Imagine the sight of golden wheat stalks swaying gently in the August breeze while the smell of freshly baked bread wafts through the air, invoking a sense of bounty, coziness, and connection to both the hearth and land. This is just a brief glimpse into the powerful yet subtle essence of Lughnasadh--also known as Lammas though this is the Christianized term for this Pagan sabbat. This image above evokes a very earthy energy with a hint of fire behind it--perfect for this season. I invite you to come journey with me as I explain a little more about this festival and my journey from emptiness to love for it.
When I first started on my path as a Wiccan, I didn’t particularly connect well with Lughnasadh. Just like Imbolc, I didn’t understand it, didn’t connect with it, and just didn’t feel the need to celebrate it. What was the point? I still learned and read about it because it is a sabbat, another spoke on the Wheel, but that was it. Which to me is important. Don’t just ignore it. Some things come with time and there is a reason it is a part of this path.
Anyways, last year I became whole-heartedly called to celebrate it which left me bewildered but I took it as a sign of progress on my journey. I didn’t just celebrate it though. Oh no. I went head-first into it. I created my first sabbat incense and oil, made corn dollies, baked bread, and decorated my altar in splashes of yellow, brown, and orange. I called upon Lugh, who I will discuss in a bit. It was such a profound and beautiful ritual that the Lughnasadh is etched deeply into my heart, forcing a sense of giddy excitement that can only be likened to a child on Christmas Eve.
This is why I find it an immense pleasure to introduce this sabbat to y'all and my hope is that you will find yourself called to celebrate this harvest festival and be likewise touched with a profound and deep sense of connection, warmth, gratitude, and light.
You will typically find this sabbat celebrated on the 1st of August though it falls on the day when the sun is in 15 degrees of Leo. I prefer to always celebrate it on the 1st as it lends a sense of continuity to it. While I do celebrate the solstices and equinoxes on different days annually, I try to keep the cross-quarters rather fixed. (The other cross-quarters being Imbolc, Beltane, and Samhain.) As I may have already stated, this is the first of the three harvest festivals (the other two being Mabon and Samhain) and deals specifically with the grain harvest--which would include field corn, as in interesting side note. Above all of this, this sabbat honored the Celtic Sun God Lugh, hence the name Lughnasadh, as it commenced the funeral games of Lugh in honor of His mother.
The planetary ruler is the sun, the ruling planet of Leo. If you allow yourself to become aware of this energy, you will find pleasure in basking in the warmth as we still thrive in summer though there is a hint of sorrow as we know the darker months are approaching. It's obvious that fall is fast approaching and not just because the stores are having "Back-To-School" sales either. We can notice the ever subtle decline in the sunlight as the God's power wanes. Remember He was at His peak at Litha!
So, we know that Lugh is traditionally associated with Lughnasadh but that doesn't mean He is the only Deity that can be honored and worked with at this time. This is the time of the sacrificial God as He gives His life so that we may have a bountiful harvest to keep us alive throughout the winter. He dies so that we may continue to live and goes to live and rule over the Underworld until He is reborn at Yule. How did this explanation come forward? I read somewhere that its because the sun's golden rays soaked into the wheat and corn, infusing them with His essence. Therefore, when it's harvested and cut, He is slain. This ties into the themes of birth, death, and rebirth. There's a poem about John Barleycorn which explains this but remember: don't take it literally. ;)
This is why Dying and Resurrected Gods are appropriate for this festival. So are Multi-Skilled Deities, as Lugh was talented in many areas. A Greek example for a Multi-Skilled Deity would be Athena. The Goddess is the Mother though She could be seen as slowly transitioning towards the Crone. This is why I choose to work with Cerridwen at this time because She is both a Mother and Crone Goddess. Also, any Earth or Grain Goddess will be just as suitable, such as Gaia, Pachamama, or Demeter.
Now that we know WHY to celebrate, let us discuss how.
Below is a list of Correspondences as well as some Activities you can do. :)
Correspondences*
Traditional Symbols: Sheaf of Wheat, Corn Dolly, Blade
Colors: Gold, Yellow, Brown, Red, Orange, Green
Herbs: Grains, Sunflowers, Grapes, Pears, Oak Leaves, Rose Hips, Myrtle, Acacia
Crystals: Citrine, Aventurine, Peridot, Moss Agate, Carnelian, Ruby, Tiger's Eye, and Amber
Incense**: Allspice, Frankincense, Sandalwood, Rosemary
Tarot Card: Strength
Activities***
Bake Bread
Bake and Cook in General
Watch the Sun Rise and Set
Make a Corn Dolly
Drink Beer
Spend Time Outside
Do Blessings
Restock Your Magickal Cabinet
Take Stock of Your Life--What Are You Reaping That You Would Like to Change?
I wish the brightest of Lughnasadh blessings for each and every single one of you reading this.
Blesséd Lughnasadh!
~The Autumn Witch
*Correspondences: These are what I associate with the sabbat. The list is not a comprehensible list.
**The Incense and Oil Recipe I use are from The Simple Sabbat~ A Family Friendly Approach to the Eight Pagan Holidays by M. Flora Peterson (link provided below to Amazon Book).
Resources:
**I am in no way sponsored by any of these books or videos but feel it not only honorable to share my sources of information but helpful for new witches.**
Books:
Solitary Witch, the Ultimate Book of Shadows by Silver Ravenwolf
Sabbats by Edain McCoy
Wicca by Scott Cunningham
To Ride a Silver Broomstick by Silver Ravenwolf
The Simple Sabbat~ A Family Friendly Approach to the Eight Pagan Holidays by M. Flora Peterson
Videos:
CharmingPixieFlora's youtube videos (no longer available but felt compelled to list it)
Witches' Zodiac--Lughnasadh by Zoe Hind and Laura Daligan
Celebrating Lammas & Lughnasadh. Harvest Season by The White Witch Parlour
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