aearthwise

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Fighting Over Dirt & Sage Tea

“The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites one family. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. The earth is sacred and men and animals are but one part of it. Treat the earth with respect so that it lasts for centuries to come and is a place of wonder…

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Red Fox

I walk the road beside you following the leathery padded paws of the fox as she danced through the night leaving her vestige deep in the dirt. Her signature says once again, I was here but you did not see me, for I am the country road and paddock stalker in the shadows, for I am the gatherer under obsidian skies and I keep the company of owls and hares. – Words & Photo © Astarté Earthwise.

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#Australian red fox #paws #predator #red fox #wild fox

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Wisdom for Our Time

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#Ancestors #Australian Voice #on war #reconciliation #Wsdom

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Passion

There is a passion in me, that doesn’t long for anything from another human being. I was given something else, a hat to wear in both worlds. It fell off. No matter. One morning I went to a place beyond dawn, a source of sweetness that flows and never stops I have been shown a beauty that would confuse both worlds, but I won’t cause that uproar! I am nothing but a presence Hollowed out…

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[aearthwise]

Healing forest waters…We now walk…towards the west gate…..opposite the place of the rising sun in the east that gave us light for the last 6 months……that fed Lugh’s luscious corn and barley…We now make our journey……the leaf litter soft……spongy like a carpet of stories…..unfolding from the bush…..with each precious step we take forward…Wallabies…..their inquisitive heads poking out above the long fertile summer grasses in flower.

Afternoons we stroll……with the galah’s seeking out new homes…..they screech with the delight of their abundance…we too find our delight in the coolness….the turning in….the rotting down of summer…..towards the deep waters of the changing time…Shedding begins……as we too let go…..as the season disperses her fruits, flowers and seeds…..collecting these gifts, and insights…Lammas now behind us…..we make our way…..carrying us forward towards…. the nearing sunset……the imminent dusk of the year to come.

Our thoughts turn towards autumn…..leaf fall…..Autumn Equinox…..harvests end…..Alban Elfed….the light of the water….As the days shorten……the path of shadows, then darkness unfolds……the sun grows older……as does our wisdom…..on our eternal journey through the forest of life.

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Mami Wata Sculpture by Artist Ismaila Putuenchi

#Mami Wata #mamiwata #vodou #vodoun #voodoo #hoodoo #africanart #lostwaxprocess #bronze #bronzecasting #ismaila putuenchi

[aearthwise]

Tell stories to rocks and stones, sing to trees, start conversations with birds, whisper to the clouds....

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[aearthwise]

Under the harshest conditions of deep winter in snow and artic blasts, the magnitude of the devastation that both Türkiye and Syria are experiencing is simply beyond any words that can be spoken. I watch on with horror and a gaping sadness at the overwhelming reality of humanity. We have known to expect darkness, in these times, but were we expected to feel so small against the plight of suffering and hopelessness. The pain is deep, the breath shallow as we realise how inadequate are the attempts against the monstruous unstable rubble entrapping millions. Grit, determination, and miracles are needed. Egregores of energy manifested and sent consciously to these zones is the very least we can do, please give your ALL in magic.

[aearthwise]

Our lives are lived in the quiet corners of the ordinary....

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“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward

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#gratitude #cows #farm #astarteearthwise #lammas #lughnasadh #firstharvest #lammastide #traditional witchcraft #fff #astarteearthwisephotography #aearthwise #astarteearthwisestore #earthwise #earthwisestore #earthwisestoreetsy

[aearthwise]

Lammas - Lughnasadh

The Goddess at Lammas/Lughnasadh is the bountiful Mother but She is also the Crone, wielder of the sickle. Lammas/Lughnasadh is known as the first harvest festival. The God is cut down with the corn and enters the Underworld. Amidst all the abundance, the Goddess mourns His death, but She is with child and knows that the God will be reborn again at Yule.

In the Earthwise Tradition the Northern Quarter is the resting place of the Rainbow Serpent.

Honoring the Element of Fire!

Here we place the harvest in the Northern Quarter of our ritual circle to honor the Lord of the Fire for his Seed and his Light that bought us our bounty.

My Corn Dolly. taking the spirit of the corn into my home as my ancestors would have, and held there till it is ploughed into the soil next Spring

Cutting the corn down for Lughnasadh, and ancient tradition.

My Boline (harvest knife) has a bone handle and we have worked and wildcrafted together now for many years!

Our harvest gathered this morning, Basil, Silverbeet, Baby Corn, Bay Leaves, Cucumber, Mugwort, Spearmint, Eggplant, Tomatoes, Rosemary, Shallots & Cos Lettuce.

Did you know that corn is the only seed on this earth that needs human interaction to survive? Corn needs us to store the grain to be resown, in the spring, we have a deep relationship with each other, remember to honor that the next time you eat corn!

Fresh beautiful gifts from the Gods of Nature! For those that follow the ancient paths here in the Southern Hemisphere, of the sun, the moon and the stars, may I wish you a bountiful Lughnasadh/Lammas, may this first harvest, with the Northern sun still high, bring the fire into your heart as we reap and sweat and tend to the Lord and Lady's spectacular bounty. Happy breaking of the bread day...

~ Astarté Earthwise

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#astarteearthwise #lammas #lughnasadh #firstharvest #lammastide #traditional witchcraft #fff #astarteearthwisephotography #aearthwise #astarteearthwisestore #earthwise #earthwisestore #earthwisestoreetsy

[aearthwise]

Lammastide blessings to all! Be Fruitful, Be Generous, Be Hael and Hearty!

