A History of Lughnasadh
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Lughnasadh is the first of three autumn celebrations in the Wheel of the Year. A cross-quarter day, Lughnasadh is celebrated on August 1 (though some celebrate on August 5th when the sun reaches 15 degrees Leo). Named for the Celtic God Lugh, Lughnasadh was later known as Lammas by early Christians. Many modern Lughnasadh traditions are rooted in the ancient customs associated with the first harvest of grain. Marking the midpoint of summer, Lughnasadh is a good time to slow down, reflect and think about the last turn in the Wheel of the Year.
Early Celtic Traditions
Lughnasadh is named for the ancient Celtic God Lugh, who is thought to be an older personification of the Celtic god Bel / Baal (for whom Beltane is named for). Both deities are associated with fire and the sun. In ancient Celtic culture Lughnasadh was a time to start preparing for winter, when the first harvest of grain was cut and vegetables and fruits preserved. Harvest festivals were popular during the period between Lughnasadh and Mabon. People would gather for celebration, games and to trade their produce and wares. In her book Modern Guide to Witchcraft, author Skye Alexander points out that the tradition of harvest festivals lives on through the many rural state and county agricultural fairs throughout the United States.
As Christianity spread into the British Isles beginning around the sixth century, Lughnasadh eventually became known as Lammas, which means loaf mass. This name referred to the first baking of bread of the new harvest, which would be brought to the local parish church to be blessed by the priest. Read more about the history of Lughnasadh & Lammas
Cross-Quarter Days
Lughnasadh is one of the cross-quarter days in the Celtic calendar. A cross-quarter day marks the mid-point between the summer and winter solstices and the spring and autumn equinoxes (also called Quarter Days). Lughnasadh falls on August 1, which is the midpoint between the summer solstice (Litha) and the Autumn Equinox (Mabon). While there is historical debate about whether the Celtic calendar included both quarter and cross-quarter days, the cross-quarter days mark the Celtic beginning of Spring (Imbolc), Summer (Beltane), Autumn (Lughnasadh) and Winter (Samhain). These dates reflect the agrarian cycle of the northern hemisphere, when daily life revolved largey around the harvesting and preserving of food ahead of the long winter months.
Modern Lughnasadh Traditions
Today Lughnasadh is celebrated by pagans and wiccans as one of the eight Wheel of the Year sabbats. Common celebrations include baking bread, making beer, hosting bonfires and decorating your home with seasonal flowers and cornstalks and early gourds.
Lughnasadh as a Time for Reflection
Lughnasadh marks the seventh turn of the Wheel of the Year. The year is 3/4th over and it’s a good time to pause and reflect on how your year has been so far. What are you happy about? What disappointments did you experience? What do you want to focus on between now and Samhain? If you journal, write down what you would like to be, do and have in the coming months. See my favorite journals
Summer days are half over, and so now is a good time to slow down and savor the beautiful weather, if you haven’t done so already. Make a date with friends to go on a picnic or a hike; host a potluck dinner followed by a bonfire; or celebrate solo with a glass of seasonal blackberry wine and some fresh bread.
How are you celebrating Lughnasadh this year? Share in the comments below!
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More About Lughnasadh
Moonlight Meditation and New Grimoire Pages
The full Meadow Moon (AKA Buck Moon) is happening this week. I’m hoping the skies stay clear so I can have a clear view of it tonight. I’ve been feeling the winds of change tugging at my soul and I want to do some moon meditations to help me focus. I am not a good meditator, so when I do want to practice I prefer late nights, when there is minimal noise and distractions. If the weather is good and the mosquitoes minimal, I’ll sit outside. In colder weather I’ll just plop down on the floor, wherever there is a chunk of moonlight shining in, close my eyes and let my thoughts run. Do you do anything special when you meditate?
New Grimoire Series
This week’s printable is the first in a series I’m planning. I’ve been wanting to create a more formal Wheel of the Year grimoire/journal for myself. I have notes about alchemy, lunar phases, the Wheel of the Year, goddesses, and cultural history scattered throughout several notebooks, binders, planners, post-it notes, ect...
