#lughnasadh 2019

[kenziemeadowscottage]

Happy Lughnasadh!

February 1st - March 20th

Today is the second day of Lughnasadh for us in the Southern Hemisphere! ✨

🦋 Origin 🦋

Lughnasadh (Loo-Nas-Ah) is the celebration of the First Harvest. It is celebrated in the middle of summer to late summer, between Midsummer and Mabon. 🍁 It is a celebration of seeing what you’ve grown and cultivating it for the winter season. This tradition came from Irish Celts and named from the Celtic Sun God, Lugh.

Lughnasadh comes from two origins of Lugh’s mythology. One is that Lugh wanted to a festival to honour his foster mother, Tailtiu (Tal-Chi-Uh). She had died clearing the Irish plains to prepare them for agriculture.

The other origin is that it was to celebrate Lugh’s marriage. It’s also a time where couples would make a “temporary marriage” which would be only for a year, until the end of the next years festival.

It is also known as Lammas in the Anglo Saxon tradition. Early Christians would take a loaf of bread to a priest to be blessed on August 1st. This loaf of bread was called loaf mass, which the where Lammas came from.

🍇 Celebration 🍇

Every source says that it was either a celebration of funerals or of marriage, but it’s always a festival of Lugh.

Ways that you can celebrate are:

Baking or buying a loaf of bread to celebrate the grain harvest. 🍞

Eating seasonal fruits / veggies. 🍒🍇

Putting colours of yellow, green, orange into your life or onto your altar. 🌻

Using crystals of red, yellow and orange. Carnelian, amber, citrine, and clear quartz for example. 🍓

Using symbolism of scythes, sunflowers, grain (which could be bread!) on your altar. 🌾

Gathering with friends for a potluck! Celebrate summers abundance and take this moment for rest! 🌼 Lughnasadh themed items include: bread, grains (like quinoa), berries, fruit, wine and beer.

Making corn dollies to hang around the home as an offering for a good first harvest, and asking deity (such as Lugh) for blessings. 🌽

References:

Mabon House. (14th July 2021). The History of Lughnasadh & Lammas.

https://www.mabonhouse.co/new-blog/the-history-of-lughnasadh-amp-lammas#:~:text=As%20part%20of%20the%20Wheel,yellow%2C%20bright%20greens%20and%20orange.

Vercida. (n.d.). Celebrating Lughnasadh (The First Harvest).

https://www.vercida.com/uk/articles/celebrating-lughnasadh#:~:text=Lughnasadh%20was%20also%20a%20popular,could%20be%20dissolved%20if%20wished.

Kajora Lovely. (2nd August 2019). Lughnasadh : History & Traditions of the First Harvest Festival.

https://www.kajoralovely.com/lovely-blog/2019/7/28/lughnasadh?format=amp

[conifae]

Lughnasadh / Harvest 2019. by Memoryweaver Via Flickr

[bee-bee-cee]

Portrait study, based on a screencapture of Dani (played by Florence Pugh) from the film Midsommar (2019).

A little late for Midsommar, since we're in Lughnasadh season and this study was made in 2022 (around midsummer), but I really need to stop delaying my "Update your Tumblr Art Account" quest.

[brookston]

Holidays 7.31

Holidays

African Women’s Day

Always Live Better Than Yester Day

Apricot Day (French Republic)

Black Top Day (a.k.a. Black Tot Day; UK)

Change Your Ringtone Day (Australia)

Cool Japan Day

Crossfire Hurricane Day

Devoted Couples Day

Emancipation Day (Belize)

Father’s Day (Dominican Republic)

George Jetson Day

Gryphon Appreciation Day

Hapje Tapje (Leuven, Belgium)

Happy Potter Day

Hot August Nights begin (Reno, Nevada)

Insect Appreciation Day

International Lifeguard Appreciation Day

International Seriously Single Day

Joust of Quintana: La Sfida (The Challenge; Italy) [Pt. 2 in September]

Ka Hae Hawai'i Day (State Flag Day; Hawaii)

Law Enforcement Day (Louisiana)

Mac Davis Day (Lubbock, Texas)

