Lammas, or Lughnasadh, falls in the middle of the zodiac sign Leo, the sign of fixed fire. The sun is still high in the sky and we see this season as the peak of summer, even though the days have been getting shorter since the Summer Solstice. It is high summer but like all of the cross quarter festivals, Lammas and Leo season bring a change in energy, so that we begin to become aware of the first stirrings of autumn. The fixed fire energy calls us to focus, to stop scattering our energy too widely and pay whole hearted (Leo rules the heart) attention to what we are most passionate about. We begin to gather in our harvests, both inner and outer, and Lammas is a time to celebrate the abundance and resources we have created and nurtured in the active half of the year.
 
Leo is our inner flame, our strength and vitality and the way we use them. Are we fuelling our inner flame or is it threatening to flicker out? Like all fire, our inner flame needs to be fed with creative nourishment and soul fuel, whatever form that might take for us. Leo is ruled by the Sun and shows us what we need to express to feel alive, to be our fullest, most fulfilled self. It’s time to let our inner sun shine, to get creative, to do what we enjoy and what brings us pleasure. Lammas is a time to make the most of the warmth and sunshine whilst it lasts. We celebrate the achievements of the solar cycle, the ways that the seeds which sparked into being at Winter Solstice have been nurtured and brought into manifestation.
 
Leo is associated with creativity and with play, reminding us of the importance of doing what feels good, of exploring our abilities and following our passions. This is a time to do what feels good rather than what we feel we “should” be doing, to celebrate what we’ve actually achieved, whether or not it was what we had planned. We can also acknowledge and celebrate the challenges we have faced, the mistakes or missteps we have become aware of and learned from, all of which help us to grow and to reach for our most authentic self, which is the key quest of Leo season.
 
Traditionally, fairs and games were held at Lammas, allowing folk to show off their skills in public and be recognised for their achievements. Folk with strong Leo energy often seek validation from others and whilst this is rewarding, learning to find this validation within is even more empowering. Leo is associated with pride and Lammas is a time to show off, to take pride in our achievements and the skills and talents we have developed and practised.
 
In the Irish tradition, Lammas is known as Lughnasadh and is associated with the god Lugh, who is the patron of human skills, reflecting Leo’s focus on our creative talents and abilities. He is the warrior king who both tests and inspires those around him, again both Leo attributes. Lugh declared that the Lammas games would be held each year in honour of his mother Tailtiu, the earth goddess who brought agriculture to Ireland but lost her own life in the process. The games in her honour ensure abundance and celebrate the skills and knowledge needed to transform the gifts of nature into food that nourishes us. Once again there is a parallel with Leo energy here, a reminder that we need to celebrate and honour our creative powers and talents, otherwise they fade and become barren.
 
In modern as well as ancient pagan tradition, Lammas is often associated with the sacrifice of the divine king, a symbolic cutting down of the masculine energy which reflects the shift from the proactive energy of the first half of the year to the more reflective seasons of autumn and winter. The divine king or queen is also a Leo archetype and can be understood psychologically as the need to sacrifice the ego and the need for external validation and connect with the true or authentic self, a key dynamic of the Leo journey.
 
Astrological Magic for Lammas
 
Sunshine meditation
 
The sign of Leo is ruled by the Sun and making a physical connection with the sun allows us to connect with our inner solar fire. Sit in the sunshine on a warm day, perhaps at noon or alternatively just after sunrise. Bringing yourself into stillness and allowing your breathing to soften, become aware of the sun on your skin. Allow the warmth to move through and around your body, shifting any stagnant energy until you are glowing with golden light. Now bring your awareness to your heart centre, also ruled by Leo and the Sun because the Sun is the heart of our solar system, the bringer of life. Allow the warmth of the sun to move through your heart, so that it begins to shine, shining your light out into the world.
 
Tending a magical fire
 
Leo is the sign of fixed fire but of course fire is a moving energy which needs oxygen and fuel to stay alive. Lighting and tending an actual fire is a powerful way to connect with our inner fire, showing us how we can fuel and tend our own divine spark. If you have a safe place, such as a fire pit, build and light a fire as part of your Lammas celebrations. Gather plenty of fuel in advance, dry leaves and small twigs for kindling and larger sticks and even logs for when the fire becomes established. As you build and light your fire, reflect on the sparks of creative inspiration within you and what you need to do to help them get established. As your outer fire gathers strength, reflect on what is burning clearly for you and how it can fuel your growth. You could burn loose incense or herbs on your fire to add power to a magical intention, for example rosemary for clarity or basil for abundance. You can also throw dead petals or leaves on your fire as a banishing spell, naming what you wish to be burned away.
 
