Lammas 2020

Wise Women, the wheel turns again and we find ourselves less than a week from Lammas/Lughnasadh

This is our first Harvest festival. It is a time of gratitude and celebration. (For more details and a little history on this fire festival, you can check out my blog on Lammas from last year.)
If you are new to the Wheel of Year you may not yet have traditions for this holiday. If you have been celebrating the turn of the wheel for some time, you may have your go to rituals and ways to celebrate. 
For me Lammas marks the shift of movement toward the fall (my favorite season). It is the hottest time of year here in the northern hemisphere and it is also Leo season (think roaring gorgeous sunkissed lions). Summer is still with us but as she wanes the hot and languid, lazy days of this season become more precious. As with all things the more scarce the more precious. 
So in celebration of Summer, our first harvest and that turn of the wheel I encourage you to plan yourself a Lammas ritual. 
There are many options to choose from. This year as we find ourselves in the midst of a surging pandemic you will most likely find that your celebration will be closer to home. This is not the year for large potlucks and sharing of harvests in this way. Yet there are ways to include your community in your celebrations. 
 

• Share Fruits and Seeds- As you begin your harvest you may also find some of your early garden has bolted and turned to seed. In celebration of the harvest and to symbolize the fruits of your labors, why not have a seed exchange. You can label your seeds and mail them to friends to share. Get several friends involved and have everyone mail their favorite seeds to each other  (this is a lovely thing to do in the Spring as well). 
• Share your surplus veggies with neighbors and friends. You may not be able to potluck with friends but you can absolutely share your extra fruit and veg. I have a neighbor who is frequently picking their surplus and leaving it in a box in front of their house with a free sign. This is a great way to share with your community. 
• Want to connect with the spirits of the land? Bake some bread to leave as an offering. Lammas means loaf mass and baking bread is not only a traditional way to celebrate this holiday but also a fun and nourishing activity (I have some sourdough raising as I type this). Bake up some bread for yourself and some for a gratitude offering to the earth. 
• If you are feeling particularly abundant right now in time, food or money, you can share this too. Right now there are many people out of work and having a challenging time making ends meet. There are also a lot of our elders who are feeling more isolated than usual. 
• If you are someone who has a little extra time you might volunteer to call some seniors in your area who might be isolated due to Covid. Many communities have programs like this to connect with people who are needing it. A phone call can go a long way! 
• Or perhaps you have a little extra money and can donate to a local cause or to a friend or family member in need.
• Or maybe you are cleaning out your pantry to make way for your new harvest. Perhaps some of these items could be donated to your local food bank.  Giving back is a great way to celebrate abundance, harvest and gratitude. 
• Corn Dolly-As I mention in my blog from last years Lammas, I make a “corn dolly” annually for blessings and protection in my home. These are traditionally made with corn husks, but I tend to gather that which is growing in my yard and make a “dolly” with these plants. This is a symbol of abundance and I imbue my creation with protective energy then find a place for her to “guard” over my home for the next year. Once I have created this I burn the one from the year before to release the work it has done and invite in the protection of the new “dolly”. This can be a really fun way to celebrate with kiddos too! 
• Fire-As I mentioned earlier this is Leo season and Leo is a fire sign, which, coupled with the sun energy of this time of year, can be a powerful time for transformation. Just as our gardens are transforming from growth to harvest, you may find that you have something within you that is ready to be harvested or transformed. A simple ritual with this idea at is core, might be to light a candle, and ask the question, “What have I been cultivating within that I am ready to harvest or transform?” Then pull a tarot or oracle card and spend some time journaling about how this connects for you. Follow up this fist question by asking “What action can I take right now to support this harvest or transformation?” (Remember that fire energy is not only transformative but also action oriented) You might choose to pull another card and reflect on this or just journal and let your inner wisdom take its own direction here. Close your ritual by creating a clear intention statement about what action you will take. Say it aloud and blow out your candle. 

 Happy Lammas everyone!