by Claire du Nord
Serendipity! Synchronicity! Spontaneity! These words came to mind when I got to the checkout line, (after shopping for a new Lughnassadh/Lammas table cover without a bit of luck), and there it was, sitting off to the side, just waiting for me, (like someone else’s “On second thought, I don’t really need this. . .”)! And then the next store I went to had artificial sheaves of grain – wheat and amaranth – just what I was looking for, as well as the perfect color candlesticks and candles in the “Clearance Section”! Claire du Nord here, a High Priestess in the Temple of Witchcraft tradition, with the nineteenth article in our “For Broom Closet Witches” series.
I had wanted new decorations for this year’s Lugnassadh/Lammas celebration, as well as to try a new craft project – making a Corn Dolly! So, I had gone shopping specifically for the items I would need, and thankfully I was able to find them all in one shopping trip. This got me thinking about how that sort of corresponds to how all the grains must ripen at the same time for there to be a harvest at all! (This isn’t meant to be a deep dive into Botany or Agricultural Science, but just an idea for a Lughnassadh/Lammas contemplation): That for there to be a harvest of grains, so many tiny kernels must all ripen at the same time – simultaneously! Wow!
So, I took some pictures after setting everything out, and realized that there would have to be two separate sections to the table, one for the decorations, and one for the food, as my table is so small, and my decorations took up almost half of the space!
Here are all the decorations together, with the new table runner added to the yellow Litha table cloth, as yellow is still appropriate for Lughnassadh/Lammas:
And here are some of the individual decorations, up close:
The wheat and amaranth:
Purple corn in the cornucopia:
Here are the corn husks for making the Corn Dolly:
The corn husks must first be soaked in water in order to make them pliable:
After soaking for about 15 minutes, they are taken out of the water and dried with paper towels. Here are some of the corn husks for the Corn Dolly’s skirt, with a piece of fabric to tie them together:
For the Corn Dolly’s shirt, I cut a triangular piece of fabric with pinking shears, which give a “zig-zag” effect:
One piece of the corn husks would serve as the head and neck of the Corn Dolly, folded lengthwise and then in half and inserted between the front and back of the skirt. Two pieces of fabric would serve as a scarf for the Corn Dolly, once tied:
And here is the finished Corn Dolly, tied to the edge of the place mat:
For the Lughnassadh/Lammas refreshments, I made corn bread:
The corn bread was served it with butter, honey and milk:
I hope this article has been helpful, and until next time – Merry Meet, Merry Part, and Merry Meet again!
Lughnassadh/Lammas blessings,
Claire du Nord