Being a solitary Wiccan (in study!) can be really difficult sometimes, but today I realized that celebrating holidays alone is maybe the hardest part, especially since my religion is secret to almost everyone I know, especially my family.
No holiday meals together, no harvest parties and celebrations, no coven meetings or special celebrations; just me. But I do what I can to make the holiday special, I prepared a nice Lughnasadh dinner and left offerings for the Horned Hod, and told him I hoped it would give him strength before his death in the upcoming months.
Nothing fancy, just developing my relationship with deity; do what you can!
Exactly in between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Commonly celebrated 2 February, it is the day the Sun crosses the middle degree of Aquarius: The Water Bearer (15°). This sabbat coincides with Catholic Candlemas, and is often celebrated similarly. We light candles to help bring us out of the darkness and into the light of the new year.
Ostara: 19 March 2020, 23:55
Beginning with the Sun in Aries: The Ram (0°), the first of the Zodiac wheel, we celebrate the first of the fire elementals. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, Ostara is the first day of spring, and a fertility celebration begins. This sabbat coincides with Catholic Easter, also a time of regeneration and being “born again.” This sabbat is commonly celebrated 21 March.
Beltane: 4 May 2020, 20:49
In the middle of the spring equinox and the summer solstice, Beltane starts at the midpoint of Taurus: The Bull (15°). At this point, spring is in full swing, and we are sowing the seeds not only of fertility, but also: projects, relationships, and more. This sabbat coincides with the Catholic May Day, a celebration of the Virgin Mary. This sabbat is commonly celebrated 1 May.
Litha: 20 June 2020, 17:44
The longest day of the year, the summer solstice marks the Sun at the beginning of Cancer: The Crab (0°). For three days, the Sun appears to stand still; for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun finishes its Northern journey and heads South. This sabbat stands on its own throughout the world, and the celebrations are unique to all traditions! This sabbat is commonly celebrated 21 June.
Lughnasadh (Lammas): 6 August 2020, 21:04
One of my favourite sabbats, Lammas begins when the Sun crosses the midpoint of Leo: The Lion (15°), between the summer solstice and the autumn equinox. The first of the fall harvest festivals, we begin transitioning from the heat of summer and harvest the fruits of our labours. This is a Gaelic festival, so its unique in its traditions. This sabbat is commonly celebrated 1 August.
Mabon: 22 September 2020, 09:31
The official first day of autumn, the Sun starts in Libra: The Weighing Scales (0°). The day and night are equal, and we bring the light into our homes in preparation for the upcoming darkness. We need reflect and regain balance in our lives. It is another holiday celebrated by many cultures, and is worth researching if you are interested in a specific discipline! This sabbat is commonly celebrated 21 September.
Samhain: 7 November 2020, 17:56
The veil is at its thinnest in between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice, when the Sun passes the midpoint of Scorpio: The Scorpion (15°). Considered the Witches New Year, Scorpio is about transformation and allows us to speak to the other side, when the veil is at its thinnest. At this point, the ancient farmers slaughtered animals they did not plan to keep through the winter, so we symbolically rid ourselves of things we no longer need or serve us. This sabbat is commonly celebrated 31 October - 1 November.
Yule: 21 December 2020, 05:02
The longest night of the year, the Sun starts in at Capricorn: The Goat (0°). From here on out, the days become longer. We rest, as nature does during hibernation, and allow ourselves to ready for rebirth in the spring. This sabbat coincides with Christmas, which also represents the birth of something new. This sabbat is commonly celebrated 21 December.
Lammas or Lughnasadh is a Pagan holiday celebrated on August 1st. It symbolizes the end of the summer period (yes, even though you may not want to hear that we are on our way to the end) and the beginning of magical fall.
The Lammas holiday is also closely connected to the harvest season.
It is traditionally believed that the period of Lammas celebration was very important in the religious communities, not only from the perspective of Pagan or Christian traditions but also due to its agricultural significance.
Lammas versus Lughnasadh. What Is The Difference?
First of all, let’s talk about terminology a bit.
Lammas comes from Anglo-Saxon hlaf-mas, “loaf-mass”, therefore also known as Loaf Mass Day and it is a Christian holiday.