Taking pride
 
Sometimes it can feel challenging to take pride in our achievements, especially if we were raised to keep our light hidden for fear of seeming arrogant or entitled. And these can be the shadow side of Leo but if we don’t take pride in our own achievements, who will? Challenge yourself to write a list of everything you’ve achieved since Winter Solstice, everything you’ve learned, the gifts and the challenges, the moments of growth, the plans which came into manifestation, the things that happened while the plans were getting ignored. Once you’ve written your list, read it aloud. Perhaps share it with someone you trust, or simply read it alone, standing in the sunlight and speaking to the spirits, to the gods or the Great Mystery. As all witches know, words spoken aloud have power so don’t be afraid to shout it out!
 
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The Spring Equinox, when day and night are equal all over the world, is marked by the Sun’s ingress, or entry, into Aries, the first sign of the zodiac. This is the astrological new year, when we move into the light, active half of the year here in the northern hemisphere. Our energy is turned outwards into the world, to grow and create and blossom, just like the nature around us. At Spring Equinox, we carry the seeds, lessons and growth of the winter season out into the world. Astrologically, we carry the seeds, lessons and growth of the previous cycle of the zodiac into the new cycle, allowing the divine spark of Aries energy to inspire us to action and movement.
 
The dragon energy of the earth is awakening at Spring Equinox and Aries symbolises our drive to create, to act and to change. It’s the impulse which moves us to action. In Vedic astrology, Aries is the thunderbolt arising from the primordial waters of Pisces, the new cycle born from the old, new conscious awareness born from the unconscious self. Nature is beginning to show her abundance at Spring Equinox as the sunlight increases, awakening the plant’s powers of photosynthesis and greening the landscape. All is rising, blossoming, blooming, even reproducing, as the world explodes with the Aries force of nature.
 
Aries is ruled by the planet Mars, known as a warrior god who fights for what he believes in (and sometimes apparently for the joy of it!). Mars symbolises our power to assert ourselves, to be an individual, to take action. The warrior energy of Aries calls us to know our own power – and to use it well, for our own growth and also to benefit others. Mars was originally a pastoral god of agriculture and the countryside, a link to the Green Man whose spark of growing energy is so apparent as the sap rises in the spring. In Babylonian times, this sign was known as the “Hired Labourer”, reflecting the busy agricultural season when extra help was needed for clearing the land and sowing new crops.
 
The traditional symbol of Aries is the ram and this first sign of the zodiac may also have been connected with the ewe goddess Seret in ancient Egypt, a symbol of fertility and nurturing new life. Hebrew mythology refers to Rachel as the Divine Ewe, the mother of the Holy Lamb. The lamb is a beautiful symbol of Aries energy, springing around the fields at this time of year and reminding us of the power of play. Aries is all about youthful enthusiasm, taking risks and trying out new things purely for the fun of it. The energy of Aries is both innocent and energetic, carrying a kind of purity which comes with the new cycle. The lack of experience can be a challenge but can also be a gift, helping us to avoid the traps of fear, self doubt and overthinking. If we don’t know what can go wrong, we’re much more likely to just take a leap, like a young child exploring the world for the first time. Aries is a pioneer, a risk taker, an adventurer, like the tarot Fool stepping off the cliff, free of burdens or expectations.
 
There’s a simplicity to this sign which is reflected in the newness of nature all around us. Like the newly risen sun or the newly unfurled leaves, Aries energy is full of promise. Aries also brings us the gift of present moment awareness, an ability to simply be where we are without worrying about where we’ve been or what comes next. Again, this may have been much easier when we were children but every year Aries brings us a reminder of the power of celebrating our existence, the wonder that is the nature around us and the simple joys of life.
 
Astrological Magic for Spring Equinox
 
A phoenix spell for rebirth
 
At Spring Equinox we celebrate the birth of the new astrological year – this spell allows you to honour and release the energies of the past cycle of the zodiac as well as embracing the rebirth of the new cycle. Its best done at dawn and ideally when the sun is visible, rising in a clear sky. If you can, light a small fire outside but if not, incense sticks corresponding to sun energies like orange, rosemary or frankincense are just as effective. Light your fire or incense and as you do so, name and visualise all that you want to burn away from the past season or zodiac cycle. As you watch them burn, you can write or create a call to the phoenix, calling in what you want to celebrate and the new life you want to bring into being at the Spring Equinox. Allow the incense or fire to burn out and wait for the ashes to cool, meditating on your intent. Once the ashes are cool enough to touch, scatter them to the wind as you speak or visualise your call. You may be aware of phoenix energies around you or you may see a sign in the coming days. Don’t forget to thank the phoenix for hearing you.
 
Making incense
 
Making your own magical incense brings together the fire energy of Aries with the strong airy energy which is so often present in the turbulent winds of the Equinox. Mixing equal parts of resin and dried herbs, along with a few drops of essential oil (just enough to hold the dry ingredients together), makes a loose incense which you can burn on charcoal discs. An incense for Aries at the Spring Equinox might include frankincense or copal resin, pine or juniper oil and dried nettle, hawthorn, blackberry or birch leaves. It can be burned as part of your Spring Equinox celebrations and / or as a spell to carry away stagnant energies (many of the herbs associated with this time of year have cleansing properties, including the ones suggested here) as well as carrying your new vision and intentions for the coming cycle.
 
