No, it’s not the same thing as Lughnasadh.  The latter is a festival honoring the Celtic god Lugh.  The Celtic festival may or may not have been a harvest celebration.  I don’t really know much about Celtic traditions.  What I do know is that the Lammas celebration has nothing to do with Lugh or any other foreign god or goddess.  Lammas is very specifically a harvest festival described in the 9th century Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as a “feast of first fruits”.  And the Anglo-Saxons are unlikely to have honored any gods other than their own at this time of year.  They did not readily assimilate Celtic culture.  If they did, I would be typing this in Welsh rather than in English.

Lammas celebrates the harvest of winter wheat.  This is sown in the autumn and is ready to harvest, usually, by mid to late June.  My godson Alaric (henceforth referred to as Alaric the Younger) and I had a discussion about this over pizza earlier this year.  His wheat was almost ready to harvest, and he’d noticed this event occurs 5-6 weeks before the traditional harvest festival date.  However Alaric the Younger harvests his wheat with a combine.  The huge machine cuts the wheat and separates the grain from the chaff rapidly as it progresses across a field.  Until very recently – a blink of the eye in the course of human history – winter wheat was cut by hand and tied, again by hand, into sheaves.  After the village’s wheat had been sheafed, it was later brought in and threshed by hand.  The grain then had to be ground into flour.  And only then, weeks later at the Lammastide, could the wheat be presented in its final, edible form as a loaf of bread.

And this is what Lammas (Hlafmæsse) means, the loaf-offering.  The central act of any Lammas húsel should be the offering of bread.

Lammastide is a very special time of year for me, because it was on Lammas Eve, 1971, when I first pledged myself to our gods.  I think of Lammas as my “rebirthday”, and this year I will be 38, in Pagan years.  In the summer of 1971, the year Jim Morrison died, I had been told about the old gods.  But like many people, I was hesitant to take that big step into polytheism.  Then on Lammas Eve, I awoke in the middle of the night feeling miserable and lost and very much alone.  Those feelings dissipated as the goddess Hertha (Hrethe) came to me and invited – urged – me to follow an older path.  On that night I found a candle, lit it and poured out my heart to the old gods.

I didn’t offer a loaf of bread that year, but I’ve observed this traditional practice ever since.  I think the best offering is a loaf you have baked yourself.  If you don’t have any experience baking bread, here’s a tip:  Buy a bag of the pre-made unbaked loaves you can find in the freezer section at your local supermarket.  Thaw the dough overnight in your refrigerator, and then give it a personal touch the next day.  Knead in whatever you want – raisins, nuts, spices – to create a unique and interesting loaf.  After this, all you need to do is let the dough rise and then pop it in the oven for half an hour.  The directions are on the bag.

While you’re waiting for my own book on northern magic, be sure to check out The Book of Seiðr: The Native English and Northern European Shamanic Tradition, by Runic John. Very little has been written on the subject of northern magic, and most of that has been almost entirely theory with very little practice. In The Book of Seiðr, Runic John shares his years of experience to help the reader explore the northern shamanic tradition on a practical level.

When I first read this book I was a little disappointed by the use of Norse terminology and cosmology, but I think this is because I’m an American. Over the years I have noticed that those of us on this side of the ocean often feel a need to assert our “English-ness”. I would have liked more Anglo-Saxon terms, but that is really a very small criticism for such a groundbreaking work.

The book opens with a chapter sharing passages of lore from the Norse Eddas and sagas. Then, in the very next chapter, Runic John gives the reader exercises to help open his mind to visions and sensations beyond the ordinary. This sets the tone for the rest of the book. Runic John doesn’t leave the reader behind as a passive observer, he brings you into the experience with meditations, instruction and exercises. By chapter six, a chapter appropriately titled “Learning to Walk”, an ambitious reader will be able to take his first, brief shamanic journey.

In later chapters the reader will be introduced to various spirits he or she may encounter on his journeys. Runic John also discusses shamanic techniques of healing and divination. The final chapter discusses the various tools that a practitioner may want to acquire.

The Book of Seiðr is an excellent resource for anyone seriously interested in the arts of faring forth. And Runic John sent me an email just the other day to say that he would be happy to answer any emails if you don’t understand something in the book or have some question. So be sure to get a copy of The Book of Seiðr, and send your questions to RunicJohn@hotmail.com. His book is published by Capall Bann (ISBN 1861632290).

Now that I’m back from Missouri, I’m moving ahead with my next book.  Its tentative title is Wyrdworking: The Path of a Saxon Sorcerer.  As the title indicates, this book will focus on Anglo-Saxon magic.  For those who are interested in this subject, it will be a companion to Travels Through Middle Earth: The Path of a Saxon Pagan.  And although Wyrdworking will be able to stand alone, I will highly recommend that people read the first book before progressing on to this second one.

I have an outline and a general idea of where I’m going with Wyrdworking, but there is still plenty of time over the next couple of months to tweak the manuscript.  If you have any thoughts or ideas of what you would like to see in a book on Saxon magic, I would love to hear from you.  Just send me an email at alaric@alaricalbertsson.com.  I can’t promise that I’ll use all of your ideas, but I do promise to give all of them serious consideration.

So you have an idea of what Wyrdworking will be like, here is what I have so far.

* A discussion of the nature of magic, and how it relates to and differs from Saxon spirituality.

* The tools and components of Saxon magic.  Crafting a wand and/or staff.  Magical components that a Saxon sorcerer may want to have on hand.

* The Anglo-Saxon runes (Futhorc).  Crafting a divinatory rune set.  Making runic charms.

* Wortcunning (herb magic).  How to brew potions and concoct herbal ointments.  Growing your own herbs.

* Magical healing.  Love magic.  Prosperity magic.

I’ve reduced the entire book down to five bullets here, but I think this gives some idea of what I’m doing.  Of course if I use your idea you will be credited in the introduction!  I am very excited about Wyrdworking so far.  I think it is going to be a helpful guide for anyone interested in pursuing the art of traditional Saxon wiccecræft.