Dearest Kith & Kin, The Wheel has turned once more,

The First harvest is at our door. Giving us Abundance of Plenty, We share them with our own and many. Our Dying Sun begins to Fade, As the Goddess bears the Fruit they made,

The Sun will journey back to Earth, In the endless Cycle of life, Death and Rebirth. As we start the inward turn yet again, blessings on your Holy day And may the light returning for our Northern Kin, be the spark of illumination in the days that follow Wise & Blessed Be Love Astarté xXxfffxXx Shop in my Store

#astarteearthwise #lammas #lughnasadh #firstharvest #lammastide #traditional witchcraft #fff

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Launch

These can be difficult times right now for many...remember this my kith & kin....An Arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. So when life is dragging you back, it means that it is going to launch you into something great.

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#astarteearthwise #arrows #launch

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Lughnasadh /Lammas Tide

“As the wheel turns…first harvest. Life is affirmed in Earth’s bounty. Cornucopias spill over life is full. Sweaty bodies test their vigour…”

When I think of the season of Summer, with its very hot days and its abundance of sunshine, I think of Lughnasadh, or Lammas as one of the most important Sabbats of the year. It is a time of harvest, particularly of grains. Grains and the foods made from them were an important part of the diet of our mostly European ancestors. A good harvest then ensured enough food for the tribe to eat through the barren, cold months of Winter.

Lughnasadh was a time for the Celtic peoples to honour the victory of the God Lugh over the Fomorians. It was also a great time for celebration. Large fairs were held that brought together members of different towns to share food, music, and celebration. It was a time for unity and for bringing the tribe together. The Celtic celebrations are not too different to the markets and festivals we hold here today.

Musicians displayed their skill, arts and crafts were sold, and the people shared the harvest foods. Horse racing was also held as a part of the celebrations. Another interesting custom was the ritual burial of flowers, symbolic of the seed returning to the soil and to life the next year.

A traditional food eaten at Lughnasadh was blueberries, picked from the wild. We can continue that custom today by eating blueberries in the form of pies or muffins or any other recipes during our observance of this Sabbat. Bread is also traditional. Wholegrain breads should be part of the feast this time of year.

As we approach the Festival of the First Fruits. Its Celtic name Lughnasadh means “mourning for Lugh”, while the Saxon name of Lammas means “loaf-mass”. Since Lugh was the ancient name for the Sun God, these two titles sum up much of the festivals meaning. Summer is on the wane, The Sun’s strength dwindles and we mourn his passing. This is a wake as well as a celebration. However there is also a birth, the tender beginnings of harvest. The Sun’s power has “gone into the corn”. Soon it will be cut down, so that he will be reborn, ‘the bread of life’. In this can be seen the underlying reasons for the theme of sacrifice.

At the Festival of the First Fruits, we access the coming harvest, seeing the very first signs, the first fruits. In addition we look to see what acts or sacrifices can alleviate any damage or avert any loss of the crops.

The Goddess is giving birth now, and we celebrate this birth, the fruits in the bush, orchards and gardens. At the same time, The God’s strength wanes, dies and is reborn. Like any man in sexual union, his strength is given to her. For the seed leaves the man’s body and along with it goes the life energy. He revives to make love again, sooner or later. However the energy he has given can help to create a child. She takes it transforms it, and then a child is born. This is the inner meaning of Lughnasadh. We celebrate the life energy that the God has given, as well as all the creation that the Goddess is bringing forth.

Our Personal Earthwise Group Declaration

During our celebration of Lughnasadh, we perform Magick to banish that which we no longer need in our lives. As summer winds down to the coming of Autumn, we use the power of Fire as a means to perform some exorcising Magick. Fire Magick is very potent, and has been used successfully for millennia to bring about change. Fire is a purifying force. In our purification rites, we will burn special Australian Magickal Herbs, to banish negativity. This Sabbat has been honoured as a time of sacrifice to banish unwanted things from our lives, such as poverty, sickness and loneliness.

Your Personal Declaration

You might begin the celebration of Lughnasadh, by taking time to before circle to be with Nature. A walk in the bush if you can do this it would be just great. Nevertheless, for most of us, living here in the city there are parks, back gardens, reserves and suburban pockets of bush.. Look for the first fruits of the harvest. Are there berries on the bushes? If you have access to a vegetable garden, How does the corn look? Is it golden and tall or still green and unripe? How do these things compare with your life? If you set yourself to learn something back at Imbolc/ Candlemas, are you making progress? If you are a craftsperson, are you satisfied with your techniques? In your business or profession, are you making headway? In the cycle of this year’s life, and in longer cycles, are there fruits?

Bring back a piece of fruit with you to place upon your altar. Some thoughts.....

Lughnasadh is a good time to think about any long-term harvest that you hope for in your life. Do you see any first fruits of this? If not do your hopes need reassessing? Are they unrealistic or are they too pedestrian? Do you underestimate yourself, or life?

What will you personally harvest?, your inner harvest.

What do you feel is leaving or dying within you at this very moment, what is it you are releasing or need to release?

This may be just a vague sense of something you are unable to put your finger on, yet this is a great time to focus, and use the energy of the tide to assist you. What are the seeds you gather and carry with you right now, what can you take from this time in your life, to store away and work with during the inward turning time, to hone, and improve before resowing?

What is worth un-cropping from your world right now? Think and prepare for what you wish to banish from your life in the Lughnasadh Circle, meditate on this thought and take time to sit in the energy of what needs banishment.

© Astarté Earthwise

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[aearthwise]

Remembering Jake Stratton-Kent Under the waning crescent you took the underworld path following the leathery padded paws of the fox as she danced through the night leaving her vestige deep in the dirt. Her signature says once again, I was here but you did not see me, for I am the country road and paddock stalker in the shadows, for I am the gatherer under obsidian skies and I keep the company of owls and hares.

Rest in Peace dear man, just like the fox your impression remains deep in our hearts 🌹 -- © Astarté Earthwise Shop here

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