Lammas, aka Lughanasadh in Gaelic, marks the beginning of the harvest season in Wiccan and Pagan traditions. It occurs August 1 as rough halfway point between Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox for the Northern Hemisphere, though Old Lammas was said to occur when the Sun reached 15 degrees Leo. Whether you honor the mid-point or astrological date, this special holiday celebrates the mystery and magic of the spirit of the grain.
The name Lammas comes from old English meaning “loaf mass,” as it originated from celebrations of harvest time. Historically in Pagan and Wiccan traditions there were three harvests each year with corresponding holidays honoring each. Lammas was the first harvest with grain, the second Mabon (September 21 through September 29 this year) was fruit, and then finally near Samhain (October 31-November 1 this year) was nuts and berries.
At Lammas the goddess becomes embodied as the agricultural archetypes of the Grain Mother, Harvest Mother, Earth Mother, and Ceres (our word “cereal” comes from her). This powerful symbolism connects us to the Earth as a reminder of the process of life that includes the full cycle of seed to harvest and then the quiet of winter. Around the world the Spirit of the Grain has a place in ritual and also has associations with corn, honey, and onions.
In Gaelic and Pre-Christian times, the holiday Lughanasadh, also spelled Lughnasa, refers to the Irish Sun God Lugh and August was his sacred month. During this time there would be religious gatherings as well as what were called the Tailteann games. These athletic contests acknowledged the aging Lugh god and his waning presence in the sky as autumn comes closer. As he fades, it was believed he transferred his powers to the grain that was being harvested. Hence why Lughanasadh was such an important celebration that helped us hold onto the sunlight with fewer daylight hours on the horizon.
Traditional celebrations of this holiday had feasts, songs, and games and of course included grain. Below are some everyday ritual suggestions for greeting the grain this Lammas:
Bake bread loaf or cake to ritualize the Grain Mother archetype (or just eat some)😊
Gather with witches and friends, with food and dancing
Make an outdoors offering of water or honey to the Earth for gratitude for the grain
Create an altar with yellow candles, bread, honey, or fruit (as a welcome for the next harvest)
Start a fall garden with cool growing season such as kale, parsley, or spinach
Get as close to the sun as possible, such as hill climbing for a view
Read more on astrology, horoscopes, occultism, magick & ritual on our blog, Esoteric Insights!
Did you know that the number one cause of human suffering is desire for something other than all that we have in the present moment? Welp, the anecdote to this distress is GRATITUDE, which so happen to be our theme for November 💕✨ When we stop our mind from spinning into the past and future, and instead carefully catalog all the blessings we have right at this very moment, we see that we are already the blooming rose we may be wishing for 🌹
Most beginners to astrology are familiar with their own sun signs and traits, and have awareness that signs of like elements are compatible (Water with Water, Earth with Earth, etc). But what about the relationship between other signs? In her comprehensive book Love Signs: A New Approach to the Human Heart, leading astrological authority Linda Goodman examines the nature of a relationship and it's potential for success by organizing the possible pairings based upon their sun signs position on the Karmic Wheel of Life (pictured above) into what she terms "Sun Sign Patterns". Simply put, Sun Sign Patterns express the number of houses away two signs are from each other.
Hoping you all faired well in the heat of last month’s Astro turbulence. Thankfully, I do see the cosmos easing up slightly this month. The big news is the end of several major planetary retrogrades. I want to take a moment to touch on each one and exactly why these retrogrades have taken place. I always joke and tell clients that retrogrades are almost ALWAYS happening. If it weren’t for them, we’d never “clean out the fridge” life-wise. Inner planetary retrogrades such as Mercury and Mars can be felt much more intensely than, for example, a Pluto or Neptune retrograde. Inner planets closer to Earth tend to feel like things are a bit wonky; however, they generally pass more quickly and have shorter retrograde periods.
