Lammas 2024

We are fast approaching the First Harvest, or Lammas. Also known as Lughnasadh (pronounced loo-na-sa), it is a Gaelic festival that traditionally occurs on on 1st August to celebrate the start of the harvest season. Celebrations tend to happen between 30th July to 2nd August, depending on whatever Sunday is closest to the 1st August; this means that this year most people will celebrate it on 28th July or 4th August

Lammas is an Anglo-Saxon word meaning loaf-mass, or bread, and the most commonly-used name for this sabbat. This is a time to celebrate the First Harvest; the first grains and the first fruits, but primarily this is a grain festival.

Lammas is the first of the three harvest sabbats and a celebration of the Earth’s fertility. Corn, wheat, potatoes and other crops harvested around Lammas are considered fertility plants and can be used within Lammas rituals.

For your Altar, Include ripened wheat or barley ears in any floral decorations, or make a corn doll. You can also bake some Lammas Bread and use it in a protection spell. In the old days, the Lammas bread once baked would be broken into four pieces and placed in each corner of the barn to protect the harvested crops. In your spell you can break the bread into four pieces and place it in the corners of your home instead and work it into your protection spell. Another activity is to collect seeds from sunflowers or other ripe grain or seed plant and keep to plant out in the next growing season. Giving thanks for abundance and replanting so that there is plenty for the next harvest is key.  Seed bundles also make excellent gifts for others at Yule! Some apples will be ready for harvesting at Lammas, so you could include an apple on your altar, and work it into your activities. Cut the apple horizontally, making a wish as you do it. If you cut through any of the seeds then your wish will come true!

For herbs, adding fresh mint and coriander to your altar for abundance, good health and fertility. It will also smell delicious!

For crystals, work with green aventurine, emerald, Unakite, dragon’s blood, citrine, orange calcite, picture jasper, yellow jasper, yellow jade (butter quartz).

For colours, including candles, pick gold, yellow, green and orange.

You may have already seen bushes laden with ripening blackberries, so make sure you get out and start foraging! Our apple tree in the garden usually produces ripe fruit Please remember, if you are foraging, please make sure you leave enough behind for wildlife.

You can also make apple and blackberry pie, or maybe make a simmer pot. You can also make some Lammas Bread!

Lammas Bread recipe: https://moodymoons.com/2018/07/22/lammas-artisan-mini-herbal-bread-rounds-recipe-lughnasadh-vegan/