Lughnasadh ~ Lammas

By Cynthia Killingbeck CH, CN, FEP

August 1^st or 2^nd

Lughnasadh pronunciation: LOO-Nas-Ah

Lammas = Loaf Mass

Themes: First fruits, First harvest, Gratitude, Denevolent sacrifice, Crafting, Utilizing Skills and Talents, Taking Stock of where you put your energy.

 

Also known as: Feast of Tailtiu, August Eve, Feast of Bread, Loaf Mass, Harvest Home, First Harvest, Crom Dubh Sunday (Last Sunday of July or First Sunday of August), Garland Day

 

And the Wheel Turns….The first harvest is upon our tables. The Sun King has given his blessings over our land and our life. He has infused the harvest with his body. As we take into ourselves what the God and Goddess have provided, we understand the death of the harvest is the necessity of change and transformation into sustenance for our bodies and within our lives. The Gods teach sacrifice for rewards to come. Offer gratitude.

 

Wiccan mythology holds that the God’s power begins to wane at this time, as the days grow shorter and the crops are ready to be cut down. The Sun God infuses the grain with his power, and so is sacrificed, and dies at this time, when the grain is harvested. This grain is then used to bake the first bread from the year’s crop, which in earlier times would then be taken to a church and laid on the altar to be blessed. This custom is a good example of how pagan religions and Christianity were able to coexist and even commingle for a time. The name “Lammas” actually comes from this tradition, taken from an old Anglo-Saxon phrase meaning “loaf mass.” In other traditions the God may be sacrificed at Samhain and move into the Underworld to await rebirth at Yule. Either way the shift of power and focus moves to the God of the Forest and the Land at Mabon as the Sun’s power is beginning to wane.

 

Lughnasadh is one of the four “Greater Sabbats,” making it one of the most important days on the Pagan Wheel of the Year. It is the cross-quarter day between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox, and it marks the beginning of the harvest season. Though it’s often the hottest part of the Summer, this is also the moment when the first hints of Autumn are perceptible—the first grains are ready to be harvested, the trees begin dropping some of their fruits, and the ever-shortening daylight becomes more apparent with each sunset. At this time, we give thanks for the abundance of the past growing season and look forward to the remaining weeks of light and warmth as we continue reaping what we have sown.

 

Lughnasadh rituals are related to harvest, sacrifice, gratitude, and recognizing the manifestations of our intentions that have unfolded so far during the course of the year. Bread-making is a common way to mark the holiday, as it represents bringing the seeds of intention into full fruition.  The term Sacrifice comes from the Latin “sacrificium” meaning to give offerings to deity. It literally means to make sacred. Sacrifice or offerings need to be something that means something to you, be it fruit, grain, or endeavor. Maybe something you have grown yourself, made yourself, created yourself. People also might make a corn dolly—a traditional poppet made from straw—for use in ritual and magic. Decorate your altar with the colors of summer and fall—yellow, orange, red, green and brown. Use harvest imagery like scythes and baskets and, of course, loaves of bread. A Lughnasadh feast should definitely involve baking, (with grain or without), as well as late-summer fruits and vegetables, corn, and other grain dishes. Spellwork related to securing abundance and a happy home is particularly powerful at this time.

 

Lughnasadh honors the god Lugh, who is associated with the Sun (his name translates roughly as “shining one”) he is also the God of all skills and talents, including building, smithcraft, poetry and magic. Nasadhmeans assembly, so translates to Lugh's Assembly. Irish legend has it that the festival originated with Lugh himself, when he held a funeral feast and sporting competition to honor his foster mother, Tailtiu. She had died from exhaustion after clearing the plains of Ireland of trees so the people could grow crops. Lugh was also a great warrior, and many Pagan groups celebrate this holiday with competitive games in addition to harvest-related festivities. Wiccans and other Pagans who follow Celtic traditions may focus their celebrations on giving thanks for their skills and talents as well as for the grain harvest, but the emphasis is on gratitude all the same. We harvest many things in our lives. Consider asking yourself some contemplative questions this season.

·      What have I harvested this year?

·      What have I given my time and energy to this year and was it worth it?

·      Where do I feel full and where do I feel drained, where is my energy leaking?

·      What is asking to be let go?

·      Make an offering of something you have made or harvested.

 

Oat cakes are a folk tradition made at this time of year from the new oats harvested from the field, Anglo-Saxon recipes still exist and are made today. (See recipe below). The popularity for oat cakes is now predominantly a Scottish one or at least the recipes for them are. Oats were easy to keep throughout the long winters and in years when the crops failed, or climate change caused famine these cakes may have been one of the only things people could eat. (Easy to make Gluten Free just make sure the bag of oats and flour says that).

 

Anglo-saxon Oat Cakes (Also called Honeycakes or Ashcakes)

 

Ingredients

250g oats

½ Cup Oat Flour (46g)

1 ½ sticks (170g) butter melted

50g dried fruit chopped (apples, apricots, cherries, or something seasonal)

6 tablespoons (126g) honey

½ teaspoon salt

Modern method (you can add things like cinnamon, clove, or nutmeg).

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C

2. Add the oats, dried fruit, and salt to a medium bowl and mix well. Then mix in the honey and the butter. Once fully incorporated, add the oat flour and mix to combine.

3. With your hands, form small flat patties fairly thin and about 3 inches across and set them on a lined baking sheet.

4. Bake in the oven for 10 - 12 minutes, or until they start to darken around the edges. Place the cakes on a wire rack to cool completely.