The celebration of this holiday by the Christian community is in part similar to what we will be discussing later. The holiday signifies a period of being blessed by the first gifts of the harvest season. The wheat collected is often used to make the Lammas bread that would later be brought to church for a blessing.
Lughnasadh or Lughnasa is the name used by the “Neopagan” community and just as Lammas, marks the beginning of the harvest period. It is the time when we are grateful for the abundance of the Mother Earth.
How to pronounce Lughnasadh?
The term Lughnasadh comes from the Irish spelling of the word. The Modern way of Irish pronunciation is Lúnasa and pronounced Loo-nuh-suh. The Classical pronunciation is /’luɣ.nə.səð/ like LUGH-nuh-sudh (where “gh” is pronounced as i a word “give” and the “dh” is like the “th” in “that”.) It is probably the most correct pronunciation of Lughnasadh, as Lugh or Lug is the God from Irish mythology and the one this holiday is dedicated to at the first place.
How Lammas Originated?
Lammas came from a desire of people to thank and celebrate the “father” Sun and the Mother Earth for the fruits of their “love” - the harvest.
To bless the marriage of God and Goddess and ask for a buy dance and prosperity in the upcoming months.
It was considered that August 1st marks the first day of fall. And on August 2nd it was already the time to pick up the harvest and so the days of hunger and need would we over.
The holiday was widely celebrated in:
Ireland: the name Lughnasadh comes from the Irish God Lugh and is translated at “the marriage of Lugh.
Scotland
Isle of Man
In Slavic countries (called “medovyi spas”)
Let’s Talk More About The Harvest.
When we hear “Lammas”, we often think about the period of harvest right away. It is the most talked about moment of Lammas or Lughnasadh but we need to truly understand what stands behind the concept of harvest.
If you are a careful reader, you have noticed I specifically say the beginning of harvest. I also want to explain more what I mean by the time of being grateful.
You see, Lammas is the day of the beginning of the harvest period and NOT the time when we are assessing the outcome and are drawing conclusions of how successful we’ve been (there will be another holiday dedicated to this, called Mabon).
But the first day of harvest is the time when the quality of life changes. It is the time when it becomes predictable what expectations we can have and taste the first ripe fruits.
Simply put, it is the moment when something you worked so hard on, finally becomes tangible and it also becomes YOURS.
A skill you were developing is almost acquired but not to the point when it becomes a reflex. The investments you’ve made are starting to produce some cash flow but still need your attention.
You also need to understand that it is not possible to continuously perfect something or wait for an opportune moment. At some point, you need to release into the world what you have the way it is and improve things on the go.
Where am I going with this philosophical deviation, you probably are wondering…
This is what Lammas period really is about. It is the time when we transition from preparation to action.
What does it mean for you in real life situation?
Lammas gives you are opportunity of the perfect time to do something you were afraid of doing.
It may be that you were working on a website for your very own blog but we’re too afraid to press that “publish” button, thinking it is not perfect yet.
Or you may have been writing a book but haven’t started to search for a publisher, changing and tweaking things in an attempt for it to be perfect.
You may have been doing research for a new job you always wanted or university program you wanted to apply for but haven’t felt ready to finally made the move and submit an application.
Do you see the pattern?
Lammas is the time when you were ALREADY in the process of doing something but haven’t had the energy for the final step. And this period of the first week of August is for you to pull yourself together and make the move.
And when Mabon comes, we will be assessing the results of our actions.
“Can I celebrate Lughnasadh if I’m not pagan?”
First of all, like I mentioned in my other Blog posts related to the Wheel of the Year, you don’t need to be Pagan to celebrate or acknowledge Wheel of the Year holidays.
You need to be aware of the existence of the energy of the Mother Earth, it’s changes and shifts and how this affects our lives.
So, What Can You Do To Celebrate Lughnasadh/Lammas?
Lammas/Lughnasadh Traditions and Rituals
Do Some Lammas Divination Work
The period from July 31st to August 6th is the perfect time for divination work. Tarot, Runes and oracles will provide with great messages, especially in career/money (material) and love questions (especially compatibility related).
