Lammas, also known as Lughnasadh, arrives August first. It is the first harvest, when you finally see the fruits of your labor over the last few months.
However, there’s this tendency to hit the middle of the calendar year and feel that the past months have gone by too fast, or not fast enough. Or we start to think that we’ve fallen behind on our tasks, or that we’re running out of time to do all the things we planned for the year.
One of the benefits of the wheel of the year and its cyclical nature is that the pressure to perform diminishes. Time is circular and you will have another chance to do all that you planned: plant that garden, go camping, watch a sunrise, start a company. Whatever your goals, no matter your to-do list, the movement of the seasons, the sun and the moon means you will have other opportunities to make good on the promises you made yourself.
The cycle also gives you permission to start over, wherever you are at. There will always be another day, another season, another year. With very few exceptions, anything you want to do can be started now. We are not so much at the whim of the natural cycle that we once were. We won’t starve in January because we didn’t bring in a crop. The nature of modern heating and cooling means we can start seeds and tend plants indoors, even in the middle of winter. This is a blessed flexibility that we can take advantage of to live life on our terms.
That’s not to say the seasons aren’t important or we should uncouple ourselves completely from them. I want to encourage people to not embrace a rigid schedule that makes them feel that if they haven’t gotten a handle on their life by some arbitrary age that they’ve failed. Embracing the cycle of the seasons actually encourages a kinder, gentler approach to these feelings. The point isn’t to beat yourself up for having missed the planting season, but to give yourself grace and courage to plant anyway. We can always draw on the energies of different times on the wheel of the year.
In the case of Lammas, the energy is all about abundance, gratitude and releasing. If you feel you have fallen behind or don’t have enough time for what you need to do it might benefit you to engage in some shadow work to let go of expectations and perfectionism. Journal around this prompt:
“Why am I caught up in the idea that I have to accomplish XYZ in a certain amount of time? Am I really off-track or do I just think so? What is one thing I could do right now that would be a step towards reaching my goals?”
If you want to tap into the abundance energies of Lammas you can do so by adorning your altar in those things that relate to prosperity:
- gold altar cloth
- gold candles
- crystals such as carnelian, citrine and aventurine
- images of deities such as Lugh, Demeter, Danu and Mercury
- flowers such as goldenrod, red clover, sunflowers and black-eyed susans
- burn frankincense or sandalwood incense
Don’t forget to also adorn yourself with gold and silver jewelry. Then take the time to list out what abundance and prosperity enriches your life right now. Is it your job? Your family? Your pets? Your home? List everything, no matter how small. Keep that list with you for the remainder of the year so you will remember what you are grateful for.
However you approach Lammas, keep in mind that this is just a moment in time. The good, the bad, and the ugly will pass as the wheel turns. Find your blessing where you can and release that which doesn’t serve you, that is the lesson and energy of Lammas.
If you want to know more about the wheel of the year and its various sabbats get your copy of The Natural Home Wheel of the Year by Raechel Henderson.