Martyrdom Day of Shahid Udham Singh (Haryana and Punjab, India)

Milton Friedman Day

Mutt's Day

National Commando Day

National Diana Day

National Eisteddford of Wales (Wales)

National Heatstroke Awareness Day

National #Love Day

National Mom Bod Day

National Mutt Day (a.k.a. National Mixed Breed Dog Day)

National Orgasm Day (UK)

National Parent a Biracial Child Day

Operation Motorman Anniversary Day (UK)

Rabbit Rabbit Day [Last Day of Every Month]

Saui Sura (Javanese New Year; Suriname)

Saxophone Day

Treasury Day (Poland)

Uncommon Instrument Awareness Day

U.S. Patent Day

Warriors’ Day (Malaysia)

World Day Against Electronic Torture

World MS Trend Day

World Ranger Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Cotton Candy Day [also 12.7]

Jump for Jelly Beans Day

Make Homemade Ice Cream and Invite the Neighbors Over Day

National Avocado Day

National Raspberry Cake Day

National Spam Day

Rum Ration Day (a.k.a. Black Tot Day)

Shredded Wheat Day

5th & Last Monday in July

Carnival Monday (Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba) [Last Monday]

Independence Days

Vanuatu (from UK/France, 1980)

Feast Days

Abanoub (Christian; Saint)

Bill Gates Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Birthday of Nephthys

Cameons (Positivist; Saint)

The Clodhoppers (Muppetism)

Dress Up Day (Pastafarian)

Erich Heckel (Artology)

First Sermon of Buddha (Bhutan)

Germanus of Auxerre (Christian; Saint)

Helen of Skofde, Sweden (Christian; Saint)

Ignatius of Loyola (Christian; Saint)

Jacques Villon (Artology)

John Columbini (Christian; Saint)

Joseph of Arimathea (Eastern Orthodox)

Lammas Eve (a.k.a. ... 

Hlafmesse (Loaf Mass; Anglo-Saxon)

Lammas, Day 1 (Celtic, Pagan) [5 of 8 Festivals of the Natural Year]

Lammas Eve (a.k.a. Lughnassad Eve)

Lithasblot (Norse Harvest Festival)

Loki and Sigyn’s Day (Norse)

Lughnassadh (Grain Harvest)

Oiche Lughnasadh (Pagan)

Neot (Christian; Saint)

Real Ale Day (Pastafarian)

Seedy Birds (Muppetism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

Bad Animals, by Heart (Album; 1987)

BASEketball (Film; 1998)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Film; 1992)

Dad’s Army (BBC TV Series; 1968)

The Dark Tower (Film; 2017)

Death Becomes Her (Film; 1992)

Enchanted April (Film; 1992)

Ever After (Film; 1998)

Four Weddings and a Funeral (TV Series; 2019)

Hang ‘Em High (Film; 1968)

Hot Shots! (Film; 1991)

Lego Aquaman: Rage of Atlantis (WB Animated Film; 2018)

The Living Daylights (James Bond Film, US; 1987) [#15]

The Lost Boys (Film; 1987)

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (Film; 2015)

Murder Included, by Joanna Cannan (Novel; 1950)

The Negotiator (Film; 1998)

Only the Lonely, by Roy Orbison (Song; 1960)

Plenty of Money and You (WB MM Cartoon; 1937)

Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (Book of Poems; 1786)

Rascal Flatts, by Rascal Flatts (Album; 2000)

Rushing Roulette (WB MM Cartoon; 1965)

The Shadow (Radio Series; 1930)

Still the One, by Orleans (Song; 1976)

Urban Cowboy (Film; 1980)

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (Film; 2017)

The Wiggles (TV Series; 1998)

Today’s Name Days

Hermann, Ignatius, Justinus (Austria)

Ignacije, Vatroslav (Croatia)

Ignác (Czech Republic)

Germanus, Helena (Denmark)

Ave, Meevi (Estonia)

Elena, Helena (Finland)

Ignace (France)

Herrmann, Ignatius, Joseph (Germany)

Iosif, Sifis (Greece)

Oszkár (Hungary)

Barbara (Italy)