Don’t forget to show gratitude to the Universe and Mother Earth. It is important to maintain the energy exchange, at the very least with the well known gratitude and love practices.
Show gratitude towards others too, don’t forget to show acknowledgment and say “thank you”.
Make Lammas Bread
During this period, it is the great time to infuse your food and drinks with the energy of love and gratitude, as well as thank the Source and the Planet for its generosity. Of course, the best way to celebrate this holidays is to make Lammas bread. I am giving you this quick bread recipe that does not require a lot of products or special skills
Lammas Abundance Bread Recipe
For this little Ritual you will need to make (not buy!) corn bread.
Lammas Bread Ingredients:
1 ½ cup of corn flour
1 ½ cup wheat flour
½ tsp salt
¼ cup of sugar 2 tbs of cooled down melted butter
4 cups of milk
2 tsp of baking powder
Instructions:
Mix flour and salt together in a deep bowl.In a separate bowl with milk add baking powder; then add sugar and butter.Mix all the ingredients together in one bowl until the consistency is that of a sour cream. It will not be similar to regular bread dough you may be making at home.
*While you are mixing, talk into the bowl anything you want to accomplish that is related to the abundance. Whatever the abundance means to YOU. It does not have to be financial. Maybe you will feel abundant and complete when you have a large family. Then go for it.
Pour the Lammas bread dough into a baking dish (don’t forget to butter the dish). Bake for about 40-50 minutes at 360 degrees F.When the colour is nice and golden, take the bread out and let it cool.
When you sit down for a meal, break off (not cut) a large piece of Lammas bread and say: “Large piece of bread in my hand will bring me abundance and plenty.” Don’t forget to share your food with the Gods (leave some bread in nature, the way you see fit and depending on the type of deity you are working with.)
Lughnasadh Home Blessing and Abundance Ritual
This ritual can be done during the same time as you are making your Lammas bread.
It is done to invite luck and abundance into your home. BUT. You can change your intent to protection, if you’d like.
All you need to do is to set aside some dough when you are making it for your break and create a figure of an animal. My personal suggestion is to select a farm animal due to the nature of the energy of this holiday.
When you are done, you will need to follow basic figure talisman activation steps. I have adapted the suggestions of Vadim Zeland for this.
*If you are interested in who Vadim Zeland is, click here to read more about him. His book Reality Transurfing has changed my life forever.
Animal activation steps:
Come up with a name for your animal
Take a deep breath. Now breathe into the animal, imagining giving it energy and life.
Tell the animal its name. Tell it that you love and care for it and, in exchange, it’s helping you with (whatever you want to ask for).
Place the animal anywhere in the house, depending on the task you give it.
Don’t forget to revisit daily and remind the animal of your love and the important task it is doing for you.
Don’t forget to check out complete Blog Post on my website for more information on Lammas traditions, as well as my other Blog posts on Pagan holidays, Rune Meanings and more.
Quite late with my Lammas video but here she is! Chatting about what the first harvest sabbat means to me. ☀️
Please send me video ideas! I’ve got a lot of creative energy but I’m running out of ways to channel it! Comment on the video, on this post, in my ask box, or message me? Please and thanks.
Baked a bit of Lammas Bread, gathered a bit of Lavender, offering a bit of Honey, all together in the lovely warm golden light of my trusty beeswax candle.
Happy Lughnasadh! The kids and I baked braided cinnamon bread and made corn husk dollies. We spent time thinking back on all the things we’ve done and all the ways we’ve grown this year. The kids are starting school and routines are changing. We’re taking a moment to enjoy each other’s company, laugh and play, dance and snuggle before the next chapter begins.
Something NEW for the Pagan Community-Sabbat Box-A subscription box for Pagans, delivered to you prior each sabbat, filled with an assortment of products to enrich your spiritual path and inspire you to live magically. Sign up by April 1st 2015 by 5:00pm EST to receive the Beltane Box~The Circle Is Openwww.sabbatbox.com
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Sabbat Box will also be doing a Super Sabbat Giveaway. Each member that does an unboxing video and shares the link via social media with us on our Facebook page is entered in to receive the Super Sabbat Box!
