Lughnasadh Ritual

Ritual for Connecting to the ‘Golden Light of Lughnasadh‘

This ritual and meditation is also available as an audio file below. Feel free to pause the audio to journal or drum etc. There is also a drumming song below for chanting to release the old and welcome in new energy. Please note, the volume levels on both tracks differ, please adjust your volume settings as necessary.

Guided ‘Golden Light of Lughnasadh’ guided ritual and meditation (The background music is the Ultimate Om by Jonathan Goldman):

Drumming song/chant for ‘Release, Let Go: – “Release, let go, let energy flow, within, through and around me.”

Ritual for Connecting to the ‘Golden Light of Lughnasadh‘ (Transcript of the above audio file.)

The following is a short ritual and meditation for connecting to the ‘The Golden Light of Lugnasadh’. It is adapted from the practice of Transfiguration as taught by shamanic elder and teacher, Sandra Ingerman.

You will need a candle, yellow if desired, a fireproof dish (optional), a pen and a notebook or journal, piece of paper, a little seasonal offering such as a biscuit or some blackberries etc. You may also like to have a drum or rattle if you so wish.

Designate sacred space in your usual way, whether you call to elements or simply state your intention. You could create a decorative outside altar with leaves, seasonal flowers and herbs, or simply light a tea light candle. As you create your space, keep in mind the intention, which is to align yourself and your inner world with the outer seasonal energy. It’s good to remember that although Lughnasadh is celebrated at specific times, you can do this ritual at any time over the next few weeks, especially around the full moon, which is when it would have been traditionally celebrated.

Light your candle, and acknowledge the golden flame representing the golden light associated with this time of year.

Settle yourself and take a few deep breaths to ground and centre. Visualise sending energetic roots deep into the Earth like tree roots, and energetic branches, mirroring the roots, up into the sky, deep into space. Feel the Earth below, feel grounded, held and rooted. Feel the vast cosmos above, feel that sense of spaciousness. Feel that sense of infinity. Feel inter-connected with all things. Breathe in that feeling of groundedness, breathe in that feeling of spaciousness. See if you can tune into the energy of the season, the very slow waning, the slow withdrawal and movement down and inward, very, very slowly preparing for rest in the winter.

Visualise the sun above and imagine you are standing in a golden field of wheat ready for the harvest. Everywhere has a golden hue, bathed late afternoon in sunlight. Feel the golden light all around you. 

Imagine you have a light within your heart space, that is being touched and filled with the golden light of the sun. Feel your inner light drinking in this golden light that you are surrounded by and beaming towards you. Breathe in this golden light until you feel it spreading throughout your body, in every cell, filling you with golden, radiant, healing light. Feel yourself radiating this light from your body, feel it surrounding you. Imagine the people you know around you who also have a light within them. Imagine the golden light from the sun and the golden light radiating from you, meeting their inner light and see it grow and expand like your own. Breathe in the light, breathe out the light, bask in its radiance. Your radiance.

Bring your awareness back to the sun and sense that it is now beginning to set. Although the outer light is now fading, feel your inner light still radiating. Recognise that inner light as also the light of self-love and compassion. It is also the light of gratitude. Breathe in the light as love and compassion, breathe in the light as gratitude for all the abundance you have in your life, however seemingly mundane or perhaps the kind of abundance usually overlooked. Honour the peace and abundance you are privileged to enjoy. 

Stay with this feeling and emotion of basking in and radiating out this golden light.  Breathing in golden light that fills your body from the heart space, breathing out golden light that shines on those around you. Take a few moments to imagine this light expanding and encompassing the whole of the Earth, going where it is needed. Breathe in the light as a sense of peace, self-compassion, abundance and gratitude. Breathe out the light as a sense of peace, compassion to others, as gratitude, as hope. Perhaps allow yourself to smile to yourself as you feel these qualities alive in your body in the here and now. Allow yourself to rest in this feeling of expansion, openness, peace and gratitude as the highest frequency and vibration of energy. Remember that vibration is feeling.Sit with that for as long as you wish. You may like to pause here. 

When you feel ready, slowly open your eyes and open your notebook or journal. Think about the things you would like to let go of, habits of thinking, lifestyle choices, even people, places, or things. Sense what feels aligned with you and the golden light within you that is still radiating; sense what doesn’t feel aligned. What nurtures this light, what drains it?
If you feel there are any habits (particularly habits of thinking such as self-criticism etc) that you would like to make a point of honorably releasing, write it down on a piece of paper in the form of an affirmation, such as: “I release the habit of criticising myself. I vow to be my own best friend”. Don’t dwell or add any storyline or criticise yourself further, simply acknowledge it and fold the paper. If safe to do so, you could light it with the candle and leave it to burn in the fireproof dish, or you could tear it up symbolically, releasing and compost it. As you tear or burn the paper, allow yourself to feel the release and relief of letting go completely. 

You might like to drum or rattle at this point and sing a releasing chant such as ‘release, let go, let energy flow’. And really build up that feeling of relief, releasing and feel that sense of letting go of tension, releasing habits or issues, letting them drop away and dissolving.

As you continue to drum or meditate, imagine you are filled with the qualities and feelings that would be present if your intention was manifested in the here and now. How would that feel in your body? Would you feel warmth? Would you smile? Would your shoulders relax? You may wish to journal any insights that arise from this.

Next write a list of everything you are currently grateful for. Don’t miss anything out, however seemingly minor or mundane. Include things like indoor running water, hot showers, food in the cupboard, safety, shelter, friends. Even if things aren’t perfect or exactly how you wish, keep focusing on the goodness and gratitude for all you have and keep the list going for as long as you can. Recognise and celebrate the abundance in your life and express gratitude for that. Perhaps there is even someone in your life that you are grateful for, perhaps you could even tell them and make a point of expressing that. Make a note of ways you might appreciate the things you do have even more, and offer a wish for those less fortunate to experience all of this goodness too. 

When you feel the session coming to a close, begin draw up your earthly roots, pausing to feel that sense of deep connection with the earth. Draw down the energetic roots from the cosmos, feel that deep sense of connection with the sun, the stars and the moon. At this point you may like to eat your biscuit or fruit, slowly and with reverence to both ground you and as an offering, as a way to think of and thank the energy of the Earth (and the human hands) that created it. Think of all the steps that converged to bring that food to your lips. Enjoy it and if possible and suitable, leave a piece on the earth as an offering.

You may wish to journal more about how these exercises have made you feel and make note of any further insights, thoughts or feelings. Consider the waning half of the year we are now noticeably entering. What might nurture golden light within you? What do you need to prioritise? What could you appreciate more? What could you practice releasing? It’s worth remembering that releasing and gratitude exercises are ones to practise time and again. Ask yourself what strengthens your light on a regular basis? What might it feel like to begin to tend to your ‘roots’ and to your needs, to feel safe, grounded and held and loved unconditionally…

When you’re ready, close your ritual by giving thanks and blowing out the candle and open your sacred space in you usual way or simply state your ritual has finished.

Jo Bourke/@mysticholisticworcester