Even though I literally create a yearly Wheel of the Year planner to help folks organize their own spiritual practice, I’m like the carpenter with the half-finished house, never using the planner to its full capacity. As I’ve been researching and writing for my book outline and upcoming printables, I thought wouldn’t it be great if I took ALL my notes and created some printables that I can then just pop into my planner and reference when needed, rather than tearing my office apart trying to remember random notes about which goddess is associated with thunderstorms (It’s Inanna, btw, more on her in a future newsletter).
So first up is a simple series of reference charts and since it is high summer, it seemed natural to start with flowers.
Obviously this is not an exhaustive list of every flower available, but I figured these are all pretty common for most readers. If there are flowers you think should go on the list please let me know either by email or over on Instagram.
If you’d like to do more of your own Wheel of the Year research, be sure to check out the Bookshelf for recommended reading and the books I use when writing for Mabon House and my list of favorite Witchcraft Books Here.
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From My Bookshelf: Favorite Wheel of The Year & Witchcraft Books
Disclaimer: This website uses affiliate links, meaning: at no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate or other affiliate program participant, I earn from qualifying purchases. Mabon House only features products that I believe in and use myself. Thank you!
Tip: If you’d prefer to support local retailers in your area, independent booksellers can often order specific books for you and have them delivered to the store for pick up, for the same price as ordering online.
This week I thought I would share some of my favorite books about the Wheel of the Year, Witchcraft, and Natural Magick that I routinely use for research, as well as personal practice. If you have a great book you’d recommend, please leave your suggestion in the comments section.
The Modern Guide to Witchcraft: Your Complete Guide to Witches, Covens, and Spells by Skye Alexander
This is a great beginners guide to modern witchcraft and the celebration of the Wheel of the Year. I love that the author gives practical examples of how to incorporate modern day magick (not magic) into your life. She also explains how the act of spellwork and casting circles, altars and the such are akin to prayer, meditation and manifestation. It’s about focusing your energies on the outcomes, not worry so much about the why. So, if you are like me and don’t identify as a witch, there is still a lot of valuable information and advice to help you along your spiritual path.
The Modern Witchcraft Guide to the Wheel of the Year: From Samhain to Yule, Your Guide to the Wiccan Holidays by Judy Ann Nock
This is the definitive guide to Wheel of the Year. It contains brief histories of each of the eight sabbats, as well as ideas for recreating traditional pagan celebrations today. A must read!
The Modern Witchcraft Book of Natural Magick: Your Guide to Crafting Charms, Rituals, and Spells from the Natural World by Judy Ann Nock
If you are looking for ways to connect your spiritual journey with nature, this book offers lots of examples, meditations and spellwork that are easy to implement - no fussy ingredients needed. It is also full of handy magickal properties reference charts for animals, herbs, flowers, trees and stones. If you have trouble remembering which ingredients you should use in spellwork, meditations, ect…this is a good resource to keep at the ready.
The Book of Kitchen Witchery: Spells, recipes, and rituals for magical meals, an enchanted garden, and a happy home by Cerriden Greenleaf
I love collecting cookbooks, even though I rarely use recipes when I cook. And this book kind of falls under that category. Full of interesting tidbits about magical properties of food, as well as recipes for food stuff and health and beauty, this book is a great addition to your Wheel of the Year/ Witch reference library.
The Modern Witchcraft Grimoire: Your Complete Guide to Creating Your Own Book of Shadows by Skye Alexander
If you want to learn the basics of grimoires (aka Book of Shadows) this is a perfect place to start. I routinely consult this book when I am writing about moon energy, the Wheel of the Year, seasonal energies and goddesses. There is a whole section dedicated to reference charts for all kinds of different associations. Even if you don’t plan to have a grimoire, this is one of the best witchcraft books available.
The Modern Witchcraft Spell Book: Your Complete Guide to Crafting and Casting Spells by Skye Alexander
This is a great resource for anyone who wants to try spell casting or Law of Attraction, if spells aren’t your thing. As the author explains “By training your mind and developing some natural skills that you already possess…you can create the reality you desire.” It includes several simple spells and rituals for all aspects of life from money and love to health and happiness.
I’d love to know what books are in your library. Please share some suggestions in the comments below!
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