Lammas, also known as Lughnasadh, is one of the eight annual Wiccan sabbats. It is typically celebrated on August 1st or 2nd in the Northern Hemisphere, marking the midpoint between the summer solstice and the autumn equinox. Lammas is a time of honoring the first harvest and showing gratitude for the abundance of the Earth. During Lammas, Wiccans come together to give thanks for the bountiful crops and the blessings of the season. It is a time to acknowledge the energy of the sun, which has nurtured and nourished the earth, allowing for the growth of crops and the sustenance of life. Our ancestors recognized the importance of this harvest and held ceremonies to honor and give thanks for the abundance they received.

Will Ferrell

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Our ancestors recognized the importance of this harvest and held ceremonies to honor and give thanks for the abundance they received. In modern-day celebrations, Wiccans often create altars adorned with the harvest bounty, including grains, fruits, vegetables, and flowers. These offerings symbolize the abundance and fertility of the land.

Recent News

Will Ferrell is an American comedy actor, writer, and producer known for his impersonations and for his portrayal of dim-witted but endearing characters.

Will Ferrell was born in Irvine, California, on July 16, 1967. He grew up in suburban Irvine.

Will Ferrell attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where he studied sports journalism. He graduated in 1990.

Will Ferrell was invited to join the television sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live in 1995 and remained a member of the cast until he left in 2002 to focus on a film career. With his manic energy, outlandish gags, and energetic commitment even to a failing joke, Ferrell became a fixture on SNL.

In 2006 Will Ferrell and long-time collaborator Adam McKay launched Gary Sanchez Productions. Through that company they produced several movies in which Ferrell starred, including Step Brothers (2008); the buddy-movie parody The Other Guys (2010); Casa de mi padre (2012; “My Father’s House”), a Spanish-language send-up of Mexican telenovelas; the political satire The Campaign (2012); and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013).

Will Ferrell (born July 16, 1967, Irvine, California, U.S.) American comedy actor, writer, and producer known for his impersonations and for his portrayal of dim-witted but endearing characters.

Ferrell grew up in suburban Irvine, California, where he played varsity football and drew laughs for reading the high school’s morning announcements in a variety of voices. He later studied sports journalism at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. After graduating in 1990, he worked as a sports broadcaster on local cable before studying acting and comedy. After a year of training with the Los Angeles improv comedy group the Groundlings, he became a member of the company, and in 1995 he was invited to join the television sketch show Saturday Night Live (SNL).

With his manic energy, outlandish gags, and energetic commitment even to a failing joke, Ferrell became a fixture on SNL. He was well known for his impersonations, notably of game show host Alex Trebek, sportscaster Harry Caray, and U.S. Pres. George W. Bush. While on SNL, Ferrell also appeared in such feature films as the James Bond parody Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997); Dick (1999), a satire of the Watergate scandal; and Zoolander (2001; he later appeared in its 2016 sequel as well), a fashion-industry send-up.

In 2002 Ferrell left SNL to focus on a film career, often collaborating with Adam McKay, a writer and director he had met on SNL. The following year Ferrell was one of the stars in Old School, and he took the lead role in Elf (2003), playing a charmingly naive human raised in Santa’s village who ventures to New York City. Both films were box office successes. He then starred in a string of hit comedies, notably Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) and the NASCAR spoof Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), both of which he cowrote with McKay. In 2005 Ferrell portrayed a Nazi playwright in the musical comedy The Producers, and he played equally outlandish characters in the sports comedies Blades of Glory (2007) and Semi-Pro (2008).

His subsequent film roles included a bumbling scientist in the adventure comedy Land of the Lost (2009) and an alien supervillain in the animated Megamind (2010). Although most of Ferrell’s film work was broadly comic in tone, he occasionally took on more serious roles, including a methodical Internal Revenue Service agent in Stranger than Fiction (2006) and an alcoholic selling his possessions in Everything Must Go (2010), an adaptation of a Raymond Carver short story.

