Sabbats Almanac: Samhain to Mabon - Kristoffer Hughes 2018
Portable Magic by Mickie Mueller
Lammas
LAMMAS IS A CELEBRATION of the first harvest; it’s the time of the year when grains such as wheat and other bounty were ready for harvest. It is also known as Lughnasadh, a festival to honor the Celtic Sun God Lugh with feasting, drink, and games. In modern times we may feel disconnected from the agricultural cycle since instead of getting our bounty directly from the earth, we harvest a paycheck and even if we supplement our pantry with a home garden, we get most of our nourishment from a grocery store. If like many of us you’re out there going to school or earning that paycheck on Lammas, there are still ways that you can tap into the harvest energy of the day and bring it into your life. Put some magic in your pocket and enjoy the sabbat!
Lammas Prosperity Charm Bag
When we think about harvest, we feel the essence of prosperity, make a new prosperity charm to carry today and charge it with Lammas energy. Use a piece of gold/yellow colored fabric about a five inch circle. You can use some or all of these items in your charm: a coin, citrine, quartz, wheat, sun charm, allspice, basil, cinnamon, acorn, or other prosperity symbols of your choice. Place your charm bag ingredients in the center of the fabric and simply bundle it all up and tie it with ribbon or twine. I like to charge my charm bags with my intention and place it by a candle to awaken the energy. Carry it in your pocket for the first time on Lammas and as you think about the first harvest throughout the day, use that to add extra energy to your charm.
Farewell and Closure Spell
Lammas is the time that we say farewell to the summer, the season of growth, and the sun king as the suns energy has noticeably begun to wane. We all have things in our lives that ebb and flow, and sometimes we find ourselves holding on to regretful partings, whether it’s people who are out of our lives, things, or situations, and a bit of closure can help us move on. A small ritual to release regrets can be very cleansing and healing for our spirits. This one is so easy but it can really lighten the load you carry on your shoulders. You’ll need a slip of paper, a pen, and a pinch of thyme. When you’re at home, write down what you wish to release on this Lammas; you can write as few or as many as you wish. Visualize each item as you write it down. When you’re done, whisper on to the paper, “I release you with love and I release my regret.” Sprinkle it with thyme, an herb of courage, purification, and release. Fold the paper away from you, turn and fold again, always folding away as many times as you feel is needed and put it in your pocket. On your travels throughout the day, drop it in a public trash bin and don’t look back.
Jewels of the First Harvest
You might like to wear a special piece of magical jewelry to honor the day; here are some ideas for wearable magic to help you stay mindful of the special day and its energies. I like to wear simple stones on Lammas, citrine or amber is usually my go-to choice mostly based on what I have, but there are other stones that are lovely to wear as Lammas talismans as well. Most of us have some quartz crystal jewelry of one kind or another, which is another good choice for Lammas. Obsidian jewelry is also a great talisman for the day, protection magic is appropriate on Lammas. If you happen to have any jewelry in the shape of an arrow, sword, or spear, those would be nice to wear in honor of Lugh who was a warrior. Whatever you decide, purify it with incense or sage and as you wear it on Lammas let it bring you magic and mindfulness on this harvest sabbat.
Magical Oils and Cooling Lammas Spritz
I love to wear scents to correspond to the sabbats throughout the day. It’s usually a scent I don’t wear all the time so that when I catch a whiff of it, it keeps me mindful and reverent. For Lammas you can try patchouli oil, frankincense oil, or dragons blood oil either alone or as a blend. If you don’t like wearing oil on your skin, you can make a spritz in a little spray bottle—the travel size ones work great so you can take it with you if you wish. Fill the bottle with water, or if you want it to last longer, fill three quarters of the bottle with water and top it off with vodka. Then add a few drops of each oil you’ve chosen until you’re happy with the scent and shake before using. It’s very refreshing on a hot day and its magic that goes where you go.
Colors of the Day
When you’re getting ready in the morning, consider what clothes you choose to wear on this day of the harvest. Letting the colors set the tone for the day with magical intention is pretty easy and can make you feel magical all day.
Yellow is the color of wheat and the sun making it an appropriate color for your Lammas wardrobe. It’s a color of prosperity, but also of creativity and invention, granting the skills to hold on to your harvest and use it wisely.
Orange on Lammas can be a symbol of the harvest, and is also a color of growing opportunities and material wealth. Wearing orange can also relieve depression and promote feelings of safety and warmth.
Brown is the color of the nurturing earth after the harvest. It’s a color that speaks of security and strength when you wear it. Also wear brown on Lammas to promote energies of endurance and health.
Sabbat on the Go Tips
Lughnasadh was a festival of competition since the Celtic sun god Lugh was so good at all kinds of games. Today would be a great day to play Frisbee, miniature golf, or horseshoes. Any kinds of games are appropriate to play to honor Lugh, yes, even video games!
Bring some crusty bread with you to enjoy as a snack today, since Lammas translates to “loaf-mass,” and bread is one of the traditional foods of the sabbat. I like having bread with lots of seeds and grains for Lammas because it helps me reflect on the harvest.
Lammas is also a day of sacrifice—what a perfect day to donate some non-perishables to your local food pantry. When we recognize that we have enough to share, the universe gives us more, and it helps our community. Make sure you include a couple baking mixes for muffins or quick breads in with your donations.