Lammas 2018

 

Lammas introduces the season of ripening. Lammas comes from the Old English phrase “hlaf-maesse” or “loaf mass”. Its focus is on the first harvests of Summer, most notably, the grain harvest. Our ancestors celebrated the crops, knowing that a successful harvest would see them through the long dark months to come.

 

Sunlight is noticeably beginning to decline as the Wheel of the Year turns  toward the dark half of the year. We may already be starting to lament Summer’s ending, but for now, we are happy to enjoy warm sunny days and partake of the endless bounty of seasonal fruits and vegetables.

 

As a grain festival, our ancestors would burn an effigy of the Grain God at Lammas, to ensure the continuing cycle of death and rebirth in the Spring. The God was a willing sacrifice, giving up His life so that His people may live. We can honour this tradition by celebrating the abundance of the Earth and all She has to offer, sharing our bounty with others in Her name, and make our own sacrifices for the greater good of our communities.

 

Sacrifice is something that we do willingly, and often, we are lucky enough to reap the benefits down the road. We can look at our metaphorical garden, the seeds we planted, the ways we nurtured our dreams, prioritizing what needed nourishment and what needed to be thinned out. We pulled the weeds, removing some things in order for others to prosper and grow. We did a lot of hard work to arrive at this point. We can celebrate our successful harvest as we acknowledge the sacrifices we made. We can look honestly at the sacrifices that may still be required, letting go of the attitudes,  behaviours or beliefs that may still be hindering us. This is but the first of the harvests, there remains time to work on our goals and reap the benefits in the coming months.

 

Baking bread is one of the ways we honour the First Harvest. As you knead the dough, think about your personal harvest and all the things you wish to manifest in the coming months, and the sacrifices you are willing to make to achieve success. Visualize the successful harvest and send the image into the dough. As you eat the bread, know that you are taking in those qualities that will ensure an abundant crop.

 

Lammas Tarot Spread

1 What are you harvesting?

2 What must you sacrifice?

3 What opposes you?

4 What supports you?

5 What grounds you?

6 What is still ripening?

7 What will you take forward?

 

 

Lammas Blessings,

 

The Muse

image courtesy of

http://liberumbrarum.tumblr.com/post/108115781462/making-brideogas-corn-dollies