Growing up in my very English/Scottish family, any alternative to Anglican religious practices was unthinkable. I followed my family ways without question, until my newly born interest in natural childbirth, ecology, and travels around the country led to an epiphany. A gradual one, to be sure, but it became a life-changing attitudinal adjustment. It was a time of questioning—the place of women, authority, war. We revised it all, or attempted to. I upended my own belief system for one that suited me better—one that took all sorts of roots into account, including my own British ones.
I began to delve into alternative spirituality, looking for an Earth-centered religion. Something I could resonate with. But I was disappointed. The books I found were shockingly lightweight. Fake words pretending antiquity (“be it ardane”), ego, and play-acting, as well as questionable behavior (“Whee, Whoa, Whack!”) were wrapped into each book. I didn’t want ceremonial magic, either. I had no interest in controlling entities. Was this all? Couldn’t there be something else, something deeper and more meaningful? I was in luck! A good friend introduced me to a lovely almanac entitled Witches All. A font of information! Just what I needed!
Through this wonderful resource, I discovered a fascinating book based on archeology: The Silbury Treasure: The Great Goddess Rediscovered by Michael Dames (Thames & Hudson, 1976). What a revelation! Here was the ancient harvest festival of early August laid out on the land of Britain, land of my ancestors. The Sabbat of Harvest described in the way that my own family may have celebrated it. This changed everything for me.
In ancient times, the “First Fruits” harvest would have been the most important to the individual, and family. The food of the previous year’s harvest had likely run out or spoiled. The animals could not be slaughtered until cold weather came and allowed for safe meat storage. Some greens, and a few fruits and berries, were available for picking, but an old name for July was “hungry July.” Hay was made for the animals, and they had good grass, but for people there was mostly milk, sour milk, and clabber (curds), and that was only after the calves were weaned. In fact, most dairy products were made into items allowing for several months’ storage so they could be eaten in the winter: cheese and butter. Other foodstuffs were pickled, fermented, or dried. The grain harvest is quite often the very first one to be made, as grain is sown either in late winter or early spring.
At a specific time, determined by the priesthood from the phase of the moon, and the state of the grain crop, major harvest activities began. Silbury Hill is a “harvest hill” near Avebury in southern Britain. It is one of many such hills found in Europe. Silbury is part of the huge complex of Stone Age sites comprising a year-long celebratory array, including Stonehenge and Avebury henge. Silbury Hill is a perfectly symmetrical man-made hill, with a shelflike platform on one side and ritual pathways to the summit. There is evidence that water had once surrounded the base. Michael Dames postulates that the shelf area was designed for oversight and ritual, the hill representing the womb of the pregnant Goddess. She gives birth to the moon, and to the harvest. The Full Moon rise would have been clearly visible from the shelf/platform. It appeared to rise from her lower body; she gave birth to it as they watched. Other harvest hills may have served a similar purpose.
Surviving harvest rituals in Britain and Europe, as well, show us that the “Spirit of the Corn” (any grain) was to be found in the last sheaf harvested. This sheaf was often called “the neck” and was carefully kept over the winter, to be sown with the spring grain crop. It was often woven into a corn dolly, a type of wheat weaving. The Spirit was thus perpetuated eternally, each year succeeding the previous one.
When I began to research the topic, it quickly became clear that many significant harvest rituals were performed during the first part of August: harvest dinners, horse fairs, and the ritualized climbing of certain mountains. Croagh Padraig in Ireland is a well-known one of these. Epiphany! Food, celebrated in plenty after privation. Horses, revered as goddess-companions, closely related to the grains they eat. Walking the Harvest Hill as a spiritual exercise often performed on the knees, and as homage to the Spirit of the Harvest, now translated to a beloved saint.
Speaking of “spirit,” with the harvest of the grain—oats, wheat, barley, maize—comes the time to brew beer, and stronger spirits, too. Brewing was crucially important in a time when water was not necessarily safe to drink. Alcoholic distilled spirits in many lands and in many languages, is called “water of life.” Even the word “whisky” is from the Gaelic: Uisghe mhath (pronounced ooshka va) or “good water!” Some aspects of the celebration could be ascribed to the lingering effects of the spirit of the grain.
In learning about ancient practices, I decided that the name “Lammas” or “loaf-mass,” although appropriate, was not my choice for this sabbat. “Lughnasadh,” in Irish Gaelic, or “Lughnasdahl,” in Scottish Gaelic, means “the funeral games held by Lugh” in honor of his mother, Tailtiu. While also appropriate, as many games are held at the end of harvest in celebration, they are not my choice, either. The best, most meaningful name, for me, is “Bron Trogain,” the “travail/labor of the Goddess in bringing forth the harvest.” This name is found in the earliest Gaelic tales. Finding the connection with the deep past has made all the difference to me. Finally, I could venture into the study of Pagan ways seriously, knowing that I was indeed in tune with earth-ways, as my ancestors had likely been out of necessity.
So. How to celebrate Bron Trogain in the most deeply satisfactory way? I like the pilgrim qualities of a long, contemplative path to the top of a Harvest Hill. I like the feeling of connection to the distant past … a time in which Stonehenge, Avebury, and Silbury were an intrinsic part of the year’s round. I have no mountain, but I can construct a ritual path on the ground upon which to meditate and bring forth the harvest: a labyrinth!
There are many sorts of labyrinth forms and designs available, including the beautiful Chartres labyrinth from the glorious cathedral nave. The simplest form to construct is the “seven circuit” labyrinth. It has a logic to the construction which is easy to understand, and simple to draw. There is even some archeological evidence that the seven-circuit form is the one used on Glastonbury Tor in Southern Britain.
A bit of personal history here: in 1984, a group of initiated, elevated witches formed a coven to celebrate sabbats together. We included the children of members in our celebrations, as we disapproved of their exclusion in many groups of the day. We, as Synergy, remained together for thirteen years. In that time, we developed an order of ritual that worked well for us. Each sabbat was written and celebrated by different members, often couples, hosting the ritual and assigning the roles. We were sometimes innovative, sometimes quite traditional. We called ourselves “experimental and experiential.” Some ideas worked, and some did not. Over time, everyone was able to host all of the sabbats of the yearly round. The “Bron Trogain” ritual is based on that order, with the addition of the labyrinth as our “harvest hill.”
This is the ritual outline: ground and center, ritual washing. (The grounding and centering is an important precursor to any ritual, done to focus intent. Ritual washing serves not only for cleansing but for further focus on changing from the everyday to another reality.) Processional. Make the temple/draw the circle, consecrate the circle with water and incense. Invoke/call the quarters, call the good people, invite the gods. (The previous actions are part of every Synergy circle, and create the sacred space.)
Music/chant. (Performed to raise energy for magics to be done.) Great magic/purpose. (This varies with the time of year, and need.) Cakes and wine. (Grounds the extra energy and provides social time.) Music/song (to unwind from the ritual). Thank the gods, thank the good people, thank the quarters, close the circle. (Do this in reverse to deconstruct the sacred space/temple.)
Ground and center/group hug (to finally “earth” the extra energy, if any). Feast and play.
This form can be as elaborate and complex as you can make it, or simple and quiet. Any words can be changed, or made more appropriate to the season. Space should always be left for meditation or personal introspection. Many decorative efforts can be made, or none. Costume is up to the individual. Experimentation is encouraged!