LUGH A SHINING GOD
OF SUCCESS AND SACRIFICE –
Part 2 of a Series on God/Goddess Archetypes
by Lorraine Henrich
July 31st marks
the feast of Lughnasadh , a Celtic holiday that dates back to pagan
times. Traditionally this was a day of friendly competition in the form
of horse races and contests of skills as well as poetry reading, music,
sacred fires, and marriage rites Although a peaceful holiday, this
celebration is said to have been created by the Sun God Lugh of the Long
Arm to honor his step mother Tailtiu who died of exhaustion after her
leaders commanded that she clear a wooded area for farming purposes.
When Lugh became the ruling King of her people, the Tuatha De Danaaan
he demanded that his stepmother be honored annually in this festival.
(1)
Although the
feast is in memory of Tailtiu, it is Lugh who is remembered during this
time, and for those who have not heard his name it is an important one
as the wisdom and skills of this archetype can be utilized today for
shedding light on our goals and recognizing that sacrifice is often part
of the process.
In the Welsh
tradition Llew(his original name) was born of a union between Arianrhod
and her brother Gwydion. The Powerul Wizard Gwydion raises Llew, but it
is Arianrhod who names and prepares Llew to be a warrior. Yet like any
path of initiation the gifts of enlightenment and empowerment are also
challenging, and Arianrhod in her shame over the circumstances of her
son’s birth, refuses to give her son a name. Yet as she watches her
strong golden haired son at play she remarks “the young lion has a
skillful hand” and thus his name actually means skillful hand and is
associated with the lion.
Later as the
Gaelic people discover and rename Llew as Lugh, his name comes to mean
the “shining one”. In his earliest years the young fair haired boy is a
remarkable being who displays amazing gifts and talents well exceeding
his years. But like a name, only a mother can bestow her son with
weapons and she having been tricked into naming her son, refuses that he
be armed with any weapons. Gwydion brings Lugh to the castle of
Arianhrod and presents their son as a champion in need of weapons. It
is only after she bestows him with his weapons that she realizes the
true identity of the champion (2).
Once again
furious over the deception of Gwydion, Arianrhod declares her son will
never have a wife of the “race that now inhabits the earth”. (3) In the
Gaelic tradition Llew is known a Lugh and his adopted mother is Tailtu
of whom he later dedicates a day to Llew leaves his Welsh home and
seeks to become a champion of the Tuatha De Danaan as a very young
man.. He presents himself to King Nuada through his prowess as a
healer, reader of the runes, warrior, doctor, and bard among other
things. He is accepted as a worthy champion because of his versatility
and ability to be master of many skills. (4)
Perhaps Lugh’s
greatest mastery comes with his ability to defeat deception and death.
In an effort to thwart Arianhrod’s final decree, Gwydion aided by
another powerful sorcerer and protector of Lugh, Math, create
Blodeeuwedd “the most fairest and graceful that man ever saw” – a wife
made of magick, oak, broom, and meadowsweet. Llew and his wife
prospered until the day Blodeewedd takes a lover and plots the death of
her husband with her consort Gronw. Blodeewuedd knows her husband has
superhuman abilities, yet she also knows the one way that he can be
destroyed. She sets a plan in motion in which Lugh is at his most
vulnerable state and calls her lover in to end her husband’s life. Yet
at the moment he is dealt his death blow he lets out a powerful scream
and is instead transformed into a mighty eagle who quickly takes fight
and lands on a magickal oak. Lugh’s death is avenged and Gronw is
killed and Blodeewueed is herself transformed into an owl as punishment
for her plot of betrayal. (5)
Even in death
Lugh’s story is one of rebirth and transformation. Like the Sun he
represents, Lugh is a powerful male archetypal force who shows us that
through adversity and even rejection we achieve the gretaest gifts of
abundance, empowerment, and enlightenment. He teaches us flexibility
and mastery of all skills. One of the gifts associated with Lugh is the
Gae assail or lightning spear, a magickal spear that never misses it’s
target. (6) Lugh teaches us to set our aims high and not to be attached
to an outcome as the most divine gifts come in the most unexpected ways
and from the most unexpected sources.
Working with
Lugh: Most appropriate time: August 1st ,when the Sun is in
Leo, or Sunday, preferably outside on a sunny afternoon. Please note it
is said that if it rains, after working with Lugh you have been blessed
with his presence.
Materials:
Earth: A wooden spear or
pointed stick to represent Lugh’s spear
Water: A
cauldron of any size or shape to represent the goddess and her gifts.
Place a small amount of water at the bottom of the cauldron
Air: Frankincense,
Cinnamon, Or Chamomile Oil or incense
Fire: A white candle on
the altar to represent purity and a golden candle placed inside the
cauldron
Suggested
Offerings and objects to place on the altar: Home made bread, A Vase of
Marigolds, Statues of the animals associated with Lugh – the Eagle, the
White Horse, or the Dog, the Sun card preferably from the Ryder Waite
or Thoth Tarot Deck
1 pieces of parchment or papyrus
and pencil
1 seed of your choice
Author’s
note: These are suggestions and can and should be enhanced with your
own creativity and connection to the Sun, to Lugh and your personal
goals and achievements
Light both candles and begin
Meditation:
With your eyes open look into
the flame of the golden candle and, when you are ready, bring that
golden flame into your third eye. Allow that flame to illuminate all of
your chakras and also create a flaming sphere of protection and strength
around you.
At this moment
Lugh appears to you in whatever form he chooses. He touches your 3rd
eye and all of your most recent goals and achievements are illuminated
before you. You present Lugh with a gift from the altar and you ask him
to assist you in having clarity on your intent or goals this past year.
With Eagle vision you are granted the ability to see all the inner and
outer qualities and aspects you have been cultivating since last year at
this time. Give thanks for all of your experiences and even for your
greatest rivals and challenges as these have paved the way for your own
growth. Express or receive forgiveness at this time for any misdeeds
you may have committed upon yourself or others. You are then presented
with the aspects that are ready to be released in order to pave the way
for gifts in alignment with your true nature and intent.
At this point
open your eyes, write down the aspects that need to be released and burn
them with the flame of the golden candle. Throw the embers into the
water of the cauldron and again focus your attention on the candle
flame.
Return to your
meditation and once again see yourself in a flaming sphere. Call Lugh’s
name and he will return once again in whatever form he chooses. Once
again present him with a gift and also state your intent for this
year. You find yourself under a mighty oak and as you lean against
this massive tree, you are filled with the joy and strength of the
Sun. You are now holding a spear. Throw this spear with the intent of
hitting the mark or goal of intent. Follow the journey of the spear as
it finds it mark. Open your heart and mind to the lessons of this
journey you have begun and feel that goal being achieved as the spear
hits its target, wherever that may be.
Open your eyes
and using the hand that held the spear, send your intent into the seed.
Plant the seed or keep it with you as a reminder of your goals and the
path to achievement.
Bibliography:
- Lughnasad
Iain MacAnTsaior
- Feast of Lugh The
Sun God Dal Raidhe Celtic Trust
- The Mabinogion
Translated by Lady Charlotte Guest
- Faery Wicca Tarot
Kisma Stepanich
- Bloodeewuedd
Judith Schultz
- Timeless Myths
Jimmy Joe www.timelessmyths.com
