Lughnasadh

Firstly, I’d like to apologise for not doing blogs more frequently! As many of you know I’ve moved from doing craft fairs a few times a month to a pop up shop 6 days a week in Crawley County Mall. I’m part of The Collective with my lovely shop colleagues from Mandy Makes, Henrietta Rose and Butt Naked Bubbles. We are still doing markets and festivals, so you can come and see us at Crawley Pride Festival in Goffs Park, Crawley, on 19th August, and again on the Crawley Continental Street Market on 26th-29th October. This will be in Queens Square, Crawley.

This does mean that if you’re local to Crawley you can make use of our click and collect service. Simply order from our our secure website and collect it in the Mall. Our opening hours are:

These may vary from time to time, but I’ll always put a post out on socials and put a sign in the shop if things are different.

Did you know that if you are unhappy about a purchase for whatever reason, including just changing your mind, you can return it for a full refund or an exchange within 30 days?

It doesn’t even need to be a like-for-like exchange, it could be something else of the same value. We only ask that your purchase is in the same condition that you bought it.

If a purchase is faulty however, please bring it back within 30 days for a full refund, exchange or repair.
On some items of higher value, such as lapis, amber or emerald elasticated bracelets, we offer free repairs for the first year your purchase. So if you’ve had an accident with it or the elastic has snapped, you can come back to the shop with the beads for a full repair.

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 30th July.

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!

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.

Please remember, if you are harvesting seeds and grains, please make sure you leave enough behind for wildlife.

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