In 2006 Ferrell and McKay launched Gary Sanchez Productions. Through that company they produced several other movies in which Ferrell starred, including the farcical Step Brothers (2008), which they cowrote; the buddy-movie parody The Other Guys (2010); Casa de mi padre (2012; “My Father’s House”), a Spanish-language send-up of Mexican telenovelas; the political satire The Campaign (2012); and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013). The production company was also behind Funny or Die (funnyordie.com), a Web site that first garnered notice with a short video of Ferrell being intimidated by his landlady, a beer-swigging potty-mouthed toddler.

Ferrell voiced a tyrannical businessman in The LEGO Movie (2014), a computer-animated film that used renderings of plastic LEGO toys as the characters and set pieces. He also lent his voice to the sequel, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part (2019). In the racially charged satire Get Hard (2015), Ferrell played a hedge-fund manager who, after being framed for insider trading, looks to a black employee ( Kevin Hart) for assistance on learning how to survive in prison. He played a hapless stepfather whose relationship with his stepchildren is challenged by the arrival of their father (Mark Wahlberg) in Daddy’s Home (2015). In 2017 he reprised the role in Daddy’s Home 2 and also starred with Amy Poehler in The House, about a suburban couple who run an illegal casino in order to pay for their daughter’s college tuition. In Holmes & Watson (2018), Ferrell assumed the role of Sherlock Holmes for the comedic take on Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic tales. His film credits from 2020 included Downhill, a dramedy about a struggling couple on a family vacation, and Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, in which he starred as an aspiring Icelandic musician. He later appeared with Ryan Reynolds in Spirited (2022), a musical comedy inspired by Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. He then played the head of the toy company Mattel in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (2023).

In 2009 Ferrell made his Broadway debut in the one-man play You’re Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush, which he wrote. The play featured Ferrell’s Bush giving some imaginative reminiscences and defenses of his administration. It earned a Tony Award nomination for special theatrical event and was broadcast on the cable channel HBO at the end of the stage production’s run in March 2009. Ferrell periodically returned to the small screen for guest appearances, notably on several episodes of the sitcoms 30 Rock (in 2010 and 2012) and The Office (in 2011). He was also featured in the comic miniseries The Spoils of Babylon (2014) and The Spoils Before Dying (2015) as a bloviating author and director. In The Shrink Next Door (2021), a miniseries based on a podcast, Ferrell played an insecure man who becomes a patient of a manipulative psychiatrist ( Paul Rudd).

In 2011 he received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

Will Ferrell casts a spell with three summer movies

Having made our request to talk to Will Ferrell about summer movies and, to our surprise, having said request granted, we figure we should jump right in:

Let’s start with the movie everybody’s talking about, Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith.

“Well, those are always well done, you know,” says Ferrell. “George Lucas. A legend, right?”

Right. OK, how about Batman Begins?

“Umm, Batman. I mean, it’s Batman we’re talking about, right? Batman!”

Finally, it hits me: Ferrell thinks he’s here to talk about HIS summer movies.

“So what about that Bewitched?”

“Geez, I thought you’d never ask,” he says, warming up to the subject. “Well, I’m in it, with Nicole Kidman. And I know this will sound stupid saying this, but, man, can that lady act.”

In fact, talking to Ferrell about his summer movies — he’s in three — is to talk about the essence of this summer’s movies, which could be summed up in four words: “Remake, remodel, recycle, return.”

Independent and foreign movies aside, the majority of high-visibility films that will fill screens between now and September are either parts of long-running or resurrected franchises, like Star Wars and Batman; cut from the successful cloth of previous hits, such as Monster-in-Law (think Meet the Parents); or based on a well-known TV series, as in The Honeymooners and Ferrell’s Bewitched, opening tomorrow, in which he plays the unsuspecting husband of a pretty, perky witch.

Sort of. As Ferrell is quick to confirm, the movie Bewitched may not be precisely what everyone expects.

