Lammas

It’s now high summer and the union of Sun and Earth. August 1st is known as Lammas. Historically this date was our harvest festival, which many of us remember from our school days, when we were asked to bring into the assembly hall tinned and dried goods for sharing among those in need. I remember feeling a sense of wonder at the mound of food that grew in size each day and how a feeling of excitement and wellbeing was almost tangible among us. I feel it echoes somewhere in our genetic memory; a remembering of community, coming together and celebrating the first harvest of the farming cycle.

Lammas is the celebration of the first grain harvest, a time for gathering in and giving thanks for abundance. Six or so weeks later on the farming cycle we celebrate Mabon, or the Autumn Equinox, which is the Second Harvest of Fruit, and Samhain is the third and final harvest of nuts and berries.

The word 'Lammas' is derived from the term 'loaf mass' and is indicative of how central and honoured are the first grain and the first loaf of the harvesting cycle.

In ancient Pagan traditions in western culture Lammas is the result of union between God and Goddess in the land - birthing the first harvest. Goddess is in Her aspect as grain mother. She is represented by Demeter. Demeter represents the ripe corn of this year's harvest. Often depicted as a pregnant woman holding a sheaf of wheat, she symbolises the land as the great mother in her labour pains and contractions, birthing the first grains. It is also the great festival of Lugh, the  Celtic Sun King and God of Light. August is His sacred month and is represented by Leo coming into alignment in all of his golden fiery finery! This is the time of the year of feasting, market fairs, games, circle dancing and Lammas fires reflecting the movement of the sun. This was also  considered an auspicious month for handfastings and weddings.

Abundance is the energy of this part of the solar year, and it is no accident of fortune that the laws are about to change regarding to the marriage laws. Something that we in the Celebrant industry have been waiting so long for is finally about to bear fruit. The law commission submitted their proposals to parliament on the 19th July and is looking extremely favourable Celebrants and those that would like to conduct the legalised parts within the ceremonial content of weddings, whether in a spiritual ceremony such as the Celtic Handfasting, or Celebrants as authorised officiants. The following text is from the law commissions report:

The Commission recommends a new system that would focus regulation on the marriage officiant responsible for the ceremony, rather than on the building where the wedding can take place.

This reform would open up a wide range of locations for couples to get married. Permitted venues would include gardens, beaches, forests, parks, village halls and cruise ships.

·    Universal rules for all weddings: with very few exceptions, the same rules would apply to all weddings, meaning the different laws for different religious groups and civil weddings would no longer persist.

·    Respecting beliefs and offering greater choice: Couples will have more choice over where their wedding can take place and over the content of their ceremony. Couples getting married will be able to have weddings in smaller and cheaper venues, more areas outside than the law currently permits, and in other places that are important to them. If permitted by Government, non-religious belief organisations (such as Humanists) would be able to conduct weddings on the same basis as religious organisations.

·    Preserving dignity and religious practices and rules: The framework ensures that the dignity of weddings is upheld, and religious groups will be able to apply their own rules. Religions and non-religious belief organisations will have the final say are which venues are appropriate for them.

This is great news for our Sacred Celebrants, who will be able to conduct legal ceremonies, if this is passed by Parliament, or at the very least be able to be Authorised Officiants and conduct beautiful Handfasting ceremonies.

We are the only college of higher learning of its kind to hold professional Sacred Celebrant training and there is now a high interest in our programme and student intake. Celebrancy work operates on the frequencies of love, there is no other vocation quite like it. SCA course takes you, the Celebrant, into the realm of the Ceremonialist - a deeper layer of conducting rites of passage.

In the spirit of abundance we have new and exciting courses that will be added throughout 2023. We endeavour for our delegates to experience mindful, life changing, deeply spiritual courses that can offer you a way to change your career/vocational direction or add to your existing one with high spec expert training providers and accredited course programmes, more details to be released in our Mabon/Autumn Equinox news letter. Here is the first of our new training courses:

IPHM Accredited Quantum Hypnotherapy Practitioner Training with Joanne Britton

Fee of 1200 with staged payment options available.

Click the ‘Further Training’ button on our website for Application details.

April 24th – 30th April 2023 Seven days Immersion in Glastonbury, Somerset

Coming soon in 2023!

·         Accredited Past Life Regression Hypnotherapist Practitioner Training

·         Accredited Rapid Cognitive Processing Practitioner Training

·         Accredited Reiki Practitioner Training

·         Sacred Ceremonialist of Avalon Training

·         Accredited HypnoSound Sacred Sounds Practitioner Training

Events for your Diary this year:

Temple of Cornwall community Festival, 3rd-4th September 2022

 A spectacularly magical weekend at Chyan Penryn: Organised by Priestess Rebecca Burgess of the Temple of Cornwall the weekend will include:

A pop-up Temple that will be free to visit for the whole weekend

Sacred Celebrants Academy - offering Quantum workshop and Talks with Gregg Kinsell & Sacred Sounds of the Temple and Hypnosis with Temple musician Priestess Dawn Kinsella

With other amazing workshops, guest speakers and facilitators

For more info on how to book your place please visit:

www.facebook.com/groups/templeofcornwallcommunity

Civil Ceremonies Ltd will be hosting the Celebrants Convention 2022, which will be held on Wednesday 21st September 2022 At Cranfield University, Bedfordshire.

The day will include:

Marriage Law Proposals: Law Commissioner Professor Nick Hopkins and Elizabeth Welch, from the team responsible for the marriage law review, will be giving an update on the proposals.  

The Passing Over Ceremony (moving through the grief process) a talk and demonstration with Priestess Dawn Kinsella: About these intimate ceremonies for close family and friends pre-funeral or post funeral/memorial      

Transgender Naming Ceremonies & Using personal pronouns and the language of gender identity with Jade Dalton 

For more info go to www.civilceremonies.co.uk

We at SCA wish you all a happy abundant and Lammas, may you reap the very best of the fruit that life has to offer.