Lammas Day Witchcraft Lammas Day is an ancient holiday that celebrates the first harvest of the grain crops, mainly wheat and barley. It is observed on August 1st in the Northern Hemisphere and February 1st in the Southern Hemisphere. The name "Lammas" comes from the Old English term "hlaf-mas," which means "loaf mass" or "bread feast," reflecting the significance of the harvest. In some pagan traditions, Lammas is also known as Lughnasadh, named after the Celtic god Lugh. It is believed that Lughnasadh was a time for communities to come together, engage in communal labor, and participate in games and festivities. It was also a time when the first fruits of the harvest were offered in gratitude to the gods and goddesses.
Ash W. E. // Practicing Green Witch of 7 years // eclectic solo practitioner // pagan // published author // magic(k)al theory & spellcraft nerd // what's in the woods? // Aquarius sun, Cancer moon, Aries rising. I love you, fight me! // Asks are Open!
The Vulcanalia, August 23 Because Vulcan was associated with the destructive powers of fire, his celebration fell each year during the heat of the summer months. Photo above star that I made out of wire and wooden beads with Lammas August colours according to my synesthesia during an online workshop and celebration just after Summer Solstice.
It was also a time when the first fruits of the harvest were offered in gratitude to the gods and goddesses. Witchcraft practices associated with Lammas Day vary among different covens and individuals. Some practitioners celebrate the abundance of the harvest and express gratitude through offerings and rituals.
Lammas – witchy summer days and spells
Today, on August 1st, the festival Lammas or Lughnasadh is celebrated by witches and (neo)pagans in the Northern hemisphere. In the Southern hemisphere, it’s time for Imbolc as Winter is slowly approaching its end. In this blogpost I’ll focus on Lammas as that’s what’s happening around where I live. I’ll show you some of the spells I recently did and a visionboard and wire star I made as well as my seasonal altar. By the way, there’s also a full moon tonight!
A few weeks ago I made a “summer park dreams” collage visionboard. The things I mentioned on there – from playing ukulele/guitarlele to learning about plants – are small but fun things I’d like to do on sunny summer days. I added the visionboard to my altar as you can see below.
I’ve also installed some spells on the mantlepiece that’s my altar:
A few weeks ago, I started a spell for my band Lavender Witch to find great new band members, accept the departure of our previous singer and bassist, and continue those friendships. I pulled the “wish card” aka 9 of cups (or vials) from the Numinous Tarot which inspired me to create a “wish jar” and set up this spell. My wish jar contains lavender buds, other purple flowers, and beads, and is closed with purple-green fabric and the purple cotton thread I use to bind the Lavender Witch zines. I placed it on a pocket mirror and put a witchy magnet (bought in the folklore museum in Vielsalm) on top. Around the jar are two orchid flowers that had fallen the same day, a “we are strange girls” button that my band mate Anso has made, a patch that says “pro-choice, pro-feminism, pro-cats” (a gift from my band mate Nath) and a patch with the next “Regardez bien les sorcières, reprendre leurs droits, reprendre leur joie“.
The weather balance spell, intended to fight heat waves (or at least help me deal with them psychologically), is still there too and and clearly doing its job with the rainy and gentle weather we’ve having here lately. 🙂 It consists of a tray made by Laurène Marcant, a sun amulet by Ayshe-Mira Yashin, wooden buttons, and a postcard of a fan:
Besides these spells I put creations on my altar that were made by Emilie (the tree of life made from wire), Flien (raven artwork), God Save the Queer (“you’re magical” postcard), Jessica (“witch” bracelet and triptych with key), Mawy (lino print), Paontaure (4 witchy postcards), Do the Magical Thing (wooden sigil keychain), Johannas Pas (postcard for her tarot deck Kringen op het Tafelblad – read more about it here), and Megan (embroidery):
My plans for today
I recently bought a book called Queer Magic which has an essay about queering the Wheel of the Year and pagan holidays. For Lammas it mentions “family” as the keyword so it’s encouraged to spend some time with your (chosen) family, friends, coven, community… I spent it with my unofficial coven aka band mates of Lavender Witch. I even brought Le Tarot Grunge to read some cards together (see photo below right)! 🙂
Photo above left: balms and parfume by Uncounted Galaxies, from a wonderful trade at Recyclart Holidays. They smell soooo good! ❤
My plans for August
After July which was all about zines, I’d like to focus on artjournals this month. On this blog I plan on showing you some journal artists who’ve inspired me greatly as well as focus my monthly witchy video selection on journaling. Of course I’d like to work on artjournals and grimoires myself and share some that I’ve made a little while ago. I’d also like to make something related to musicians who passed away, maybe a journal page or a triptych, we’ll see. August is festival season – I’m going to see Skunk Anansie! – and summer weather somehow brings nostalgic 90s grunge feelings to me.
Anyway, I hope you have a great day and month, wherever you are!
Photo above: star that I made out of wire and wooden beads (with Lammas/August colours according to my synesthesia) during an online workshop and celebration just after Summer Solstice. Thank you for the workshop, Jessica!
Read more:
- Last year’s Lammas blogpost
- Imbolc
- Wheel of the Year journal
This may involve creating altars adorned with seasonal fruits, vegetables, and grains, and performing spells or rituals to honor the Earth and the cycles of nature. Lammas is also a time for divination, wherein witches seek guidance and insight for the upcoming harvest season. This can be done through tarot readings, scrying, or other forms of divinatory practices. Some witches also see Lammas as an opportunity to cast spells related to prosperity, abundance, and personal growth. Another aspect of Lammas Day witchcraft is the crafting of corn dollies. These are traditionally created from the last sheaf of harvested grain and are believed to hold the fertility and life force of the land. Corn dollies are usually shaped into intricate designs, and they are often displayed as decorations or used in rituals during the Lammas season. While Lammas Day witchcraft is primarily associated with the celebration of the harvest and the abundance of nature, it is important to note that the practices and beliefs vary among individuals and covens. Some practitioners may focus more on the spiritual aspects, connecting with deities and nature spirits, while others may emphasize community and the joyous festivities. Overall, Lammas Day provides an opportunity for witches and pagans to honor the cycles of nature, express gratitude for the bountiful harvest, and engage in witchcraft practices that align with their personal beliefs and traditions. Whether through divination, spellwork, or communing with nature, Lammas Day is a time for witches to celebrate and connect with the earth's abundance and the bountiful energies of the harvest season..
Reviews for "Lammas Day and the Goddess: Honoring the Divine Feminine in Witchcraft"
1. Samantha - 2 stars - I found "Lammas Day Witchcraft" to be quite disappointing. The writing was dry and lacked depth, while the characters felt one-dimensional and unrelatable. The plot itself was predictable and failed to hold my interest. I was hoping for a gripping and atmospheric witchcraft tale, but unfortunately, this book fell short of my expectations.
2. Michael - 1 star - I can't even begin to describe how much I disliked "Lammas Day Witchcraft." The storytelling was incredibly disjointed, with a jumble of events that made no sense. The dialogue was stilted and unnatural, making it difficult to connect with any of the characters. The author failed to create a compelling world, and the overall execution of the novel felt rushed and poorly thought out.
3. Emily - 2 stars - "Lammas Day Witchcraft" was a major letdown for me. The writing style was clunky and unpolished, leaving me constantly distracted by grammatical errors and awkward phrasing. The story lacked any real substance or originality and felt like a cliched rehash of other books in the genre. I found myself struggling to maintain interest and ultimately gave up on finishing it. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for a captivating witchcraft tale.