Lughnasadh is Gaelic for the modern Irish word “Lunasa,” meaning August. It is a fire festival and the first of three harvests. This festival is not only about life and bounty, but of harvest and death, the complete cycle of life.
Like many of the other pagan holidays, this sabbat was acquired by Christians and renamed Lammas.
Other Names: Lughnasad, Lugnassad, Lunasa
Colors: Gold and Bright Yellow
Symbols: Summer flowers, nuts and grains
Lammas is the first harvest sabbat. This is when the magickal household finds out if all the hard work of the previous months will result in a bountiful harvest. Give offerings of thanks to the land, any deities and spirits you work with, and your ancestors. Set out birdseed and bee water stations to give thanks to the pollinators who make the harvest possible. Make a harvest wreath from wheat, goldenrod, sunflowers, and red clover to hang on your door to welcome abundance to your home. Make table linens–nap-kins, place mats, tablecloths, and the like–to ensure there will always be plenty to eat. Add Lammas harvest energy to your meals with fresh herbs like sage, thyme, basil, and oregano. As well as gathering in abundance, Lammas urges us to let go of those emotions and thoughts that are holding us back. Add black-eyed Susan, chamomile, and yarrow to your bath to help release fear and negativity from your mind. Keep black obsidian and malachite nearby where you will see and interact with them daily to banish limiting beliefs.
Rachel Henderson