Pagan Holiday Alert! August 1st-2nd Lammas/Lughnasadh

Wheat field First harvest Lammas

This holiday is opposite to Imbolc, the days start getting shorter again verses, Imbolc when we start to see the light from the Sun longer. This holiday tends not to be as big as the other ones celebrated like, Samhain and Beltane. It is the celebration of the first harvest of the land. Back in the day, folks would have a great understanding and awareness of the the Earth and its ever changing seasons (northern hemisphere and southern have opposite ones. I am up north so I will speak/write on what I know) They would start to realise that the Sun was going away sooner. End days were nearing, harvest and preserving for winter were the next task, if they wanted to survive the cold harsh months that lay ahead.

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Lammas/ Lughnasadh is the first of 3 harvest festivals. During this time period they would harvest the grain crop and make the first bread of the harvest period. Nowadays we have the life of going to the grocery store and grabbing pre sliced bread and no concept of starving to near death in the harsh cold of winter. We celebrate this time of year as the ancestors did to remind us of the growth as human beings ,we learned how to survive and evolve. We should never forget where we came from as humans. Lammas is the first step of that process. Let's celebrate that harvest and actually make that bread from scratch.

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It's corn harvest time

Here are some things you can do on Lammas/ Lughnasadh to celebrate the first harvest.

1. Like above make some bread from scratch.

2. Have a dinner with corn on the cob. (Save the husks/peelings)

3. Make a corn dolly out of the husks.

4. Start learning a new skill (bread baking can be lumped into this )

5. Cleansing and protection ritual

6. Decorate your altar

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Beeswax candle

Altar Decorating

If you have an altar and like to decorate it like I do. Here are some items you can use. The great thing about this time of year is that these items can be used all the way upto Samhain.

1. Candles with the colors Bronze, Green, brown, orange, yellow, gold

2. Altar cloth with the same colors. I use placemats that I find at Big Lots. (you only need one)

3. Stones to use Citrine, Moss agate, Obsidian, Peridot, Tiger's Eye.

I like to make a crystal grid and lay my intentions into it as I build the grid.

4. Make your own incense blend. You can make a herbal blend with these herbs: basil, clover, heather, rose, rosemary, sunflower, vervain, yarrow. You can also make an oil blend with these oils: basil, frankincense, rose, rosemary, sandalwood. Find what combo works best for your nose pallet.

5. Other decorating items and symbols you can use are: barley, bread, corn dollies (see above), gourds, sunflowers, crows, pigs, rooster, and cows.

Whatever you do to celebrate, enjoy it. These moments are precious and it is always nice to savior them and be in that mental space, at that time.

Follow me on Instagram to see what I do to celebrate Lammas/Lughnasadh

Happy Lammas/Lughnasadh!

Bright Blessings, Sarah Petrin