Darts and Dice of Hope for Lughnasadh

At Lughnasadh, the first of the harvest festivals on the Wheel of the Year, the god-hero Lugh encourages all of us to face our fears and fight for justice in the hope of creating abundance for all. Lugh is not only known for his prowess in battle, but also his love of games. Let's make a peaceful kind of weapon (a dart) and a game piece (a die) to put our hopes for our future out into the world.

-paper

-ruler

-pen or pencil

-markers, crayons, or colored pencils

-scissors

-tape

Write and draw your hopes for this harvest season on one of your pieces of paper.

This is a simple way to make a dart (aka a paper airplane).

Fold the paper in half lengthwise. Then, unfold it, and fold the top corners down so they meet in the center.

Fold it in half lengthwise again, with the corner folds on the inside.

Unfold it, and fold the sides in so that it looks like a triangle!

Fold it again lengthwise. It looks like a really thin triangle now!

Then, lay it down with the fold on the bottom, and fold one side down. Then flip it over, and do the same on the other side. Now your dart has wings! If you throw it, it'll glide through the air.

Measure along the bottom and the side of your paper with the ruler, marking each inch. This will help you make a pattern for a die!

Using those measurements and the grid as reference, use the ruler as a straight edge to measure and trace four squares across your paper, 1.5 or 2 inches on each side. Then, add two more squares of the same size above and below, so that the shape looks like a cross on your paper.

Cut out the cross shape, and cover each side with things you're hopeful for!

Crease each square, and then tape the edges so that it forms a cube.

Bring your hopes on Sunday to the Wheel of the Year service, if you like! We'll be incorporating them into the story.