Angelika, Renita, Rūta, Sigita (Latvia)

Elena, Ignotas, Sanginas, Vykintė (Lithuania)

Elin, Eline (Norway)

Beatus, Demokryt, Emilian, Ernesta, Ernestyna, Helena, Iga, Ignacja, Ignacy, Justyn, Ludomir, Żegota (Poland)

Margarita, Marina (Russia)

Ignác (Slovakia)

Fabio, Germán, Ignacio (Spain)

Elin, Helena (Sweden)

Ignacio, Inigo, Reed, Reid (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 212 of 2024; 153 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of week 31 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Tinne (Holly) [Day 21 of 28]

Chinese: Month 6 (Ji-Wei), Day 14 (Geng-Yin)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 13 Av 5783

Islamic: 13 Muharram 1445

J Cal: 2 Hasa; Twosday [2 of 30]

Julian: 18 July 2023

Moon: 98%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 16 Dante (8th Month) [Cameons]

Runic Half Month: Thorn (Defense) [Day 3 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 41 of 94)

Zodiac: Leo (Day 10 of 31)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 7.31

Holidays

African Women’s Day

Always Live Better Than Yester Day

Apricot Day (French Republic)

Black Top Day (a.k.a. Black Tot Day; UK)

Change Your Ringtone Day (Australia)

Cool Japan Day

Crossfire Hurricane Day

Devoted Couples Day

Emancipation Day (Belize)

Father’s Day (Dominican Republic)

George Jetson Day

Gryphon Appreciation Day

Hapje Tapje (Leuven, Belgium)

Happy Potter Day

Hot August Nights begin (Reno, Nevada)

Insect Appreciation Day

International Lifeguard Appreciation Day

International Seriously Single Day

Joust of Quintana: La Sfida (The Challenge; Italy) [Pt. 2 in September]

Ka Hae Hawai'i Day (State Flag Day; Hawaii)

Law Enforcement Day (Louisiana)

Mac Davis Day (Lubbock, Texas)

Martyrdom Day of Shahid Udham Singh (Haryana and Punjab, India)

Milton Friedman Day

Mutt's Day

National Commando Day

National Diana Day

National Eisteddford of Wales (Wales)

National Heatstroke Awareness Day

National #Love Day

National Mom Bod Day

National Mutt Day (a.k.a. National Mixed Breed Dog Day)

National Orgasm Day (UK)

National Parent a Biracial Child Day

Operation Motorman Anniversary Day (UK)

Rabbit Rabbit Day [Last Day of Every Month]

Saui Sura (Javanese New Year; Suriname)

Saxophone Day

Treasury Day (Poland)

Uncommon Instrument Awareness Day

U.S. Patent Day

Warriors’ Day (Malaysia)

World Day Against Electronic Torture

World MS Trend Day

World Ranger Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Cotton Candy Day [also 12.7]

Jump for Jelly Beans Day

Make Homemade Ice Cream and Invite the Neighbors Over Day

National Avocado Day

National Raspberry Cake Day

National Spam Day

Rum Ration Day (a.k.a. Black Tot Day)

Shredded Wheat Day

5th & Last Monday in July

Carnival Monday (Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba) [Last Monday]

Independence Days

Vanuatu (from UK/France, 1980)

Feast Days

Abanoub (Christian; Saint)

Bill Gates Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Birthday of Nephthys

Cameons (Positivist; Saint)

The Clodhoppers (Muppetism)

Dress Up Day (Pastafarian)

Erich Heckel (Artology)

First Sermon of Buddha (Bhutan)

Germanus of Auxerre (Christian; Saint)

Helen of Skofde, Sweden (Christian; Saint)

Ignatius of Loyola (Christian; Saint)

Jacques Villon (Artology)

John Columbini (Christian; Saint)

Joseph of Arimathea (Eastern Orthodox)

Lammas Eve (a.k.a. ... 