Moving meditation
 
Sacred movement is a great way to tune into the fiery energy of Aries and to become aware of your own energy and inner flame as well as clearing away any stagnant energy from the still winter season. Whatever level of physical activity you’re able to do is just fine, whether its simple sitting stretches, walking, dancing, running – whatever feels good for your body right now. The important thing is to do it mindfully, to be aware of the movement and the energy moving around your body. Listen to your body and let it move you, rather than the other way around.

Lys is a pagan astrologer and tarot reader based in London, you can find her on Instagram @wildstarlys or on her website
www.starlys.com
​

When I was first learning witchcraft and magick my teacher at the time taught me that you can only become so powerful using your own personal energy. Eventually you must seek the aid of the spirits. That is where powerful magick lies. You must call upon and work with a variety of spirits in order to manifest change in the world and the Universe. I have kept these words to heart my entire magical career. Many years later I still think of this wisdom. The Universe is filled with many spirits. There are more spirits in the Universe than there are people or animals. It will help our magick a great deal if we call upon them in magick. Even better, we should have a relationship with them. Pagans have always called upon the spirits. Indigenous healers and shamans create bonds with a variety of spirits in order to seek wisdom and heal the community. Witches from all over the world speak of having animal familiars and calling up the dead for magick. Ceremonial magicians summon the spirits of the angels and planets to create change in the world as well.

There are many different kinds of spirits that the witch seeks to work with. There are gods and goddesses, angels, and planetary spirits of the heavens. There are our ancestors and the hidden company of the below worlds. There are also faeries, elves, animal spirits, and plant spirits who dwell within the land itself. I think it is very helpful for witches to begin with the spirits of the land when they are first learning to work with spirits. It has often been said that we are spiritual beings having an earthly experience. This is a powerful statement. In patriarchal religions it is often taught that the earth is bad or sinful but the heavens are godly and holy. In paganism and witchcraft the earth is seen as our holy mother who gave life to us all. We are also taught that we are incarnated on earth in order to have physical experiences to help us spiritually evolve.  The earth is sacred just as the heavens are sacred.

As pagans and witches we celebrate the earth and her cycles. We celebrate the moon cycles and her mysteries. The moon has the power to change the tides of the oceans and affect human emotions and our psychic abilities. We also celebrate how the sun relates to the earth with her different seasons and energies. We honor the planting season, the growing season, the harvest season, and the dark season. All these energies of the earth are important for our survival. It is important to remember that to us magical folk, we see energies as spirits. In fact, we know that all things upon the earth have a spirit. Everything from human beings and animals to trees, rocks, clouds, and rain all have spirits. I remember it this way, just as human bodies have a spirit so to do all Lphysical things of nature have a spirit. These spirits we can call into our spells and rituals for powerful magick.

There are many spirits of the land that we can begin a relationship with. Every tree has its own spirit. Every rock, stone, and crystal has its own spirit. Every flower and plant has its own spirit. Yes, even the rivers, lakes, ponds, and oceans have their own spirits. These beings are sacred and they will teach you so much about natural magick, paganism, and witchcraft. Our physical bodies are of the earth so the spirits of the earth can help us heal our bodies. We must eat, sleep, and have shelter, so these land spirits can help us obtain these things that we need. The spirits of the land can especially teach us the magical and healing properties of herbs, crystals, stones, and trees. Human teachers and books are great, but it’s far more powerful to learn from the spirits themselves. Who better to teach you about nature magick than nature?
           
Over the last thousand years we have lost our connection to the spirits of the earth. It’s only the few witches, Spirit Walkers, and faery doctors who have retained the remnants of this sacred knowledge. It seems that the more industrial we have become the more we have lost our connection to the spirits of the land. The big question now is how do we reconnect to the spirits of the land?

Anyone can have a relationship with the spirits of the land. You can be from the country, city, or suburb, and you can still gain land spirit allies. The only thing you need to do is be willing to put some time into cultivating a friendship with these spirits. The first thing you will need to do is learn about the geographical history of the land where you live. Even in a city, the land has a rich history of nature spirits. You will need to go online and research what the land was like before it became a metropolitan area. The reason for this is because many times even after the natural land has gone the spirits still remain. If you live in the countryside or suburb it is more likely that the original spirits still inhabit the land. It will help you a great deal to learn the history of the land you live on. What happened there? Did it always look like it does now? Were there any changes?

