill and creativity offerings, this could include tools of your craft, like I mentioned in the Lou-inspired craft altar. And then for offerings related to community, this could be something, you know, offering or honoring your ancestors at your altar or um honoring your family, going out and doing something within the community to help other people. All of these would be great ideas for different offerings for this season.
Speaker: And lastly, we just wanted to include some common misconceptions. So one of those is that Lunasa is just a harvest festival. While harvest is certainly at the heart of the Sabbath, Lunasa is about much more than gathering crops.
Speaker: It also celebrates gratitude, personal achievements, skill development, community abundance, and the seasonal shift towards autumn. The harvest serves as both a literal and symbolic theme.
Speaker: The next is that it's only relevant if you garden or if you are a farmer. Many modern practitioners view their harvest symbolically. So your quote unquote harvest might be a completed project, a personal goal that you've achieved, a skill that you've developed, or growth that you've experienced over the year. Lunasaw is about recognizing what you've cultivated regardless of whether it's growing in a field.
Speaker: The next is that Lunasod and Lamas are the same thing. And the two are often celebrated at the same time and share many harvest themes, but they come from very different cultural origins. So Lunasod has roots in Celtic tradition and is associated with Lu, while l Lamas comes from an Anglo-Saxon Christian tradition focused on the blessing of the first loaf of bread. Today, many practitioners blend elements of both traditions into their own celebrations.
Speaker: And then the last one I have is that Lunasada is only for the god Lu. Although the Sabbath takes its name from Lu and has strong ties to him in Celtic tradition, Not everyone celebrates Lunasod through deity work. Many practitioners focus on the seasonal themes of harvest, gratitude, abundance, and personal growth without specifically honoring Lu.
Speaker: So that is our altar episode covering Lunasod. We hope you guys loved it and we'll see you next time.
Speaker: That's a wrap on this episode of Get In Loser, We're Doing Witchcraft. We hope you had as much fun as we did. if you love this episode, we'd be eternally grateful if you left us a five-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
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Speaker: You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at Get In Witches or email us at we'redoingwitchcraft at gmail.com. Join us next week for part two of our Appalachian Full Practices series.
Speaker: Until then, stay magical, stay curious, and as always, blessed be the witches.
