Lughnasadh is celebrated on the 8th full moon after the Winter Solstice in the beginning of August. It is the second last festival of the Wheel of the Year and the first of three harvest festivals - Lughnasadh, Mabon & Samhain - and therefore marks the transition into fall season.

Lammas is the ancient Christian name for this festival and Lughnasadh the older Celtic name.

When August comes around, I always feel as if Mother Nature has painted over the landscape with delicate brushstrokes. Red poppies or snow-white daisies peek out from between the golden color of the grain. And when a warm wind blows through the fields, these fields turn into soft golden waves. But this time of the year not only offers a magical sight for the eyes, our other senses are equally captivated! The hum of crickets serenading the evening, the wind that blows through the ears of corn, the intense air just before a summer thunderstorm and the smell of the earth after a warm summer rain.

The grain that was sown a few months earlier is now fully ripe and can be harvested. And I love the color of wheat or corn in summer because to me it shows so clearly that all these plants have been absorbing the light of the sun until now!

It is the climax for the abundance in nature, and our ancestors were already preparing for the approaching darker months by preserving fruit or making jam, pickling vegetables or drying medicinal herbs for the winter.

If you look at the fields from a distance, they look like green and golden puzzle pieces that make up a large patchwork of Mother Nature. There you can see the farmers being busy like the bees on their fields. In Germany many cornfields have been harvested in many places already and the remaining wheat stalks glow in a rich gold in the evening sunlight.

How to celebrate Lughnasadh | Lammas as a modern Witch

So how can you celebrate Lughnasadh? Here are some simple ways to harvest the energy of this time of the year.

And please remember that it’s not about doing every single thing that is recommended out there for Lughnasadh. I personally love doing the smaller, simpler rituals and usually do less things, that I feel are perfect for that specific year and celebration.

1. Harvest the ripe fruits & vegetables from your garden or buy from your local farmer’s market

2. Make the harvested vegetables and fruits durable for winter (jam, pickled vegetables, dried herbs, …)

3. Bake bread or make little corn dolls

4. Make a Lughnasadh | Lammas Altar

5. Work with a Deity if you have been called to do so. Deities associated with Lughnasadh are among others:
   Lugh, Ceres, Demeter, Persephone, Odin and Loki

6. Help out friends or family with their harvest or ask a local farmer to help with the first harvest (maybe ask friends to go with you!)

7. Do a Cord Cutting Ritual

Also, take the time to reflect and journal on the following questions:

• What do I want to take with me into the winter months that deeply nourishes myself physically, mentally & magically?

• What do I want to leave behind with this harvest?

• What needs a clear cut in my life? Where do I need to draw a line?

• Do I feel somehow tied to a bad habit or a situation? This can also mean that an emotion is draining you energetically.

• What can I reap from what I’ve sown in the previous months?

• How can I enjoy MY own harvest NOW and honor and celebrate myself for it? (And no, it doesn’t matter how small or big it might be! :))

• What have I achieved? What lessons have I learned and what challenges have I overcome?

⬇️ You can also watch my full Witch’s Guide on YouTube where I share everything in detail. :) ⬇️

You may already notice the subtle changes in the air and the gradual shift in the energy around you.

The days are getting shorter, the nights a bit cooler, and there's a sense of transition all around you. This time of the year, we are reminded to prepare for the coming autumn and winter months.

So, whether you choose to harvest fruits, bake bread, or perform a cord cutting ritual, remember that Lughnasadh is a time of reflection, gratitude, and preparation for the darker months ahead. It's a time to honor the abundance that surrounds us, to give thanks for the fruits of our labor, and to make mindful decisions about what we want to carry forward into the next season of our lives.

This is a time to celebrate. Acknowledge your hard work and the progress you've made. Just like the farmers that - after the harvest - after making the hey and storing everything - can take some time and proudly look at their work and be relieved, for they are nearly set for winter.

Lughnasadh is not just about physical harvest but also about the spiritual and emotional harvest. It's about recognizing the growth within ourselves and appreciating the journey you’ve undertaken.

As you celebrate Lammas this year, however that looks like for you, think about the personal growth you've experienced and the wisdom you've gained! Engage in activities that bring you joy. Whether it's spending time with loved ones, engaging in creative pursuits, or simply taking some time for self-care.

I hope you enjoyed this witchy guide to Lammas | Lughnasadh! I hope it can help you to understand the energy of it a little bit more.

And let me know how you are going to celebrate this year!

All my love,
Bebea

You can watch all my videos about the Wheel of the year here!