​The next step in establishing a relationship with the land spirits in learning to tune into them and connect. Go outside and take a few breaths. Imagine your heart chakra opening up and being open to the energies of the land. How do you feel? What scents do you smell? What does the land look like? What do you hear? Spend some time simply connecting to the energies of the land. Try not to judge your experience. Just feel. Just breathe. Do this exercise during the day and at night. I will tell you that the energies are very different from day to night. Always remember to journal your experiences.
Once you have spent a few days connecting with the energies of the land it is a good idea to leave offerings. Offerings can be water, food for the animals, wine or ale, bread and honey, or anything you think is appropriate. Even though bread and honey is traditional, remember that bread is not good for animals to eat. By the way, if an animal eats food offerings this is a sign that your offerings were accepted. However, if animals do not eat your offerings it’s ok because the spirits received the energies of the offering. When we give offerings to the spirits of the land we are establishing an energetic and spiritual connection. Think of it like this, when we do something nice for a friend they will know you care about them and want to do something for you.

At this point you can go further in your understanding and connection to the land spirits. One of my favorite things to do is to perform an energetic heart connection to the spirits of the land. It’s a very easy technique but so powerful. Find a tree, rock, bush, or plant that you are spiritually attracted to. Leave a little offering of water or wine. Place your dominant hand on the tree, rock, bush, or plant. Now send a beam of love from your heart to the spirit at the center of the natural object. Now, wait a few moments. In response, the natural object will send a beam of energy to your heart. Keep sending the energy back and forth. You can also speak to the land spirit. Introduce yourself and speak with the spirit just as you would to anyone. Spirits sometimes speak directly to your mind in words, but sometimes they don't. They may speak to your heart and you may feel what they are feeling. This is good because it's simply a different way of communicating. By doing this technique over time you will learn to speak the language of the land spirit. Once this is done and you feel that your relationship with the spirits of the land is strong you may invite them into your spells and rituals for powerful magick and healing. 

Written by Chris Allaun
Website: chrisallaun.com
Facebook: Chris Allaun: Author. Teacher. Healer

Twitter: @chris_allaun 
Instagram: chrisallaun ​

Our Sarah reviewed Chris' book this week too, to have a looksie at what she thought click here

Astrological Magic for Samhain
 
Scrying and divination
 
Scorpio energy has a deep rooted urge to know, to penetrate the mystery and discover hidden knowledge. The already thin Samhain veil is thinned even further by Mercury retrograde in Scorpio this year, making it an especially good season for scrying and divination. Many people do a tarot, oracle or rune reading for the coming year at Samhain. Or you can take a more intuitive approach, scrying in the flames or smoke or the Samhain fire or in a bowl of water, allowing images to form and speak to your intuition.
 
Astral travel, deep meditation and shamanic journeying
 
Scorpio season is the time for inner travels, for journeying to the Otherworld in our preferred way. Whether you use a drum or drumming recording or a different method of altering your consciousness, the path to the Otherworld is clearer than usual at this liminal time. Travel to seek help, to offer help, or simply to make a connection.
 
Working with dreams
 
Our dreams also bring a powerful connection to the Otherworld and keeping a dream journal by writing down what you remember when you wake is a powerful practice. We can also consciously seek to incubate a dream by meditating on a question or issue as we fall asleep, asking our guides that we receive insights in our dreams. Over time we build up a kind of personal library of symbols which allow us to interpret our dreams more easily.
 
Shadow work
 
The dark time of the year is the natural time to work with our shadow selves, facing and learning from our fears, investigating our conditioned emotional responses. By journaling or meditating on our shadow we gain self knowledge as well as the power to transform and grow. This can be intense work so keep some clear boundaries in place, casting a protective circle around yourself as you work and making sure to ground yourself with food and drink afterwards.
 
A Scorpio ritual for release
 
Cathartic rituals to let go of toxic energy are especially powerful at this time of year. A simple ritual for release allows you to honour everything which has brought you to where you are today, acknowledging its power before letting go of those energies which no longer serve your growth. This ritual can be done any time between Samhain on October 31st and astrological Samhain on November 7th.
 
Gather some loose incense to burn on charcoal or loose herbs, an unlit candle and a fireproof container.
 
Extinguish all the lights in the house, open the windows to let the darkness in and simply sit with it. Allow yourself to become comfortable with the lack of light, to see and to feel the beauty in the darkness.
 
Holding your herbs or incense in your hand, summon all those energies from the year that you are ready to release – stagnation, sorrow, pain, negativity. Pour them into your herbs, noticing that without the emotional impact you attach to them, they are simply energy.
 
When you are ready, light a candle and use it to light your charcoal or fire, throwing the herbs into the flames, allowing the energy to transform and be released.
 
Re-light all your candles from the flames and turn your awareness towards the light and fire of Sagittarius, which will come in due time.

Lys is a pagan astrologer and tarot reader based in London, you can find her on Instagram @wildstarlys or on her website
www.starlys.com
​