Sabbat: Lammas (Lughnasadh), August 1
August 1
Lammas/Lughnasadh/First Harvest
A time to celebrate the first harvest of the year, and recognize that the hot summer days will soon come to an end. The plants of spring wither and drop seeds to ensure future crops. Grains are ready to be harvested and the fruits are ripe for picking. We give thanks for the food on our tables.
As we transition closer to Autumn the Celtic Sun God enters his old age, but is not yet dead. The God symbolically loses some of his strength as the Sun rises farther in the south each day and the nights grow longer.
Lughnasadh means the funeral games of Lugh, the Sun God. However, the funeral is not his own but the funeral games he hosts in honor of his foster-mother Tailte. For that reason, the traditional Tailtean craft fairs and Tailtean marriages (which last for a year and a day) are also celebrated at this time.
(source: wicca.com)
Traditions and Practices
celebrating the end of Summer
making corn dollies
attending Tailtean craft fairs
feasts with family or coven members
saving and planting seeds from the fruits consumed during the feast/ritual
taking walks through fields and orchards
spend time along bodies of water (springs, creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes)
reflect on the bounty and love of the Lord and Lady
bake loves of bread
honor ancestors for their hard work and sacrifices
give thanks for blessings and bundances
Magickal Correspondences
Symbolism: harvest(s), fall, Lugh, food, corn dollies, giving thanks, seeds, abundance, motherhood, parenthood, sunflowers
Foods: apples, berries, breads, fruits and vegetables harvested, grains
Plants, Flowers, Trees, Fungus: all grains, apples, blackberries, crab apples, grapes, heather, pears, sloe
Incense: aloe, rose, sandalwood
Crystals: agate, aventurine, black obsidian, carnelian, citrine, quartz, tiger’s eye
Colors: beige, brown, gold, green, orange, tan, yellow
Animals/Insects: bees, cows, goats, horses, oxen, pigs, roosters
Tarot Cards: the Sun, the Empress and the Four of Wands
Image: the Sun tarot card from the Rider Waite Tarot Deck
The Sun represents abundance, achievement, happiness, positivity, radiance, success and vitality
Image: the Four of Wands tarot card from the Rider Waite Tarot Deck.
The Four of Wands represents celebration, harmony, parties, homecoming, home, happiness and victory.
Image: the Chariot tarot card from the Rider Waite Smith Tarot Deck.
The Empress represents nature, nurture, abundance, beauty, femininity, fertility, expression, and creativity.