Lammas, also known as Lughnasadh, (I choose to say Lammas because that’s easier to say haha), is the “cross-quarter” day marking the first harvest of early grain, where the first loaf of the bread from the harvest is broken and shared in the name of the Goddess. It is the sabbath that marks the end of summer where grains are harvested and stored for the cold months to come. All crops associated with grain and of the season are sacred to this time. It is a time to reflect on the successes of the year and to reward yourself for jobs well done. Lammas magic can be magic of facing up to change. The God gives his energy to the crop to ensure life while the Goddess as Mother prepares to transform into her aspect as the Crone. the God loses his strength as the days grow shorter.
Fadó is currently going through its last few playtests, and is almost ready to go out into the world! We’ll have a lot more on that very soon, so keep an eye out.
In the meantime, have a look at this completely original and fantastical world map. Wow.
Folklorists believe that the first festivals arose because of the anxieties of early peoples who did not understand the forces of nature and wished to placate them. The people noted the times and seasons when food was plentiful or not and reacted accordingly. Harvest and thanksgiving festivals, for instance, are a relic from the times when agriculture was the primary livelihood for the majority. Festivals also provided an opportunity for the elders to pass on knowledge and the meaning of tribal lore to younger generations and give them the opportunity to let off steam in an acceptable yet controlled way.
General agreement exists that the most ancient festivals and feasts were associated with planting and harvest times or with honouring the dead. These have come down to us in modern times as celebrations with some religious overtones. Harvest festivals are still carried out in many Christian churches and celebrate the fullness of the harvest. Among the most attractive are the harvest-home festivals in Britain where, in the autumn, parish churches are decorated with flowers, fruits and vegetables. Harvest suppers where a community join together to celebrate the bountiful harvest have their beginnings in the pagan beliefs of the three harvest sabbats (Lughnasadh, Mabon and Samhain) belonging to the Wheel of the Year. […]
August 1st is the first hovers holiday. We celebrate the harvest of corn and wheat. Lughnasadh is known to be The Bread holiday™-
I gathered some videos and recipes about bread and other delicious food that you can bake on this day! I also found activities that can be done inside and at home for those (like myself) who are still isolating!
If you don’t want to follow a recipe but still want to celebrate.
Bread
Corn
Potatoes
Nuts,
Wild Berries
Strawberries
Apple,
Rice,
Squash,
Oats,
Grains,
Elderberry wine,
Ales,
Fruit pies
Also now is the time to work on your abundance spells since we are celebrating the harvest and all the abundant food!
It’s also the time to start thinking tidying up the house, start making preserves and jams in prevision of the darker months to come. In the same spirit, it’s time to finish some big projects to be clear during the darker months.
Deep cleaning your house is always a good idea, get rid of things that you don’t use to make space.
I hope you’ll have fun on this holiday. Let me know what you are planning to do!
I have come out of hiding to post this on time!! Have been on the ride of my life outside of tumblr, but still dedicated to fulfilling my self imposed duty this year to upgrade all of my 2016 fantasy feasts. It brings me joy each year seeing people reblog my old feasts especially as those posts did help me to visualize and manifest incredible magical celebrations with friends. However as time goes on my standards unfortunately get higher and my tastes more elaborate so I felt it was time to redo my Summer Crossquarter vision. I hope this post with included recipes below help you get grounded in the summer harvest mood!
In the read more there are the recipe links and additional explanations on personal symbolism and of course the image credits! I also always plan my feasts to be vegan inclusive for those with dietary restrictions but also aim for all the food to be somewhat local which matters in these seasonal feasts since it’s celebrating local nature. Anyway there is something for everyone here.
1: Starters This time of year marks the pinnacle of summer, when the woodlands are deep and emerald and the fruit starts to ripen. I would ideally imagine a lush summer dinner in a garden celebrating the season’s harvest of summer’s fruits and herbs. The starters here would be a spread of fresh bread and a selection of garden herbs infused with oil and pesto from the summer’s basil. As it’s also the potato harvest, a great addition to the spreads and dips would be fresh fries with herbs and in celebration of the zucchini explosion most face this time of year, a side of fritters will be served.
