The Wiccan Church of Canada has offered open Wiccan temples facilitating classes, rituals, and training to the public since 1979. Drawing on resources available in our own communities and temples, we are a diverse, accepting, caring group of people united by our love of the Gods and our own journeys. W.C.C. classes and rituals are open to one and all, regardless of one's level of experience in the Craft. We offer an open, and accepting place to worship as an experienced practitioner or someone who's vaguely curious, all are welcome. We encourage you to check out the F.A.Q section on our website or contact us if you have questions. We hope our publication will reflect the diversity of our membership in offering a local pagan magazine written by the community for the community. Our articles are the voices of our community, those with knowledge and resources to share. Herbs and seasonal recipes we've tried and keep bringing back to our feast tables.We'll keep you abreast of pagan events, vendors and local artisans, as well as WCC classes & rituals.
The WCC is pleased to offer free online weekly classes Tuesday evenings 7:00-9:00 pm As well as a social Meet & Greet every Wednesday night via the ZOOM conferencing app. If you wish to participate, please email LPH.WCC@gmail.com with your email address.
The Wiccan Church of Canada
Wheel of the Year
August 1st holds two names, both British in origin. Lammas, Old English for "loaf mass," marks the cutting of the first grain. Lughnasadh ("the marriage of Lugh") honours the Celtic god in this golden season. In both cases, it's the first of the year's three harvests. Traditionally, this was a time of feasting, games, and celebration in praising the Mother Earth for her bounty, even as the God of the Harvest sacrifices himself, as he does every year, to feed us and leave seed for what's next. Growth, death, rebirth, all moving together. It's a good moment to look honestly at what you planted and tended, in soil or in intention, and see what actually grew. Give thanks by reaching out to the gods of grain and transformation such as Ceres, Roman goddess of agriculture and abundance, or Neper, Egyptian god of grain, they are worth getting to know. Let curiosity lead you toward a deity who speaks to this harvest, and find a way to honour them that feels like yours. Have fun in the research with … Craft Harvest Seed Art.Arrange grains and seeds into an image with craft glue (it dries clear) frame it for your altar, or press it into a small clay plate to use as a paten in ritual. Try your hand at bread.If you've never baked before, this is the season for it. Fold in herbs or vegetables from your own garden if you can. Bring wheat sheaves home from a farmers' market or craft store to anchor your altar or feast table. With enough sheaves, bind them into a torch and burn it safely as the sun sets, a small fire honouring the passage from life into death. And as you celebrate, remember some of the words from one of our favourite chants: “Corn and Grain, Corn and Grain, all that falls shall rise again”. So give thanks for the Gods’ sacrifice, giving of himself, and for the Goddess who holds the seeds in the earth. Sabbat Blessings to you all!
Stones with Sorcha
Pietersite
Pietersite is a brecciated mix of Tiger’s Eye and Hawk’s Eye. It appears in a variety of colours from dark gray and blue, gold, earth tones and tones of red. A breccia is a stone composed of many angular pieces of different stones, cemented together by chalcedony. It is made up of multiple chatoyant stones, these stones having the cat’s eye optical property. As it is a breccia, the direction of the chatoyant fibers in the pieces differs in each stone, thus making it extremely rare and unique. It has a silky luster and is an opaque stone. It sits at 6.5-7 on the Moh’s scale of hardness. Pietersite is a fairly new stone, having only been discovered in the region of Windhoek, Namibia in 1962 by Sidney Pieters, a Namibian prospector and gem dealer who dealt mainly in Tourmaline. While searching for a new Tourmaline deposit, he came upon a deposit of semi-precious chalcedony, which he named after his family. It became somewhat popular after Pieters attended the Tuscon Gem Show in 1977. Twenty years later, a second deposit of Pietersite was found in Nanyang, China. To date, these are the only 2 locations known in the world to have Pietersite. The swirling pattern has lent this stone to sometimes be called, “The Tempest Stone”, due to its flashes of golden light amid churning clouds of blues and earthen tones. Element:Air Energy:Projective & Receptive (depending on intention) Planet:Jupiter Chakra:Third Eye & Solar Plexus Zodiac:Sagittarius Tarot:The Fool & The Tower Sabbat:Lughnasadh/Lammas Magical Properties:Balance, Change, Clarity, Cleansing, Courage, Empowerment, Energy, Focus, Grounding, Growth, Insight, Intuition, Protection, Self-Esteem, Spiritual Connection, Strength, Support, Transformation, Vision, Willpower Magical Uses Pietersite is an excellent stone for meditation, shamanic journeying, and deep spiritual work. When meditating, place a piece of Pietersite on your forehead to help facilitate visions and accessing the Akashic Records. When worn or carried, this stone will shield you in storms of chaos, emotionally and physically. It's an excellent protector of our