Lughnasadh is the Sabbat for the first harvest of the year. It means August is starting and the hot and parched days are coming. This is the time to reap what he have sown. It is the time to give thanks for the abundance of food. It is the time when people celebrate the first harvest of the year. Grains and fruits are ripe for harvesting and picking. Summer is nearing its end and the plants are almost starting to whither and and drop seeds on the ground for future crops.
But more than that a celebration of grain and harvest, Lughnasadh is a time for transformation, rebirth, and new beginnings.
Lughnasadh Mythology
Lughnasadh is about the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth. The grain god dies, but he will be reborn again in the spring. This was also the time when the funeral games of Lugh, the Celtic Sun God were held. Lugh would host funeral games in honor of his mother, Tailte.
At the start of autumn, the Celtic Sun God enters his old age. He is beginning to lose his strength. From this time, the Sun begins to rise farther in the South each day. At this point, you will notice the nights growing longer and days getting shorter.
Lughnasadh or Lammas
Christians adopted Lughnasadh and called it Lammas, which means ‘loaf-mass ‘. Because it was a time when newly baked loaves of bread are placed on the altar and blessed by the Church.
Lughnasadh Rituals
Pagans at this time would honor the Sun god Lugh, the Celtic craftsman and patron of bars and magicians. They celebrate talents, skills, and craftsmanship. Many crafts festivals are held at this time where artisans can sell their creations. If you want something more familiar, this is around the time when Renaissance fairs are held. This is the perfect time to take up a new skill like pottery or learn a musical instrument. Whatever it is that you decide to do to better yourself, this is the perfect time to do it.
Some would focus on honoring the past and our ancestors. During the time of our ancestors, when harvesting grains were very crucial to their survival. Unlike now, when you run out of bread, you just run over to the grocery store. For our ancestors, it was very important to them not to leave the crops out in the fields for too long, and break the bread just in time, lest they starve. So this time should make you realize how truly lucky you are that starvation is a least likely occurrence if you don’t get to reap and sow in time.
Whichever ritual you may decide to do, keep in mind that although the natural world is thriving around us, you should know that everything will soon whither and die. So work on some magic that revolves around hearth and home.
Are you prepared for the coming Lughnasadh? Who are you honoring in your rituals?
I’d like to know! Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. 🙂