2: Sides For each feast I always have 1 choice of bread rolls, yet as Lughnasadh celebrates the abundance of grains and wheat there was too much selection for my Libra self to decide. I guess the main roll of choice would be a bread roll with grains and oats to bring in that symbolism. Another choice would be served also as a starter would be a braided bread roll with summer herbs and pesto. Lastly if there was no time to make your own bread but you wanted to purchase one, I would definitely get an artisanal bread loaf with the wheat decorations. If I was actually skilled with bread making I would maybe create my own with sigils of blessings but my bread skills are no where near this level yet. Other sides would include roasted potatoes with thyme and heirloom tomato salad as we will see the tomato harvest around this time.
3: Mains The main feature dish would be grilled fish with lemon and herb to symbolize success by securing the catch of the day. The plant based option would be ratatouille as it is a colorful festive plate featuring all of the summer vegetables that are in season from the colorful squash to the ripened tomatoes.
4: Desserts This is when the seasonal celebrations start getting very regional. When I was living in NJ the fruits in season were peaches and melons so this celebration was all about peaches for me. Since I have moved to England it’s been mostly about bramble and berries since this is what comes to season this time of year. If you walk anywhere where there’s Bramble in London you will start to see some blackberries and raspberries emerge. For each sabbat dessert I have a tart of choice, a cake of choice and a special dish. The tart for Summer Crossquarter is a blueberry tart. The cake would be a simple honey angel cake with a hint of lavender. Alternatives would be a zucchini pound cake but there was enough zucchini present this whole feast so I thought to omit it. Lastly the special dessert dish would be a bramble crumble with icecream.
5: Drinks This is the ONE time of year where I will drink beer on purpose. Of course a fitting beverage to celebrate the grains harvest would be all the summer ales. For non-beer drinkers there are a lot of fruity summery ciders released this time as well. Other selections would be Mead which is delicious honey wine especially with dessert. Non alcoholic options would be fresh mint tea and bramble ice tea.
6: Treats Final part!! Since I am a very sensory person, one thing that made celebrations and holidays memorable as a kid were always the treats you walked away with. The little candies, snacks and tokens. If I were to have a celebration with a whole community including kids I would include some of these. If you did not want to get anything store brought, some ideal treats would be making a set of pate a fruits with the local fruit of choice. It’s a delectable fruit gummy coated in sugar that is best enjoyed after food with tea or coffee. Otherwise some snacks I would put away in a treat bag would be home made potato crisps, honey sticks, fruit gummies and chocolate coins to represent wealth, abundance and success.
If you made it this far thank you so much for reading it all!! Hope I put you on a visual sensory experience for the First Harvest. I would love to hear what dishes and foods you associate with the summer crossquarter or harvest time in general.
You can check my lughnasadh tag for more ideas or my correspondence list for why I associate certain things with this time of year.
I’m starting to adopt the now traditional Wiccan calendar into my hellenic practice. So I thought I’d share my ideas for how I’ll celebrate each holiday:
Moon Cycle Holidays :33
Samhain - Winter/Autumn Cross
Prayer to Persephone/Hades/aesir/ancestors
Halloween! (Eating out for dinner in costume)
Watching Halloween movies
(maybe party?)
First hot cocoa of the season
Apple cider
Oatmeal
Decorating for thanksgiving (Nov 1)
Themed candles/scents
Getting next years calendar
Colors: orange, black, purple, green, yellow, brown, red
Pie making
Birch wood
Oatmeal
Candy
Yule - Winter Solstice
Prayer to Hestia/aesir/ancestors
Decorating for Christmas (d.a. thanksgiving)
Crimmas
Spend evening with family (if applicable)
Christmas movies
Home cooked meal
Presents
Yule goat
Baking cookies
Themed candles/scents
Colors: white, red, green, gold, dark blue
Birch wood/pine/holly
Candy
Imbolc - Winter/Spring Cross
Prayer to Aphrodite/Demeter
/Poseidon/Zeus/Apollo
Birds
Valentine’s Day decorating
Roses
Candles(!!!)/fresh scents
Love themed shit
Colors: white, red, pink
Cake baking
Ostara - Spring Equinox
Prayer to Persephone/Demeter/Artemis/Hera
Easter themed shit
Easter brunch**
Spring flowers
Easter baskets
Egg decorating (before)
Candles/themed scents
Lemonade/mimosas
Colors: white, pink/pastels, purple, gold/yellow, blue, green
Cookie baking
Seasonal fruits
Beltane - Spring/Summer Cross
Prayer to Demeter/Persephone/Poseidon/Zeus/Dionysus
It is now high summer and the union of sun and earth has produced the first harvest. It is a time of gathering in and giving thanks for abundance. Feasting, market fairs, games and bonfires are the order of the day. Active growth is slowing and darker days are coming…
Rituals to celebrate:
With people, have a popcorn party.
