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Monday, August 01, 2016

Lammas

August 1st is Lammas, a Pagan/Celtic festival of the harvest. It's a dividing of the seasons that seems more apropos than Solstices and equinoxes. From the first of August, heat is still there but the wheat is being harvested and gardens are overflowing with produce (unless like ours the rains kept them from being planted early and the cold nights kept them from growing as they normally would have). 

I've used Lammas and other Celtic festivals or celebrations in several of my books because many of those books have mystical elements. Even today, often there is fear over anything potentially connected to witchcraft or mysticism that didn't come out of a standard and comfortable religion. Many of those standard religions base their own holidays on pagan celebrations but since many don't know that, it is okay, I guess.


In the new book, To Speak of Things Unseen, I went into the risks of even speaking of the 'other' side. The fear is you draw to you things/beings you'd rather not. Is this true? Well, when I write about a demon or monster in my books, I change the spelling slightly to not be the exact one normally found. Does that help? Not sure... 

In the second in the Barrio Viejo series, I had ghosts for the first time but not as characters. The only supernatural beings as characters were demons and monsters-- if you don't count wizards and witches...

Last major edit is finished on that book; so just in time for Lammas although I am unsure when it'll actually be out there. This is a busy season. Sales for books have been way down, but then I'm not doing much promoting of them either. I feel like just writing them is taking enough out of me. Soon I will start writing the third in this series. I look forward to that as it's more fun than editing-- as with only a general outline, I discover what's going to happen as I go.

Cat world is still in flux, and I am still resisting watching TV when it's about the news. Reading about it is bad enough. My dreams are amazing, but I remember no details when I wake up; however, it's enough I am enjoying them in sleep.

So if you are interested in Celtic holidays, check out that link for ways to celebrate this one-- which is why I am writing this blog out of my usual schedule. I'm flexible that way ;)

The photo below is one I used in my Facebook author page because it's where I'd like to be right now but can't manage it. I will be there in my imagination. It was taken in 2008 when I was 65. That seems like a different lifetime. Aging at this point in my life is interesting to say the least.





 

2 comments:

Tabor said...

Never was very superstitious. Not sure you can call demons and bad elements to you by words and ideas...actions that are evil is another story.

Rain Trueax said...

I don't know either but I know enough stories about monsters, based on experiences, that I don't want to test it. In my books, there is always a reason for a demon or monster's appearance and it's humans opening doors. We had neighbors a few years back where we used to discuss spiritual experiences. He was a professional and into Buddhism. He claimed he had been to a meeting in a nearby town where he saw a troll sitting on the back of a chair with the others in the meeting oblivious. I am sure, based on knowing him, that he didn't lie. But what exactly did he see? That's why I call life mystery. I like writing about the supernatural because I've had experiences also that I can't explain, but I try to keep it positive in the end ;)