“As you may know, this project has been in development for 13 years, and there have been nine scripts. Or maybe it’s been around for nine years and there have been 13 scripts; I get confused. Once Penny Marshall was going to direct it. And for a long time, it was a Jim Carrey project. But after he decided it wasn’t quite right for him, they settled for me. What really sold me was this premise that [director and co writer] Nora [Ephron] and her sister had come up with. It really takes the idea somewhere else, while keeping enough of the flavor for the person who really loved that show.”

“I play this somewhat out-of-fashion actor that they want to star in a new version of Bewitched,” says Ferrell, referring to the much-loved sitcom that ran on ABC from 1964 to 1972. That show starred Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha, a witch who vows to give up her supernatural powers when she marries the mortal ad executive, Darrin, something that proves impossible for her to do.

“He [meaning Ferrell’s actor character in the film] agrees only if the producers will cast an unknown as a wife, so he won’t be upstaged,” Ferrell says. “So I meet this girl, this nonactress, who’s played by Nicole, and convince them she’s the right person. But as coincidence would have it, she’s an honest-to-goodness witch who’s sort of on the lam from her family, which means that her mother comes looking for her.”

Samantha’s mother, Endora, played by the late Agnes Moorehead in the series, is played by Shirley MacLaine in the film, something Ferrell coyly calls “a pretty neat bit of casting.”

With a summer-slotted, big-budget movie like Bewitched, Ferrell, who, with seven seasons at Saturday Night Live was one of the show’s longest-serving cast members before leaving in 2002 to make movies, officially graduates to the leading man A-list. He had proven his drawing power and versatility in 2003’s holiday hit Elf and last summer’s local news spoof, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

Ferrell’s first summer at-bat is Kicking & Screaming, which opened May 13, and which Ferrell admits was originally written as something a lot like The Bad News Bears, the 1976 comedy starring Walter Matthau as an alcoholic Little League coach.

“It ended up being a lot more family-friendly, a lot more PG,” says Ferrell, “but I think it works. Robert Duvall plays my dad, who’s this legendary youth soccer coach who’s so tough he cuts my kid, his own grandson, from the team. So I start coaching this team of losers, and you can pretty much take it from there. We end up playing against each other in the playoffs. But to me, just the idea that I’m working with Robert Duvall is amazing, something I could have never dreamed about.”

Wedding Crashers, Ferrell’s third movie of the summer — it opens July 15 — is not a remake or a brand-name title. But it does reunite Ferrell with Vince Vaughn, with whom he appeared in Zoolander, Old School and Anchorman, and Owen Wilson, of Zoolander. And oh, yeah, there’s another film that has yet to find a distributor, The Wendell Baker Story, from Owen Wilson’s brother, Luke.

And how do we classify that?

For film events, see Page 34.

THROUGH THE LENS: Sierra Ferrell and Zach Bryan Hit Home Runs at Wild Horses Festival

This week’s guest contributor Liza Orozco and I have at least one thing in common: an unfettered admiration of Sierra Ferrell. Ferrell is from my hometown of Charleston, West Virginia, and I’ve seen her many times during the past 15 years. She’s been featured quite a few times in this column, and, if I am not mistaken, No Depression was the first publication to bring her to national attention — long before her 2021 album Long Time Coming that was on everyone’s top albums list that year (ND story).

Like many others, Liza has come under Ferrell’s spell during the past two years or so. Liza has been able to photograph Ferrell frequently in that time, and in the process has gotten to know her. Most recently, Liza was given full access to cover both the show at the Dec. 30 Wild Horses Festival at Petco Park, home of Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres, and the backstage experience.

Zach Bryan, Trampled by Turtles, and local act The Silent Comedy were also on the bill; it was a sold-out show before 40,000 fans.

Wild Horses Festival by Liza Orozco

Yes, I know that Zach Bryan was the headliner, but I’ve been singularly captivated by Ferrell ever since I first saw her. First as a photographer and now as a certified fan I have witnessed firsthand her growth over the past two years in both popularity and as an artist.