aura. If you're working in a high-stress environment, often interrupted while working on tasks, place a piece of Pietersite on your desk to help balance the environment and aid you in maintaining focus and your ability to prioritize. It will keep you on an even keel if you're suddenly asked to move your home or work place at short notice, helping you navigate the change with ease. If you must travel during bad weather, carry a stone of Pietersite in your pocket or place it in a sachet, or by stowing it under the car seat or floor mat to aid in helping you navigate safely. You can help an animal be calm and at ease during storms by tucking a piece of the stone in their bed. If you are looking to awaken your inner vision or strengthen your willpower, the energy of Pietersite supports deep transformation, clearing the path for new growth. Wear or carry a piece of the stone to help discharge negative energies and emotional turmoil to restore calm and clarity. Healing Uses Pietersite is super supportive during times of rapid change, and helps with keeping your emotions balanced and in check. It helps dissolve stubborn blockages and confusion, helping you to see the truth in complicated situations. By strengthening personal power, it encourages victims to speak their truth and walk their path with conviction, overcoming outside obstacles. It helps us process negative experiences so that they don't become pent-up traumas trapped in our subconscious, breaking up inner conflicts.Pietersite helps stimulate the pineal and pituitary glands, and the brain in general. During this first harvest time of Lughnasadh, invite Pietersite into your realm of being to help align yourself with the transformation that is unfolding amongst us. Feel the gratitude and give thanks to Mother Earth for all which she has provided us during the growing season. Let it lend you strength to face the hard work ahead, whether it be canning jars and jars of tomatoes, pickles, and sauces to delight every tastebud, reaping golden fields of grains, corn, and beans, or even the inklings of “back to school” days approaching, know that Pietersite has your back. The time of transformation is now, and I say “Bring it!” Have a very blessed Lughnasadh folks!
Barley
“And they hae sworn a solemn oath, John Barleycorn should die.” – Robert Burns, 1782 Nothing says First Harvest like the sacrificing of the corn King. The story of John Barleycorn is a folktale that dates from the 16thcentury (first recorded) in England and Scotland. However, the idea of the death and rebirth of crops in various forms go back millennia One of the first grain crops to be ready for the first harvest at Lughnasadh is Barley It is one of humanity's oldest cultivated grains and a member of the grass family Poaceae or true grasses which include cereal grasses, bamboos and lawn grasses. Some of the common names for barley are barley, common barley, malt barley, pearl barley, Jau (India), bere (Scottish name). It has been growing for thousands of years as a staple food, animal feed, and brewing grain. Archaeological evidence indicates that barley was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent, a region encompassing parts of modern Iraq, Syria, Israel, Jordan, and Turkey approximately 10,000 years ago. This makes it one of the first crops cultivated by early agricultural societies. It was domesticated from wild barley and spread across Europe, Asia, and North Africa during prehistoric times. From there it spread throughout the world with the migration of agricultural societies and has become naturalized in most temperate regions. Barley is an annual cereal grass with upright stems that typically reach 1–4 feet (30–120 cm) in height. The plant produces distinctive seed heads composed of rows of spikelets tipped with long bristle-like awns. Depending on the variety, barley may be classified as two-row or six-row, referring to the arrangement of grain-bearing spikelets on the seed head. The mature grain ranges from golden yellow to light brown. Barley has self-pollinating flowers. Barley can be separated into two main groups with differing habits. Spring Barley will mature within 60 to 120 days. Winter Barley on the other hand is planted in the fall, overwinters and then matures about 11 months after planting. Spring barley is mostly grown in cooler climates such as Canada and Winter barley is most often grown in regions where the winters are mild. Barley has long been valued as a nourishing grain and has a wide variety of applications including soups and stews, porridge, breads, breakfast cereals as well as a variety of health food/grain bowls. It is also a staple in malt production, beer and whisky making and vinegar production. It is high in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, proteins, B vitamins and several minerals. Because of the high beta-glucan content it is considered a heart-healthy food as a whole grain. Medicinally barley is most often used as a nutritive tonic for the ill, soothing food for stomach or other digestive issues. As an ingredient in barley water, it is used for hydration. As a whole grain it has a role in supporting healthy cholesterol levels as well as blood sugar management. Magically there are two schools of thought when it comes to correspondence, and this is where your own intuition and