Celtic Wonder

Lammas Ritual

"What will be is. What was will be.
The Wheel of the Year forever turns.
Dark to light, light to dark,
each season passes with lessons learned.

We plant with love, tend with respect,
and at Harvest time our yields reflect The bounty of our Mother Earth,
ripened by our Father Sun.

Now upon our humble hearth, gifts we offer the Two that are One.
As each day passes, shorter than the last.
May we each be reminded of the seasons that have passed.
The marriage and the seeding of the Goddess back in May,
Her womb swollen with life anew at Summer Solstice Day,
All this time the Father Sun has shone with so much pride.

Rising early, setting late,
and now that he's supplied The warmth and light to bring to bear,
the Goddess and the lands He knows that his death is drawing near,
but this secret he understands,
that with the turning of the wheel, his rebirth has been planned."


"Truly blessed are we that receive the bounty of the Harvest,
Blessed be our Mother Earth,
Blessed be our Father Sun,
As he teaches us of life, death, and rebirth.
I honor Thee, The Two that are One."


"Blessed be the Harvest,
Blessed be the Corn Mother,
Blessed be the Grain God,
For together they nourish both body and soul.
Many blessings I have been given,
I count them now by this bread."


"Guardian of the East, I pray for your indulgence.
Hear me now as I request your aid in the cycle of life.
As your winds blow through fields of ripened grain,
Carry loosened seeds upon your back That they may fall amidst the soil
that is our Mother Earth.

She will cover them in times of storm, protecting and nourishing Them until they sprout next Spring, beginning life anew."


"I give thanks to the Great Mother,
Goddess of fertile land.
And to the Great Father,
Consort and Provider.

For as their bounty sustains my life,
so does their bounty sustain my brethren;

All living creatures of wood and field,
Of lake and stream, and of air.

Of these blessings I partake And share.
Blessed be this Harvest Night, The Givers and the gift."


"All things have their season.
Again the wheel has turned and brought us To the season of the First Harvest.
A time when we think about sacrifices and reborn hope,
A time when we reflect on what we have sown by what we reap,
A time when we gather our memories,
And from those lessons that we have learned,
We plan for the future.

Blessed Be our Mother, whose womb contains and bears all life.
Blessed Be our Father, whose seed plants all life.
Blessed Be the Two that are One,
From Them life flows and flows back again."

Mummer's Dance

Summer Solstice Chant/Litha

Sun spirit shine with might
Goddess keep us through the night
Living, breathing, lighted flame
From deep within they rise again

Sure as the wind

Sure as the wind my people and sure as the rain
Sure as the sun does shine we will raise our song again

Irish Soda Bread – Roseline Barretts ,a family tradition.
Preheat oven to 375*F, Ingredients.
3-l/2 cups of flour
2/3 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 tablespoon of baking powder

Mix: 2 tablespoons of soft/melted butter into above mixture.

Add: 1-1/2 cups raisins
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
2 beaten eggs
1-1/2 cup of buttermilk.

Gradually stir in the added items and mix and evenly distribute
Pour Mix: Pour into lightly greased loaf pan
Bake: 375*F for 1 hour.
Cool on Rack. Enjoy. This is a traditional recipe. It makes a great loaf of Soda Bread, easy to cut into slices and butter, delicious.

Alternate(s): (a) Round Loaf Style. If you want the rounded soda bread look, shape the dough into a round loaf, and place on a reased baking sheet. Cut an “X” on the top and over the sides of the loaf. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.
(b) Caraway Seeds. Some of the younger irish don’t enjoy the caraway seeds in the bread. It is acceptable to remove without substitution.
(c) Raisins: the traditional bread uses brown. To lighten up the loaf, you can use brown or golden or a ½ and ½ mixed.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

BELTANE CHANT

Here we come a piping,
In Springtime and in May;
Green fruit aripening,
And Winter fled away.
The Queen she sits upon the strand,
Fair as lily, white as wand;
Seven billows on the sea,
Horses riding fast and free,
And bells beyond the sand.

Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled
1 pound roast lamb or mutton, minced
3 ounces butter
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 pint lamb stock (made from drippings of the roast with the fat taken off)
Salt and pepper
1/4 pint (approximately) milk

Instructions
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C/375 degrees F. Fry the onion in 1 ounce of the butter until lightly browned. Stir the onion into the minced meat and season well with salt and pepper. Add the stock until the mince has a soft, moist consistency. Put into an ovenproof dish and leave to form a skin.

Meanwhile, boil and drain the potatoes. Mash them with at least 1 ounce of butter and enough milk to make them creamy. Season them well. Spread the potatoes over the minced meat, roughen the top with a fork, and dot with the remaining butter. Bake for 30 minutes at the top of the oven so the potato is well browned.

Variations
Worcestershire sauce or cayenne pepper can be added for a hotter flavor. The top can be glazed with beaten egg if a crisper top is desired.

Modern Scottish Proverbs

There are plenty more fish in the sea – unless you are impacted by regulation ‘Sea Fishing (Restriction on Days at Sea) (No.2) (Amendment) Order 2004’.

A lie travels round the glens while truth is putting his trousers on.

Do not blame God for having created the Ned, but thank Him for not having given the little bugger your daughter’s phone number.

A hand on ra burd is worth two on a bush.

If it wisnae for marriage, husband and wives would hae to fight with strangers.

Better late than pregnant.

The man who prizes his penis disnae let his wife play her bagpipes in bed.

Oh you tak' the high road and I'll tak the low road an' I'll hit the M8 road-works afore ye.

The word-processor is mightier than the sword.

Bangers and Mash

INGREDIENTS

* 8 large baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
* 2 teaspoons butter, divided
* 1/2 cup milk, or as needed
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 1/2 pounds beef sausage
* 1/2 cup diced onion
* 1 (.75 ounce) packet dry brown gravy mix
* 1 cup water, or as needed


DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, and mash with 1 teaspoon of butter, and enough milk to reach your desired creaminess. Continue mashing, or beat with an electric mixer, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage until heated through. Remove from pan, and set aside. Add remaining teaspoon of butter to the skillet, and fry the onions over medium heat until tender. Mix gravy mix and water as directed on the package, and add to the skillet with the onions. Simmer, stirring constantly, to form a thick gravy.
3. Pour half of the gravy into a square casserole dish so that is coats the bottom. Place sausages in a layer over the gravy (you can butterfly the sausages if you wish). Pour remaining gravy over them, then top with mashed potatoes.
4. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until potatoes are evenly brown.

May the road rise up
To meet you.

May the wind be always
At your back.

May the sun shine warm
upon your face.

May the rain fall soft
upon your field,

And until we meet again.
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.