Lammas

Lammas (or Lughnasa) is now one of the most obscure of the eight festivals of the witches' Wheel of the Year. This book features practical advice on how to celebrate the festival, themes to explore, recipes, incense, spells, traditional types of divination, and information about several full rituals.

The New York Times–bestselling author explores the occult history of WWII in this thriller inspired by true events during the Battle of Britain. The year is 1940, and Great Britain’s forces struggle against the invincible Nazi war machine. France has fallen easily to Adolf Hitler’s army and England is next in his sights. A British secret agent pays the ultimate price to deliver early warning of the Führer’s secret plan to harness the awesome power of the occult to conquer Great Britain by launching a supernatural assault that no defending military force could possibly deflect. British Intelligence operative Col. John “Gray” Graham of MI6 is not only a valuable player in the great game of wartime espionage, he is also a practitioner of the ancient occult arts. In this life—and other lives before—Gray’s destiny has been firmly intertwined with that of his close friend Prince William of the British royal family. Now, with the future of Britain at stake, these two men, the spy and the royal, must rally the hidden adherents of the Old Religion, hoping to unite the British covens in defense of their endangered island homeland. But it will take more than combined Wiccan sorcery to repel the Reich’s black magic on Lammas Night—and the sacrifice required might be greater than imagined and truly terrible to endure. Lammas Night is a spectacular feat of creative imagination from the author of the acclaimed Deryni fantasy series. Smart, affecting, and brilliantly conceived, it is an enthralling combination of historical fiction, war novel, and the occult that will appeal to fans of all fantastic literature.

Lammas is the third instalment of 1588: A Calendar of Crime, a collection of short stories published in step with the sixteenth century calendar. Lammas day, a day of celebration for some. Elspet, a serving girl at the harbour inn has been told for years by the inn's owner, Walter Bone, that she is ugly and that no man will ever want her. Then, after years of being shut away from the world she unexpectedly catches the attention of a young labourer and realises she has been lied to all these years. She meets her lover in secret at the Lammas day fair, but her dalliances do not go unnoticed . . . Hew Cullan finds himself retained by a man with a mind for murder. Walter Bone makes clear his intent to kill Elspet's lover, and seeks Hew's help to ensure his will is upheld when he is inevitably hanged for the act. But his jealousy has unexpected consequences. When Elspet disappears without a trace several innocent fair-goers and patrons are dragged into a web of suspicion, rumour and accusation. It falls to Hew to unravel the twisted threads and figure out the truth of the matter.

The great folk song of 'The Ould Lammas Fair of Ballycastle O' is a celebration of one of the oldest and most popular fairs in Ireland. It still has the power to draw visitors from far and wide and is a not-to-be-missed event for the locals. It is full of history. For older folks, it is a time to remember 'the scene that haunt' the memories. For the younger folk, it is an occasion to tune into the excitement of a by-gone times. - When else would one enjoy the unsophisticated taste of dulse and yellow-man except, of course, when - like in the song - on the pouting lips of a Mary-Anne. But the ancient reach of the Lammas Fair goes much further. Its origins are immersed in pre-history, in times long before the message of St Patrick was heard in Ireland, when gods of light and fertility were celebrated. This booklet, an updated publication of the original written in the 1966, retraces much of what is known and some of what can only be guessed at about the origin and development of this truly traditional event.

"Lilith Celebrates Lammas" is the first of a series of children's picture books that celebrates the Witch's Sabbats and Esbats. In this story, young Lilith, along with her brother and sister, celebrates the Harvest festival of Lammas. She and her family spend the day honoring the God and Goddess, playing games, giving gifts, and enjoying their Festival Feast!

July 1478, and business is good for Bristol's bakers during the lead up to Lammastide - 'Loaf-mass', the ancient harvest festival. But the shady Jasper Fairbrother's baking days are over when he's found face down with a knife in his back. Suspicion immediately falls on the mysterious Breton who'd arrived that day and had been seen having an argument with Fairbrother. But when it emerges that the Breton is also a suspected Lancastrian spy, Roger the Chapman wonders if suspicion of murder is merely a convenient pretext for the authorities to hunt down the Breton. True, there is no reason for Roger to take an interest in the case, and should he when he ought to be peddling his wares to provide for his new baby boy? But his curiosity and sense of justice is piqued - and before he finds out who murdered the baker, he is to become more than a little personally involved as some of the things nearest and dearest to his heart come under threat.|"Sedley offers an absorbing view of 15th-century English society and politics, along with an intricate plot to keep readers guessing"|"Exceptionally well written and wondefully entertaining. A fine addition for all mystery collections"

Each year the Lammas Fair draws musicians and story-tellers to the grounds of the 17th-century house where Mick's father is manager. This year a woman comes to sell herbs and candles - and offer Mick help with his music. His flute-playing blossoms, yet he is consumed by it, fading as the music swells. Grotesque incidents mar the Fair. In horror, Mick's friend Katie understands the woman is drawing Mick into the Otherworld, to cross the boundary for ever. A compelling evocation of ancient folklore: the luring of a young man by a faery woman, and the rites of the Corn King, nurtured to full growth, then cut down.

Ian Duhig has long inspired a fervent and devoted following. With The Lammas Hireling - the title poem having already won both the National Poetry Competition and the Forward Prize for Best Poem - Duhig has produced his most accessible and exciting volume to date, and looks set to reach a whole new audience. A poet of lightning wit and great erudition, Duhig is also a master balladeer and storyteller who shows that poetry is still the most powerful way in which our social history - our lives, loves and work - can be celebrated and commemorated.