magical practice should prevail. Because of its golden nature and preference for the sun as well as the association with the August Harvest, Barley can be considered masculine and associated with the Sun and the sign Leo. For this reason, it can be associated with the element of Fire. However, because of Barley’s long association with hearth and cooking, traditional correspondences list Barley as feminine, associated with the planet Venus and the sign of Taurus, and the element of Earth. Barley has strong ties to the Goddess Demeter and Ceres as well as the gods Freyr and Lugh Barley is associated with prosperity, abundance, fertility, growth and manifestation as well as household stability and protection You can use the grains in sachets for prosperity or harvest offerings such as grain dolls on your altar or shrine. Use it in your bread for feast or offer up some beer to the Gods in your rituals. Whatever you do it will be wonderful edition to the first harvest celebration of Lughnasadh Note: In England, Scotland, and Ireland, corn refers to the dominant cereal grain such as wheat, barley or oats. Corn as we know in North America is called sweetcorn or maize over there.
Herb Lore with Glenys
Directions 1. In a large bowl, whisk together the lukewarm water, honey, and yeast. Let sit for about 5 minutes, until frothy. 2. Lightly pulse the sunflower seeds in a blender until roughly chopped. Stir the seeds into the whole wheat flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and sunflower oil, mixing until combined. 3. Gradually add about half of the white flour and begin kneading by hand. Continue adding more flour as needed until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. 4. Place the dough back into the bowl. Cover with a clean towel and let rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size. 5. Punch down the dough and divide into two equal portions. Shape into loaves and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and allow to rise again for another hour. 6. Bake Preheat oven to 400°F (375°F if your oven runs hot). Brush the tops with egg white and sprinkle with extra sunflower seeds. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown.
The Sabbat Table
This bread is traditionally associated with Lammas and Lughnasadh, the first harvest festival. Each ingredient carries its own symbolic meaning: Honey: abundance, divine connection, sweetness of life Sunflower seeds: prosperity, joy, solar energy Whole wheat: harvest, nourishment, the cycle of growth Bake with intention, focusing on gratitude, abundance, and the fruits of your efforts. This bread can be shared, offered, or enjoyed as part of seasonal ritual.
Ingredients 1½ cups lukewarm water 4 tablespoons honey 1 packet instant yeast 2 tablespoons sunflower oil ½ cup sunflower seeds (plus extra for topping) 1½ cups whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons salt 1½ to 2 cups white flour 1 egg white
Sun Bread
The Corn Dolly: A craft for the first cutting Across the British Isles and Europe, the last stalks cut from the harvest field were never treated as ordinary straw. The old belief held that the spirit of the grain, sometimes called the Corn Mother or John Barleycorn, lived in the final standing stalks. So the last sheaf was gathered and woven into a small figure, the corn dolly, and kept safe in the home until spring. Soak: Submerge the dried husks in warm water for 10 minutes until they are soft and pliable. Blot them lightly with a towel so they are damp but not dripping wet. Make the Head and Torso Stack 4 large husks together, matching their shapes. Tie a piece of twine tightly around the stack, about 3 cm down from the pointed top end. Hold the tied end in your hand and pull all the husks down over the knot. This smooths out the top to form the top of the head. Form the Neck: Tie another piece of twine tightly around the bundle about 2 cm below the top fold to create the neck. Make the Arms Take a single husk and roll it up tightly into a thin tube. Tie twine around each end, about 1 cm from the edges, to create the wrists. Trim the excess husk at the tips. Slide this arm tube horizontally through the middle of the chest bundle, directly underneath the neck tie. Tie a piece of twine tightly around the torso just below the arms to form the waist. Finish the Bottom (Skirt or Pants) For a Skirt: Tie 3 or 4 extra husks around the waist with the wide ends pointing up toward the face. Then, fold them down over the waist tie to create a full, layered skirt. Trim the bottom edges straight so the doll can stand up. For Pants: Divide the husks below the waist into two equal bundles. Tie twine around the ankles of each bundle, and trim the ends. Dry the Doll. Prop the doll upright or hang it by a string to dry completely for 24 hours. The husks will stiffen as they dry. Traditionally kept through winter near the hearth or door, as a guardian of the harvest and a promise of the next sowing. At Imbolc or spring planting, the dolly was returned to the earth, plowed into the first furrow or burned, so the grain spirit could go home. You don't need a field to keep this custom. A corn dolly kept on a home altar through the dark months, then composted or burned at Imbolc or spring equinox, carries the same gratitude for what was reaped, and trust in what will grow again.
