Litha
June 24th, 2001, 10:46 PM
Herbs may be used as tokens of esteem and respect for the deities and energies of the Craft.
The Goddess may be honored by herbal offerings at those phases of the moon in which her idenity is that of maiden,
mother or crone. The act of dropping the herbs into the flame brings the focus of the ritual to the altar and stimulates the intimate bond between the Witch and the greater diety aspect.
It is a gift rather like saying, "All things, including myself, come from the Lady and Lord and I offer back to you a portion of what I have gathered from you."
As plants of various kinds
have customarily been offered to the Lady, herbal offerings can be especially meaningful for their particular significance and
properties.
In Sabbat Rituals
During the eight Sabbats, some herbs are burned and others are used
as altar offerings and decorations or hung about the ritual area.
Samhain
heather, mullein, patchouli, and sage may be burned
acorns, apples, pumpkins, oak leaves, straw, broom, dittany, ferns
and flax may be decorations
Yule
bay, bayberry, chamomile, frankincense, rosemary, and sage may be
burnedholly, juniper, mistletoe, moss, oak, pine cones, cedar,
evergreen, and blessed thistle may be decorations
Imbolc
basil, bay, benzoin, and celandine may be burned
angelica, myrrh, yellow flowers and white flowers may be decorations
Ostara
celandine, cinqfoil, jasmine, rose, tansy and vervain may be burned
acorn, crocus, dafgodil, dogwood, honeysuckle, iris, lily and
strawberry may be decorations
Beltane
almond, ash, cinquefoil, frankincense, marigold meadowsweet, and
woodruff may be burnedangelica, bluebells, daisy, hawthorn, ivy,
lilac, primrose and rose may be decorations
Midsummer
chamomile, cinquefoil, elder flowers, fennel, lavender, mugwort,
thyme and vervain may be burnedhemp, larkspur, pine, rose, St. John's
Wort and wisteria may be decorations
Lughnassadh
cornstalks, heather, frankincense and wheat may be burned
acacia flowers, corn ears, hollyhock, myrtle, oak leaves, and wheat
may be decorations
Mabon
benzoin, marigold, myrrh, sage, and thistles may be burned
acorns, asters, ferns, honeymilkweed, mums, oak leaves, pine and rose
may be decorations
The Goddess may be honored by herbal offerings at those phases of the moon in which her idenity is that of maiden,
mother or crone. The act of dropping the herbs into the flame brings the focus of the ritual to the altar and stimulates the intimate bond between the Witch and the greater diety aspect.
It is a gift rather like saying, "All things, including myself, come from the Lady and Lord and I offer back to you a portion of what I have gathered from you."
As plants of various kinds
have customarily been offered to the Lady, herbal offerings can be especially meaningful for their particular significance and
properties.
In Sabbat Rituals
During the eight Sabbats, some herbs are burned and others are used
as altar offerings and decorations or hung about the ritual area.
Samhain
heather, mullein, patchouli, and sage may be burned
acorns, apples, pumpkins, oak leaves, straw, broom, dittany, ferns
and flax may be decorations
Yule
bay, bayberry, chamomile, frankincense, rosemary, and sage may be
burnedholly, juniper, mistletoe, moss, oak, pine cones, cedar,
evergreen, and blessed thistle may be decorations
Imbolc
basil, bay, benzoin, and celandine may be burned
angelica, myrrh, yellow flowers and white flowers may be decorations
Ostara
celandine, cinqfoil, jasmine, rose, tansy and vervain may be burned
acorn, crocus, dafgodil, dogwood, honeysuckle, iris, lily and
strawberry may be decorations
Beltane
almond, ash, cinquefoil, frankincense, marigold meadowsweet, and
woodruff may be burnedangelica, bluebells, daisy, hawthorn, ivy,
lilac, primrose and rose may be decorations
Midsummer
chamomile, cinquefoil, elder flowers, fennel, lavender, mugwort,
thyme and vervain may be burnedhemp, larkspur, pine, rose, St. John's
Wort and wisteria may be decorations
Lughnassadh
cornstalks, heather, frankincense and wheat may be burned
acacia flowers, corn ears, hollyhock, myrtle, oak leaves, and wheat
may be decorations
Mabon
benzoin, marigold, myrrh, sage, and thistles may be burned
acorns, asters, ferns, honeymilkweed, mums, oak leaves, pine and rose
may be decorations