Upon my arrival at the Wild Horses Festival I was taken backstage, where Ferrell was getting dressed in a custom outfit and headdress made by fashion stylist Chenoa Faun. While there were two stylists doing her hair, makeup, and clothes, she looked as though it came easy to her, as if it was something she, like her music, was destined for. I might add that, for lack of a better word, her “look” is one that her fans have come to adore and look forward to. Ferrell was also gifted a San Diego Padres jersey, number 23 with her name on it.

Following a couple of warm-up songs backstage, Ferrell and her band — Oliver Bates Craven, Joshua Rilko and Geoff Saunders — took the stage as Webb Pierce’s “I Ain’t Never” was playing on the loudspeakers. Ferrell began singing along, adding “I ain’t seen nobody but yooooou toooo” as she danced onto the stage with Craven adding, “I love the smell of grass right now, it’s game time!”

It certainly was; they put on a sensational show. Afterwards, I asked Craven, formerly with The Stray Birds, if he was nervous about playing for such a large audience. He said that when you are prepared and the trust is there, all nervousness goes away, whether the audience is 40 or 40,000.

Headliner Bryan is another artist whose popularity has grown exponentially in the last two years. As with Ferrell, I knew from the first time I saw him perform that he really had something special when the audiences sang every song right along with him. On this night I saw many young women in tears while doing just that. It’s infectious, to the point where you want to know all the words and sing along as well.

I have found Bryan’s music to be sincere, relatable, and believable. So must Ferrell, The War and Treaty, The Lumineers, and Kacey Musgraves, as they all appear on his latest, self-titled album (ND review), which was included on last year’s ND Readers Poll of Best Roots Music Albums. Finally, it was amazing, to say the least, to see Ferrell and Bryan sing the album’s “Holy Roller” together at the show.

I cannot wait to see what 2024 holds in store for Ferrell and Bryan, but whatever happens I know it’s going to be spectacular.

Click on any photo below to view the gallery as a full-size slideshow.

Sierra Ferrell – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco Sierra Ferrell & Band – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco Sierra Ferrell, Oliver Bates Craven & Joshua Rilko – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco
Sierra Ferrell Backstage with Set List – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco Sierra Ferrell – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco Sierra Ferrell Backstage with San Diego Padres Jersey – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco
Zach Bryan – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco Zach Bryan & Sierra Ferrell – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco Zach Bryan – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco
Sierra Ferrell Backstage – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco Sierra Ferrell – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco Sierra Ferrell Backstage – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco
Ryan Young of Trampled By Turtles – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco Dave Carroll of Trampled By Turtles – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco Eamonn McLain of Trampled By Turtles – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco
Sierra Ferrell Portrait – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco Sierra Ferrell Portrait – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco Sierra Ferrell Portrait – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco
Geoff Saunders – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco Joshua Rilko – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco Oliver Bates Craven – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco
Sierra Ferrell Backstage – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco Zach Bryan & Sierra Ferrell – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco Crowd – Wild Horses Festival 2023 – Photo by Liza Orozco

Culture

NELSONVILLE, Ohio (WOUB) – From box cars to the music charts, singer-songwriter Sierra Ferrell has always been associated with a refreshing blend of musical influences which swing effortlessly from jazz and calypso to country and pop while picking up the best genre conventions of everything in between.

Ferrell, a West Virginia native, self released two albums (Pretty Magic Spell and Washington By the Sea) in 2018 and 2019, respectively, before signing with Nashville-based roots music label Rounder Records, which issued her Long Time Coming record in 2021.

Sierra Ferrell played a surprise set for the 2023 Sycamore Sessions; marking her second appearance at the festival, which she first played in 2019. For her 2023 Sycamore Session performance Ferrell’s band consisted of Geoff Saunders on bass; Josh Rilko on mandolin, and Oliver Kraven on fiddle and guitar.

Ferrell’s set was a mix of songs pulled from Long Time Coming, as well as a number of yet-to-be-released tracks alongside a sprinkling of covers and traditionals.

8. Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down (traditional, mashed-up with Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey) – 32:20

The Sycamore Sessions are presented by the Nelsonville Music Festival in collaboration with WOUB Public Media and the Ohio University Scripps College of Communication’s School of Media Arts and Studies. The performances were recorded and produced by Media Arts and Studies students under the supervision of Host and Director Josh Antonuccio and Associate Producers – Director of Photography Andie Walla (Media Arts and Studies Associate Professor of Instruction), Audio Supervisor Adam Rich (WOUB), and WOUB’s Arts and Culture Editor Emily Votaw. All performances took place during the 2023 Nelsonville Music Festival, which is a production of Stuart’s Opera House.

The home and hearth are also important focal points during Lammas, as it is a time to celebrate the fruits of our labor and the blessings we enjoy in our daily lives. Rituals during Lammas may involve the sharing of a communal meal, often featuring dishes made with the first fruits of the harvest. It is customary to bake bread during this time, representing the culmination of the crops and the cycle of life. The bread is typically blessed and shared among the participants, symbolizing both the unity of the community and the nurturing energy of the Earth. Lammas is also associated with the Celtic god Lugh, a deity of light, craftsmanship, and agriculture. Some Wiccans honor Lugh during this time and may incorporate his symbolism, such as the sun or the cornucopia, into their rituals and decorations. In addition to expressing gratitude for the harvest, Lammas is a time for introspection and reflection. It is a moment to consider the lessons learned during the growing season and to prepare for the upcoming changes of autumn. Wiccans may use divination or meditation to gain insight into their personal growth and to set intentions for the coming months. Overall, Lammas is a celebration of abundance, gratitude, and community. It is a time to honor the Earth, the harvest, and the interconnectedness of all living beings. Through rituals and ceremonies, Wiccans pay homage to the cycle of life and the blessings bestowed upon them..

Reviews for "Lammas and the Celtic Lore: Exploring the Wiccan Connection"

1. Sarah - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Wiccan sabbat lammas". I was expecting more information about the history and traditions of the Lammas celebration, but instead, it was mostly filled with generic information about Wicca. There was no depth to the content and it felt like a collection of random thoughts put together. I was hoping to learn something new, but unfortunately, this book didn't provide any valuable insights. I would not recommend it to anyone looking for a comprehensive guide on the Lammas sabbat.

2. John - 1 star - This book was a complete waste of time. It felt like the author did minimal research and just threw together some random information about Lammas. There were no clear explanations or instructions on how to celebrate this sabbat. The formatting was also inconsistent and made it difficult to follow along. I would not recommend "Wiccan sabbat lammas" to anyone as it provided no value or useful guidance for practicing Wiccans or those interested in learning more about Lammas.

3. Emily - 2 stars - I was really excited to read "Wiccan sabbat lammas" but unfortunately, I found it lacking in substance. The book seemed more like a collection of personal anecdotes rather than an informative guide. There was a lack of clear instructions or explanations on how to incorporate Lammas into Wiccan practices. While the author shared their personal experiences, it didn't contribute to a deeper understanding of the sabbat. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a comprehensive and informative resource on the Lammas sabbat.

4. Michael - 1 star - As someone who is new to Wicca, I found "Wiccan sabbat lammas" to be incredibly confusing. The book used jargon and terminology without explaining their meanings, leaving me feeling lost and frustrated. The lack of structure and organization made it difficult to follow along and understand the significance of the Lammas sabbat. I would not recommend this book to beginners or anyone looking for a clear and concise guide to understanding and celebrating Lammas within the Wiccan tradition.

5. Amanda - 2 stars - I was hoping to find inspiration and guidance through "Wiccan sabbat lammas", but unfortunately, it fell short. The book lacked depth and felt more like a surface-level overview of the Lammas sabbat. There were no unique perspectives or insights, making it feel like I was reading the same information I could find online for free. I was left disappointed as I didn't gain any new knowledge or actionable advice from reading this book. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone seeking a more in-depth exploration of Lammas.

Lammas Correspondences: Herbs, Colors, and Symbols for the Sabbat