also called August Eve, First Harvest, Lunasa, Lughnassadh, the Feast of Bread, Loaf-mass, etc. a Greater Sabbat, one of the Four Fire Festivals or Cross-Quarter Days some choose to mark this Sabbat on August 1st; others astrologically, when the sun reaches 15 degrees Leo. the first Sabbat in the season of Water the Goddess is more heavily laden with her child. The Sun God, concentrated in the ripened grain, sacrifices himself for the Harvest - his strength wanes as it progresses, and he dies when the Harvest is complete; his spirit descends into the Earth, back into the womb to be reborn at Yule. this Sabbat is the First Harvest; grains such as wheat, barley, oats, and corn are all ready for harvest, as well as blackberries, summer squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, and some early varieties of apples. themes include honouring parent deities, offering the first bread from the harvest, harvesting sacred grains for use further on in the Wheel of the Year, celebrating and giving thanks for bounty and prosperity, giving thanks for our food, and transformation. Symbols
sheaves of wheat or other grains loaves of bread beer corn cornucopias sickles and scythes cauldron and spear colours include pale gold, gold, brown, bronze, green, and red Activities
make a corn dolly create a cornucopia for display harvest or glean grain from the fields braid onions create a decorative sheaf of wheat or corn bake some fresh bread; offering this bread to the Sabbat fire, or on the altar, is traditional visit a traditional water-wheel grist mill and buy flour there go to a local fair visit a farm have a corn-roast for family and friends create pickles or preserves for storage participate in competitions or games of skill create a magical necklace of corn or rowan berries prosperity magic Food
Foods at Lammas tend to center around bread, and other foods straight from the harvest. Fresh corn and salads are great for this sabbat feast.
beer blackberry wine blackberries corn oats, barley, and wheatberry dishes lemon barley water bread salads of fresh greens and herbs tomatoes cucumbers summer squash onions Gemstones and Minerals
Bronzite Carnelian Lapis Lazuli Peridot Pyrite Sardonyx Tiger's Eye Herbs, Oils, and Resins
Apple - beauty, compassion, healing, love, joy, longevity, prosperity. Blackberry - healing, protection, prosperity, wealth. Caraway - fidelity, gain, honesty, keeping secrets, memory, peace of mind, prevents theft, protection, retention. Clover - good luck, magic, money, overcoming opposition, protection, strength. Copal - boosts spells, consecration, exorcism, meditation, protection, spell-breaking. Dill - determination, dreams, fertility, gain, harmony, love, peace, protection, rest, sleep, tranquility. Goldenrod - money, prosperity, wealth. (*Warning* - may cause allergic reactions.) Heather - beauty, contacting otherworlds, protection, weather magic. Hops - dreams, healing, sleep, transformation. Oak - commanding, confidence, courage, fertility, longevity, magic, prosperity, protection, retention, strength, success, virility, wealth. Oakmoss - clairvoyance, divination, exorcism, grounding, magic, spell-breaking. Onion - clairvoyance, commanding, consecration, divination, exorcism, overcoming opposition, protection, spell-breaking, stopping gossip. Poppy - clairvoyance, commanding, compassion, divination, dreams, fertility, gain, harmony, love, peace, prosperity, rest, sleep, tranquility, wealth. Rowan - exorcism, healing, magical strength protection, psychic ability, success. Incense Recipe
This is my own recipe for a Lammas incense; it is loose, and meant to be burnt on charcoal. A part is simply whatever you choose to use as a measure. A 'few drops' is to your taste, but typically less than ten drops per ounce of incense.
2 pt. copal 2 pt. oakmoss 2 pt. red sandalwood 1 pt. blackberry leaf 1 pt. caraway seed 1 pt. clover 1 pt. hops A few drops of amber and/or rose oil
