Lughnasadh and Lammas

What is it?

Lughnasadh ( LOO-nah-sah)(Gaelic) or Lammas (English) falls between the summer solstice and the fall equinox. It celebrates the beginning of the harvest season. It’s a time of celebration of bounty and giving thanks for the abundance the earth has given to us.

The festival is named after the Celtic god Lugh, who is the God of light, fire, crafts and skills. Where Imbolc was the festival of planting seeds, Lughnasadh is the festival to state what you want to harvest or to harvest the thoughts and ideas you planted earlier this year.

The themes of this festival are giving thanks for the abundance and fullness in your life.

Symbols for Lughnasadh and Lammas:

Bread: any baked bread

Corn Dolly or Grain Mother: a dolly made out of a grain stalk.

All grains: All grains: oat barley, rye are celebrated as they have come into their fullness and are ready to be harvested

Colors: anything representing the harvest, the fullness of life — greens, reds, yellows oranges.

Herbs: Meadowsweet is often worn as a garland during Lammas

Mint, at this time of year, is seen to bring abundance and prosperity

Ritual Ideas:

Bake Bread: the first harvested grains are baked into ceremonial loaves and eaten with gratitude.

Make a Corn Dolly or Grain Mother: gather stalks of wheat, oats, barley or rye. Weave your stalks into being or just weave your intentions and tie her with orange or yellow ribbons. Give thanks for the abundance you’ve received this year and place on your altar or at the center of your celebrations.

Create a gratitude or harvest jar: write down what you’re grateful for, what you’ve manifested or what is abundant in your life this year on a piece of paper and put it in a jar. Hold a ritual to celebrate how you’ve grown.

Research and notes taken from:

Witch by Lisa Lister

Goddess and Greenman blog https://www.goddessandgreenman.co.uk