ISBN:978-1-80341-746-2
BELLAS BOOK NOOK
It’s funny how writers block comes and goes like an ill wind. It can last for several hours or for a few minutes when you can’t find that right word to finish a sentence. When this happens, I light my altar candles, some incense (Mastic smells wonderful,) add a petition to the Gods and the words start to flow. This time, it’s an exceptionally long drought… nothing, zip, zilch, and saw dust. Yes, writer’s block can last for years. At this point my mind is like a desert; the words have completely dried up. There is no oasis; alas, it’s just a dried riverbed, where words used to flow…sigh. To my amazement, what should fall into my hands? A book from Pagan Portals, entitled: The Muses, Calling to Creativity and Inspiration by Irisanya Moon. Published by Moon Books, at 99 pages, ISBN:978-1-80341-746-2, available in paperback (at Indigo Books) for $16.95 plus tax. The endnotes include websites, an appendix, and a bibliography that has a wide reach for further reading. “If we want to dream of a new world, we need all the help we can get.” You can read the rest of this quote on the Indigo Books review. These inspirational words are followed by the Orphic Hymn LXXVI – Invocation of the Muses. The next few chapters explain not just how to connect with the Muses, but who they were, through excerpts from various ancient texts. Cue Plato. Add to that, their lovers, children, and suggested ways to honour them. The various stories surrounding the Muses, their places of worship, and of course the assortment of cults, how to call them for creative assistance, as well as modern day Muses. The concluding chapter revolves around cultivating a relationship with the Muses, which includes a ritual for dedication to the Muses. One thing that I found quite contemplative appears at the end of the closing chapter. The words dedicated to The Muses, written as if it were for the closing of a ritual. Beautiful, poetic, and reverent. Overall, it’s a wonderful introduction to a way to connect with the creative side of your spiritual life. So, with that, may you have a wonderful Lammas, enjoy the dog days of Summer, and until next time…. Happy Reading!
Pan: God of the Forests Pan comes from Arcadia, a rugged mountainous region in the central Peloponnese that the Greeks treated as wild backcountry. That's his territory: forests, high pastures, rocky hillsides, caves, and the flocks grazing through them. He's shown as part man and part goat, horns, beard, and goat legs, an image already fully formed in his earliest appearances in Greek art. Most sources name Hermes as his father, with a nymph or Dryad as his mother. His worship stayed centered in Arcadia for a long time. He wasn't a distant, temple-bound god. Shepherds and hunters met him directly, out in the landscape. He's credited with inventing the panpipes, after the nymph Syrinx turned herself into reeds to escape him, and he's usually pictured mid-chase, mid-music, or dozing in a cave at midday, an hour Greek shepherds believed too risky to disturb him. He's also the origin of our word "panic." Travelers in empty wilderness sometimes felt sudden, groundless dread, and the Greeks credited that feeling straight to Pan's unseen presence. Pan fits high summer naturally: flocks at pasture, forests at their fullest, midday heat unavoidable. If you're building a summer practice around wild places, he suits actual time outdoors, a walk through unfamiliar woods, sitting still until you notice what's moving, or just paying attention to that flicker of unease genuinely wild places can bring. Ancient shepherds didn't explain that feeling away. They just knew whose territory they were in Sources: World History Encyclopedia, Theoi Greek Mythology,
A Summer Rite for Pan What you need: Bread (ideally something simple/rustic , the more "first grain" it feels, the better), water or wine, an outdoor spot with some wildness to it. Seek the sun Stand a moment in the full sun, the cicada noise, the thick air. This is Pan's season the wild going gold and heavy, the year at its ripest and most restless. Call Pan, goat-footed one, the fields are gold, the grass is dry, the herds grow lazy in the heat of noon. This is your hour. Be near, be easy, be welcome. Offer the bread Break off a piece. Set it on stone or earth, or scatter it where wild things will find it. Our First bread, wild god! yours before it is anyone's. Take it, and bless what grows untamed. Pan, wild one, son of Hermes, lord of this place, this trail, this space, I walk in your country today. Be near, be easy, be welcome. Listen Let yourself feel the season fully … sweat, sun, the low drone of insects. This presence leans into the wildness of high summer instead of retreating from it, this is the offering. Our presence and attention, reaching for the Divine. Take the moment with you into the day. Close Hail Pan, Io Pan!
