Lammas

Lughnasadh, also known as Lammas, marks the beginning of the harvest season. It is a "cross-quarter" day that celebrates the first cutting of grain and the baking of the initial loaves of bread from that harvest. The first sheaves of grain are considered sacred, as are all crops and produce that are harvested around this time of year.

Lughnasadh is a time to reflect on the triumphs and successes of the year so far and to reward ourselves for the hard work we have put in. The magic of Lughnasadh centres around facing changes and transitions. The God sacrifices his vitality to ensure the fertility of the crops and harvest, just as the Goddess transitions from her aspect as Mother to Crone as the days grow shorter.

The sharing of the first harvest loaf in the name of the Goddess signifies the importance of community and coming together. Though the God's strength begins to wane with the approaching autumn and winter, the first harvest provides sustenance and the opportunity to gather with loved ones.

Lughnasadh invites us to embrace the changing of the seasons, from the heat and expansion of summer to the cooling and inward focus of autumn. We honour the harvest and all that we have created and manifested this year, while also preparing for a quieting of energy and the return to darkness.