Lammas 2025 | The Tailteann Games and the Carnelian Flame

On Sunday, August 3rd, the Divine Warrior Witches community gathered at Crescent Moon Gifts in Tacoma to celebrate Lammas—also known as Lughnasadh—the festival of the First Harvest. This year’s celebration carried us back to the Emerald Isle as we honored the sacred legacy of Tailtiu, foster mother to the radiant and skillful god Lugh, and brought to life the ancient Tailteann Games through storytelling, movement, competition, and song.

DWW warriors competed in trials of strength and skill, lifted their voices in offerings of remembrance, and received the blessing of carnelian to mark the turning of the Wheel. Together, we stepped across the threshold into the darker half of the year with courage, laughter, and a renewed sense of sovereignty.

SO BELOW | The Tailteann Games

Presented by High Priestess Cawnawyn

In the spirit of summer’s fire, Leo’s brilliance, and the height of the Sun’s power, we journeyed to ancient Ireland to witness the legendary Áenach Tailteann—the Tailteann Games. Lugh founded these Irish Olympic Games to honor his foster mother, Tailtiu, after she gave her life clearing Ireland’s wild forests to make way for agriculture.

The Tailteann Games were a gathering of clans, artisans, and warriors: a celebration of life’s resilience, communal pride, and the sacred act of honoring one who sacrificed everything so others might thrive. In this spirit, our community came together to celebrate skill, storytelling,

strength, and joy.

Lammas, Lugh & Tailtiu

Presented by High Priestess Serenity

Lammas, or Lughnasadh, marks the first fruits of the harvest—a turning point on the Wheel of the Year. Traditionally observed across Ireland and Scotland, this sabbat was a great communal gathering: a time for climbing sacred hills, forming alliances, trading goods, proclaiming laws, and blessing the land with offerings of grain and feasting.

At its heart lies the story of Tailtiu, the Earth Mother who cleared the land so future generations could plant and prosper. Her death from exhaustion moved Lugh to summon the clans—not only to mourn her, but to honor her through joyful contests of strength, wit, and craft. Her legacy reminds us that abundance is born from sacrifice, and that grief can become a flame that lights the path toward renewal.

As we gathered in her name, we honored what has been lost, celebrated what has returned, and stepped forward into the harvest season with gratitude and courage.

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AS ABOVE 

Presented by High Priestess Cawnawyn 

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CRYSTALS | Carnelian

Presented by Rowan and Jasper

Carnelian, the radiant stone of courage, vitality, and creative fire, was the featured crystal of this year’s Lammas ritual. Known throughout history as a stone worn by warriors, artisans, and leaders, carnelian is a reminder of our inner flame—the spark that drives us to act, create, and rise.

Spiritually, carnelian is associated with the sacral chakra, where movement, passion, and personal power reside. It helps dispel stagnation, emboldens confidence, and inspires forward momentum. For a sabbat dedicated to Lugh’s mastery and the athletic spirit of the Tailteann Games, carnelian was the perfect talisman.

Rowan and Jasper shared the geological beauty of this fiery stone as well: a form of chalcedony colored by iron oxide, polished and prized across ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and beyond. Warriors carried carnelian for protection; artists used it to carve seals and amulets; healers honored its energizing properties. At Lammas, each practitioner received a carnelian to bless with gratitude, grief, and personal reclamation—making it a powerful companion for the season ahead.

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THE RITUAL

by High Priestess Cawnawyn

Our Lammas ritual unfolded as an immersive journey into ancient Ireland, inviting every warrior into the spirit of celebration, remembrance, and transformation.

Circle was cast and the gods were invoked: Tailtiu, Mother of the Harvest, and Lugh, the Radiant Warrior of All Arts. We sang a Funeral Games Group Song, honoring the ancestors, the forgotten laborers, and all who came before us. 

“Tumbling Stone”.

I am a tumbling stone, I am a tumbling stone

Oh, my body is of earth, of earth and bone

My blood is of the river my blood is of the sea

Flow, flow, flow, the river, flow, into the sea

Then came the long-awaited Tailteann Games. Warriors rotated through four game stations—bow and arrow, slingshot, ring toss, and axe throwing—each guided by a member of the Divine Warrior Circle. Laughter and cheers filled the room as feats of skill were tested and friendly competition flourished. The final challenge, the “Great Horse Race of Destiny,” brought the entire community together in chaotic joy as dice-rollers and “hopping horses” raced across the room, embodying both silliness and the spirit of celebration.

In the First Harvest Crystal Blessing, each practitioner held their carnelian to their chest, speaking aloud a single word of gratitude. This was followed by the Sun’s Descent, a solemn moment of naming griefs and truths that had been buried or silenced. The room dimmed to candlelight as we honored the forgotten, the persecuted, and the hidden wisdom-carriers of ages past.

Finally, the room ignited once more as we listened to “The Witches Return,” our NEW Divine Warrior Anthem written by Cawnawyn Mor. Wheat bundles were given, oil blessings were offered, and voices rose as warriors named what they were reclaiming in this season. Energy surged, lifting the circle into a unified declaration:

Stream “The Witches Return” across all streaming platforms!

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CAKES | Apple Babka

Baked by Ritual Assistant, Rowan

We closed with a shared blessing over our Home-picked Apple Babka, a deliciously sweet, spiced roll for celebrating the First Harvest.

Find the recipe here.

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Thank You to the Divine Warrior Witches Community

This Lammas ritual was a powerful union of celebration, remembrance, and rising energy. Through competition, blessing, grief-work, and joyful enchantment, our community honored Tailtiu’s sacrifice and stepped boldly into the season of harvest.

Thank you for bringing your magic, your voices, your courage, and your hearts.

Your presence made the Tailteann Games come alive—and the energy raised tonight will be felt long after the wheel turns again.

We hope you carry the fire of Lugh, the resilience of Tailtiu, and the fierce joy of this ritual with you into the coming months.

In perfect love, and perfect trust, blessed be.