Wheel of Wonder August 10, 2014

Esbat!  The full moon ritual.  Many modern pagan traditions, often of Wicca or Witchcraft, celebrate the Full Moon and the energy that it is believed to bring with it through ritual and adulation.  At the time of this writing we are within this energy.  The Full moon for August 2014 is today, the 10th of August. Some describe this as the Full Moon in Leo and will say that personality aspects traditionally associated with the astrological sign of Leo are especially strong at this time.  On our Druidic Moon Calendar this would be the Hazel Moon.  From the perspective of the Ogham Hazel stands for wisdom and creativity, so these attributes should be especially strong at this time. That is interesting considering that we are shortly past Lughnasadh, the sabbat of the first Summer harvest. If you see harvesting not only as gathering the fruits and vegetables that are now ripening around us, but also as applying what you've learned this year to improving your life and the lives of others(harvesting your wisdom), follow through with that and you'll see how the change of the seasons and the energy of this month's moon have a place in your life.

Speaking of Lughnasadh, or Lammas, I was invited to attend a public Druidic ritual yesterday facilitated by a Gorsedd of the British Druid Order.  This particular ritual was special because Phillip" Graywolf" Shalcress, head of the BDO was visiting from the UK and was of course, present at the ritual.  What a great learning opportunity!  I'm hoping to have Graywolf on Wheel of Wonder as a guest today, and he is also available to speak in Olympia Tuesday of this week.  If you are one who ever wondered about modern Druidry, I hope you'll have occasion to hear him speak.  Watch this blog, and with luck, his Facebook profile to learn more.  Thanks for checking out wheel of Wonder!

The pictures to the left are entitled Lughnasadh Moon Maiden and Lughnasadh.  the latter inspired by John Barleycorn.