The Wheel Of The Year Turns To Lughnasadh On August 1st
On the 1st of August in the Northern Hemisphere, we arrive at the time of Lughnasadh on The Wheel Of The Year. At Lughnasadh, it's time to celebrate the first harvest of the year, but this is always tinged with the sadness of knowing that the long, hot days of Summer will soon end.
Lughnasadh is named for Lugh, the Celtic god of light, fire and sun. At this time on the Wheel Of The Year the tale has been passed down from more ancient cultures of the self sacrifice -or the sacrifice by others- of a king. This ritual mirrored the 'death' of the Sun god and was said to be centred on an actual king, leader or an individual chosen or nominated as such by a community for this purpose. Lughnasadh is our time to honour the Sun God and the bounty he brings to the land -but also for us to mourn his departure
As with all the festivals of the Wheel of the Year and of the Old Religion, Christianity also adopted and incorporated this time into their calendar. It was re named it as 'Lammas' which means 'loaf-mass'. Newly baked loaves of bread were placed on Christian church altars to mark the festival.
Lughnasadh is a time for feasting on the bounty of the land. Grains are ready to be harvested for the first time and fruits are ripe and ready for picking. As we give thanks to the land and to our beautiful planet, we should also give thanks for our food and our bounty to those who care for the land.
Special activities and rituals for Lughnasadh
Firstly- eat, drink and be merry! It's a wonderful time for being in the kitchen and making lovely things to share. If you can eat outside in the garden or somewhere natural, then all the better. The feasting part of Lughnasadh is very important -so enjoy planning it! Even if we can't have all our loved ones with us to share a feast or gather in a group we can still have the joy of cooking and eating.
Typical ingredients and dishes would be things like pumpkin soup, or any soups made with seasonal vegetables. Blackberry pie is a great dessert (pick your own blackberries if you can) and is gorgeous served with fresh or clotted cream. There are many delicious Harvest recipes out there
Take time to meditate and pray together. Encourage everyone you break bread with- literally and virtually- to pray or meditate too. We need to give extra special thanks for the food on our tables and the loved ones around us. If you choose to sit in a circle while you eat, you can share this lovely spiritual energy of gratitude with each other.
A Lughnasadh Prayer
" On this first day of August we celebrate the harvest.
As the wheel of the year turns we honour the God and Goddess
We say thanks for the blessings and prosperity they have brought us this year.
We honour our ancestors and we honour all things living on this earth."
Take two candles- you can choose a white candle for the Goddess and black for the God or you can choose candles that reflect the more vibrant colours of Lughnasadh/August. Respectfully invite the God and Goddess to be present with you as you light each candle and carry out your ritual
- Take 3 small pieces of paper. On one side of each piece make a note of something you're grateful for or have been happy to receive since the last Lughnasadh.
- As you go through your 'blessings' list, try to focus on the most significant in which you feel that you may have been especially helped by the God and Goddess.
- Literally 'counting your blessings' will also help you to focus on all the positives you actually have in your life and even doing this will greatly raise your own energy and level of positivity
On the other side of each piece of paper, write an intent or resolution of something you can do to 'repay' the energy for the good thing that happened for you . They can be directly related. For example- you passed an exam with flying colours, so now you're going to help someone else with their studies or revision. But the things don't have to be directly related. For example you could be so grateful for finding a new home that you in turn cook someone a lovely meal or make them something to have in their own home
As you turn to focus on each deed you've chosen to pay back your blessings- dedicate your kind 'payback' actions to the God and Goddess. Put your 'intentions' in a place you can see them and remember to perform them. Extinguish your candles. Bid farewell and say a final thanks to the God and Goddess. Remember- giving out thanks and kindness begets more thanks and kindness in your life