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At Lammas, also called Lughnasadh, the hot days of August are upon us, much of the earth is dry and parched, but we still know that the bright reds and yellows of the harvest season are just around the corner. Apples are beginning to ripen in the trees, our summer vegetables have been picked, corn is tall and green, waiting for us to come gather the bounty of the crop fields. Now is the time to begin reaping what we have sown, and gathering up the first harvests of grain, wheat, oats, and more.
This holiday can be celebrated either as a way to honour the god Lugh, or as a celebration of the harvest.
Celebrating Grain in Ancient Cultures:
Grain has held a place of importance in civilization back nearly to the beginning of time. Grain became associated with the cycle of death and rebirth. The Sumerian god Tammuz was slain and his lover Ishtar grieved so heartily that nature stopped producing. Ishtar mourned Tammuz, and followed him to the Underworld to bring him back, similar to the story of Demeter and Persephone.
In Greek legend, the grain god was Adonis. Two goddesses, Aphrodite and Persephone, battled for his love. To end the fighting, Zeus ordered Adonis to spend six months with Persephone in the Underworld, and the rest withAphrodite.
A Feast of Bread:
In early Ireland, it was a bad idea to harvest your grain any time before Lammas — it meant that the previous year’s harvest had run out early, and that was a serious failing in agricultural communities. However, on August 1, the first sheafs of grain were cut by the farmer, and by nightfall his wife had made the first loaves of bread of the season.
The word Lammas derives from the Old English phrase hlaf-maesse, which translates to loaf mass. In early Christian times, the first loaves of the season were blessed by the Church.
Honoring Lugh, the Skillful God:
In some Wiccan and modern Pagan traditions, Lammas is also a day of honoring Lugh, the Celtic craftsman god. He is a god of many skills, and was honoured in various aspects by societies both in the British Isles and in Europe. Lughnasadh (pronounced Loo-NAS-ah) is still celebrated in many parts of the world today. Lugh’s influence appears in the names of several European towns.
Celebrating Lammas Today:
Honouring the Past
In our modern world, it’s often easy to forget the trials and tribulations our ancestors had to endure. For us, if we need a loaf of bread, we simply drive over to the local grocery store and buy a few bags of pre-packaged bread. If we run out, it’s no big deal, we just go and get more. When our ancestors lived, hundreds and thousands of years ago, the harvesting and processing of grain was crucial. If crops were left in the fields too long, or the bread not baked in time, families could starve. Taking care of one’s crops meant the difference between life and death.
By celebrating Lammas as a harvest holiday, we honour our ancestors and the hard work they must have had to do in order to survive. This is a good time to give thanks for the abundance we have in our lives, and to be grateful for the food on our tables.
Lammas is a time of transformation, of rebirth and new beginnings.
SGC Admin: From our inbox to you… Check out rituals for the upcoming Lammas with Patti Wigington
Have you started planning your Lammas rituals yet?
Depending on your individual spiritual path, there are many different ways you can celebrate Lammas, but typically the focus is on either the early harvest aspect, or the celebration of the Celtic god Lugh. It’s the season when the first grains are ready to be harvested and threshed, when the apples and grapes are ripe for the plucking, and we’re grateful for the food we have on our tables.
Here are a few rituals you may want to think about trying — and remember, any of them can be adapted for either a solitary practitioner or a small group, with just a little planning ahead.
August 1 is known as Lammas, or Lughnasadh. This is a day to celebrate the beginnings of the harvest, when the grain and corn is gathered. It’s also a time, in some traditions, of honoring Lugh, the Celtic craftsman god. Here are some ideas for dressing up your altar for your Lammas (Lughnasadh) celebration!Setting Up Your Lammas Altar
Lammas is a time of celebrating the beginning of the harvest, a theme seen often in the sacrifice of the grain god. Make a sacrifice of your own this Lammas, with this bread ritual that marks the beginning of the harvest. Lammas Bread Sacrifice Ritual
August 1 is known in many Pagan traditions as Lammas, and is a celebration of the early harvest. However, in some paths, it’s a day to honor Lugh, the Celtic god of craftsmanship. Celebrate your own talents and skills on Lughnasadh by honoring Lugh with a rite that can be held for a group or a solitary practitioner. Ritual to Honor Lugh of the Many Skills
Lammas is the early harvest Sabbat, and celebrates the crops of late summer and early autumn. If you wish to honor the Harvest Mother aspect of the Goddess and celebrate the cycle of life and rebirth, hold this Lammas rite either with a group or as a solitary practitioner. Hold a Lammas Harvest Ritual
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NATURAL RECIPES FOR YOUR PLEASURE
GET SILKY SOFT LIPS
Lip scrubs are all the rage but and cost a lot of money for just a small amount .
Try this instead: Sugar buffs away dead skin cells and the honey moisturizes to reveal super soft lips.
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon honey.
Combine the sugar and honey in a small bowl . Mix well with a wooden spoon until it forms a grainy paste. Using your finger tips , smooth the paste onto your lips . Gently scrub in a circular motion , then rinse well with warm water.
When finished smooth on lip balm.
LOVE EPSOM SALTS then try this recipe
Wish you could look 5 pounds slimmer in minutes. Slip into an Epsom salt bath. The baths magnesium crystals extracts toxins and excess fluids to reduce bloating .
BONUS: the salt also exfoliates skin for instant smoothness.
What you need:
1 cup Epsom salts,
1 TBS. baking soda
1 TBS fresh grated ginger.
Mix ingredients together and pour together into re-closable jar.. As you are running your bath, sprinkle two scoops of the salts into your bath. Soak for 15 minutes or more. Keeps indefinitely .
FIRM YOUR STOMACH With a seaweed scrub
Seaweed extract stimulates circulation, drains fluids and flushed toxins .
1 TBS ground seaweed.
1/4 cup sea salt
1/4 cup almond oil
5-10 drops essential oil ( optional)
Mix ingredients until fully blended. Place scrub into a re-closable jar. In the shower , massage a scoop over your damp stomach for several minute. Rinse and dry as usual. Keeps one month . Store in a cool dry place.
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