️In the kitchen, bake your own bread and brew your own beer.
Get crafty, by making beeswax candles to keep some warmth and light in the coming cold seasons.
Dress up, with fire-safe clothes in colors of yellow, orange, green, brown, or red.
Write in your journal, about what you are harvesting in your life at the moment.
Meditate, about how hard you’ve worked this year and rest on your accomplishments.
Other ideas to celebrate:
Learn how to preserve the harvest, from drying herbs to canning fresh produce.
Toast the sunset to honor the sun before it starts resting.
Make corn dolls out of cob husks.
Enjoy the fresh air and nature while you still can.
spend some time outdoors while the weather still permits!! we’re officially at the beginning of the harvest season and nature has so much to offer this time of year. take note of all the small changes beginning to happen while we’re slowly transitioning into autumn!!
decorate your altar!! fall/warm colors such as reds, yellows, oranges, browns and even greens are fantastic to incorporate. and, things such as various plants, candles, fake/real leaves, corn dolls, etc. being the spirit of autumn into your altar!! i love to incorporate some green transitioning into more earthy colors to represent the changing seasons.
FOOD!!oh, the most glorious part of the sabbats haha. things such as bread, soups, muffins, roasted meats if your diet permits, etc are all fantastic to cook up! incorporating things like pumpkin, cinnamon, nuts and berries, etc are some of my personal abso little favorite ways to feel closer to autumn.
like i recommend for every sabbat, do some CLEANING!! reorganize your space, cleanse it with sage or incense. we’re transitioning into a new time of the year and now is the perfect opportunity to switch things up and berid of any unwanted energy around your space.
tend to any of your crops/plants!! this is the beginning of the harvest, darker and colder days are ahead of us while the hustle and bustle of gardening is slowly becoming behind us. now is the time to take some extra care of your gardens to prepare for the harvest of mabon!
honor the sun!! in whatever way you see fit. the darker months are approaching and it’s so important to appreciate the brightness while it’s still around. light some candles and say a prayer, perform a sun ritual, bask in the daylight. take the opportunity now while it’s still here!
create a gratitude list. as the darker months approach i find it difficult to adjust. creating a list of things that i’m thankful for, or things that mean a lot to me, truly help me to ground myself and make the transition much easier. i plan on writing them down on small pieces of paper and leaving them on my altar!
spice up any of your current tools if you find the need!! i find this the perfect time to do so, as we’re at such a transitional part of the year. whether you have tools you’d like to jazz up, or you’re looking into creating/buying your own, this sabbat is a fabulous time to do so!!
work on your book of shadows/grimoire!! i’m finally starting back up on mine again this lughnasadh and i’m just so excited! i find sabbats one of the absolute best times to learn about my craft because i truly feel at my peak on these days.
spread the love!! whether it be through text messages to friends and family or creating some baked goods to share, you don’t have to out yourself in any manor! just some kind gestures to spread some light to those around you. im personally baking some pumpkin muffins and will be blessing them + sharing them.
celebrate with colors!! this is a fabulous way for those of you in the broom closet to have some fun. warm and earthy tones are incredibly welcome, browns and golds, reds and oranges. painting your nails, wearing some makeup or even dressing up in these colors is such a lovely way to honor this sabbat.
treat yourself!! this holiday is about celebrating the hard work that has come with this past harvest. incorporate some self care into this day by preforming acts that make you happy.
create a list of your accomplishments of the year and a list of your goals for the future!! i adore doing this, especially around this time of year, just to get a grasp on where i am in my craft.
that’s all i have for today lovelies!! i sincerely hope you all have a blessed lughnasadh ✨
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