LOCAL RESOURCES
Obskurah Bazaar www.obskurahbazaar.com Candles, Tarot & Oracle decks, magical curios, ritual supplies, spiritual self-care items, herbs, books, incense and occult inspired accessories are available online or at our retail shop in Hamilton, Ontario. Our goal is to provide ethically sourced, sustainably made, fair trade and ecofriendly products that support fair wages and working conditions for the makers and honor their traditions.
The Occult Shop www.theoccultshop.ca Your one stop shop for quality occult, Pagan, Santeria and Wiccan spiritual supplies & gifts. Specializing in custom incense sticks and cones, herbal blends, bath salts and over 2,000 magical oil blends. All made in house. We also carry a variety of books, candles, herbs & roots, jewellery and much more.
SKY GAZERS ~ as above, so below ~
August starts off quietly, but with anticipation building for a rare summer sky. The Perseids meteor shower peaks every year in mid-August; in 2026, this peak is expected to occur on the night of August 12th into the morning of August 13th. At its peak, you can expect to see up to 100 meteors per hour under ideal dark-sky conditions. The moon will be a 0% illuminated New Moon, which is extra special because its perfect alignment will also create a total solar eclipse during the day over parts of the world, leading into completely dark, pristine night skies perfect for meteor spotting! Don't forget to make a wish! The second meteor shower in August will occur on the night of August 18th. On this night, you can look for the peak of the Cygnid meteor shower. The moon will be 33% illuminated in its waxing crescent phase meaning it sets in the evening, leaving a relatively clear sky for late-night stargazing and meteor spotting. August 28 - Full Moon (Sturgeon Moon). This month's full moon is the Sturgeon Moon, and it will also feature a partial lunar eclipse! September 22 - Autumn Equinox. In September, Neptune is at Opposition on September 26th. The blue giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth, and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be at its brightest for the year and visible all night long. However, because it is so distant, you will still need binoculars or a telescope to spot it. On September 26th, the full moon rises. This moon is also known as the Harvest Moon, as it is the full moon that occurs closest to the September equinox each year.
The WCC is pleased to offer free online weekly classes Tuesday evenings 7:00-9:00 pm via the ZOOM conferencing app. If you wish to participate, please email LPH.WCC@gmail.com with your email address.
Community Happenings
A Blessing for Lammas to Harvest Tide Blessed be the first grain, cut and gathered. Blessed be the hands that grew what we now hold. Blessed be the turning ... light to gold, gold to amber, amber to rest. We give thanks for what ripened. We give thanks for what we tended. We give thanks for the fields that feed us, and for the quiet that follows the harvest. As the sun leans toward the horizon, may we carry summer's work into autumn's rest. May our stores be full, our hearts be full, and our tables be shared. From Lammas to Harvest Tide, so the Wheel turns. Blessed be.
WCC Meet & Greet Meet the Wiccan Church of Canada community every Wednesday evening @ 7 pm via Zoom. Open to the public across Canada, as our members across the country sign on for our online Community Get Together. A time to meet new friends, see the faces you have been missing. Whether the conversation is around sharing how you honour your Gods, your magics, or just to soak up the support of community during a tough time, it is a great get together. Come on out and join in the fun! Email lph.wcc@gmail.com for the link
WildFlute on Spotify brings you music inspired by wild spaces, and places. Jaye Marsh offers Classical, Rock and everything in between compiled for your pagan moods.
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WILDMOOD
Windsor
Looking to find out whats going on in your local temple? Perhaps you have questions regarding classes and rituals. Maybe you're a new seeker, or a solitaire looking for company or to share favourite seasonal fare; all are welcome. Our online communities are rich with diverse experience, skills and pagan knowledge. WCC Facebook groups strive to be safe spaces to discuss the Wiccan Craft and explore ideas of paganism in general without politics or proselytizing. Come see what we get up to between the sabbats!
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