Lammas for Beginners
In between the Summer Solstice
and the Autumn Equinox, Wiccans celebrate the Sabbat of Lammas, or Lughnasadh.
Lammas marks the start
of the Harvest season, as it’s when the first grains will start to be harvestable,
and fruits are just reaching their perfect ripeness and dropping off trees left
right and centre.
At Litha, we realised that the
Sun God’s power is starting to wane, and some ancient Pagans believed that He
infused the grain with his power, and that when we harvested the grain, we were
metaphorically sacrificing Him to keep ourselves fed. The main thing people
often think of when they hear the word ‘Pagan’ is worshipping the earth, and I
have a funky feeling that that sort of idea came directly from the respect that
Pagans must have shown their crops if they believed they had been infused by
their God.
In Pagan and Wiccan tradition,
the first grain harvest of the year is used to bake a loaf of bread, which
historically was taken to a Church to be blessed. Christians and Pagans
historically cohabited quite well, and the word ‘Lammas’ is actually taken from
this tradition; broken down, it means ‘loaf mass’.
As with every cultures’ harvest
festival, the best way to celebrate Lammas is with a feast. Wiccans will
decorate their homes with the colours of the season: rich yellows, oranges, and
browns. They might also add harvest imagery such as scythes and baskets (please
note, a drawing of a scythe would suffice, there’s no need to go hanging blades
all over your dining room). Then they’ll serve up some bread, late summer vegetables,
bread, seasonal fruits, bread, grain-based dishes, bread…
Many Wiccans also make corn
dollies to decorate their altars or to use in spells if that Wiccan identifies
as a Witch. If I had some corn I’d show you how easy they are to make, but
there are tutorials available online if you’re interested.
On a spiritual level, Lammas is
all about productivity and gratitude: we’ve got to work hard to get the harvest
in, but we also are extremely grateful for everything that we have been
provided with this year, and in the years to come. By respecting and being
grateful for the food, shelter, and clothing we’ve been given, we are already
celebrating Lammas in the best possible way!
Have a
lovely day, and goodbye!
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