It’s been a summer of great geological occurrences - volcanoes, fires and floods; yet the union of the Sun and Earth, of Goddess and God, continues to offer sustenance for our wellbeing. Lammas or Lughnasad is a festival celebrating the first Grain Harvest; Mabon and Samhain are the other two. It is a time to come together in friendship and acknowledgment that growth takes work and commitment and when we work together as one, we can accomplish great things - like bringing in the harvest!
Once the harvest is gathered, join in community to acknowledge the kinship of working together by baking the first loaves of Lammas bread for your altars and celebrate the sweetness of life and fulfillment. Offer thanks for the grain and the energy of the Sun, which enticed the harvest growth and the Goddess that held the seeds in her earth womb, nurturing them to fullness. Break bread with friends, start a food drive for an animal shelter or for those in need; sharing the bounty of the season with everyone can be rewarding and fulfilling.
This is the time of the Celtic Sun God Lugh, “the ‘bright shining one.” Bonfires are lit representing his light and power, revelers dance in circles marking the movement of the sun. It is also a time to reflect that time never stops and that the sun or the power of Lugh is beginning to grow dimmer in the sky, a portent of colder days and longer nights.
The Goddess at this time is Ker, Grain Mother or Harvest Mother; she represents the fullness of birth, rebirth and abundance. As the grain harvest is brought in around the world, there are celebrations for the sustenance it provides now and for the future harvests the seeds hold within. It is considered a thoughtful gift to pass on dried seeds from the Lammas harvest at Samhain or Yule, for next years planting. It continues the bond we have with the cycles of Gaia, birth and regeneration.
As we celebrate Earth’s bounty, take time to reflect on the past eight months since the last harvest and see where your dreams have taken root and thrived. We are all farmers at heart; we plant seeds and dreams, hoping they take shape and grow. Kick up your heels and dance in the fields of plenty, light a bonfire and sing a song of gratitude and joy.
Celebrate the richness of your life, enjoying all you have created.
Happy Lammas.
Bright Blessings
Victoria