Hlafmesse (Loaf Mass; Anglo-Saxon)

Lammas, Day 1 (Celtic, Pagan) [5 of 8 Festivals of the Natural Year]

Lammas Eve (a.k.a. Lughnassad Eve)

Lithasblot (Norse Harvest Festival)

Loki and Sigyn’s Day (Norse)

Lughnassadh (Grain Harvest)

Oiche Lughnasadh (Pagan)

Neot (Christian; Saint)

Real Ale Day (Pastafarian)

Seedy Birds (Muppetism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

Bad Animals, by Heart (Album; 1987)

BASEketball (Film; 1998)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Film; 1992)

Dad’s Army (BBC TV Series; 1968)

The Dark Tower (Film; 2017)

Death Becomes Her (Film; 1992)

Enchanted April (Film; 1992)

Ever After (Film; 1998)

Four Weddings and a Funeral (TV Series; 2019)

Hang ‘Em High (Film; 1968)

Hot Shots! (Film; 1991)

Lego Aquaman: Rage of Atlantis (WB Animated Film; 2018)

The Living Daylights (James Bond Film, US; 1987) [#15]

The Lost Boys (Film; 1987)

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (Film; 2015)

Murder Included, by Joanna Cannan (Novel; 1950)

The Negotiator (Film; 1998)

Only the Lonely, by Roy Orbison (Song; 1960)

Plenty of Money and You (WB MM Cartoon; 1937)

Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (Book of Poems; 1786)

Rascal Flatts, by Rascal Flatts (Album; 2000)

Rushing Roulette (WB MM Cartoon; 1965)

The Shadow (Radio Series; 1930)

Still the One, by Orleans (Song; 1976)

Urban Cowboy (Film; 1980)

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (Film; 2017)

The Wiggles (TV Series; 1998)

Today’s Name Days

Hermann, Ignatius, Justinus (Austria)

Ignacije, Vatroslav (Croatia)

Ignác (Czech Republic)

Germanus, Helena (Denmark)

Ave, Meevi (Estonia)

Elena, Helena (Finland)

Ignace (France)

Herrmann, Ignatius, Joseph (Germany)

Iosif, Sifis (Greece)

Oszkár (Hungary)

Barbara (Italy)

Angelika, Renita, Rūta, Sigita (Latvia)

Elena, Ignotas, Sanginas, Vykintė (Lithuania)

Elin, Eline (Norway)

Beatus, Demokryt, Emilian, Ernesta, Ernestyna, Helena, Iga, Ignacja, Ignacy, Justyn, Ludomir, Żegota (Poland)

Margarita, Marina (Russia)

Ignác (Slovakia)

Fabio, Germán, Ignacio (Spain)

Elin, Helena (Sweden)

Ignacio, Inigo, Reed, Reid (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 212 of 2024; 153 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of week 31 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Tinne (Holly) [Day 21 of 28]

Chinese: Month 6 (Ji-Wei), Day 14 (Geng-Yin)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 13 Av 5783

Islamic: 13 Muharram 1445

J Cal: 2 Hasa; Twosday [2 of 30]

Julian: 18 July 2023

Moon: 98%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 16 Dante (8th Month) [Cameons]

Runic Half Month: Thorn (Defense) [Day 3 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 41 of 94)

Zodiac: Leo (Day 10 of 31)

[fayegracexo]

How to Celebrate Lughnasadh

Somehow we are already to our first of three harvest festivals in the wheel of 2019! This year is flying by crazy quick! I can’t believe July is already over and it’s time for Lughnasadh on August 1st! (Fun Fact: The Gaelic word for August is ‘Lunasa’ - Lughnasadh is pronounced Loo-Na-Sah!)

If you happened to catch my last post (if you didn’t, click here! ‘Lughnasadh vs. Lammas’) then you already know the difference between ‘Lughnasadh’ and ‘Lammas’, and some of the history, which means it’s time to get into the fun part...how to celebrate it!

To keep this post simple I’ll put it in list form, and I apologize in advance for mentioning some things more than once, there’s some things that end up being good crossover ideas, so sorry if it sounds repetitive at all! (Just your typical chronically apologizing Libra over here!) 

I’ll start with some traditional ways to celebrate, then list the correspondences, THEN go into a longer list of celebration ideas! I’ll try to keep this short but there’s lots of info and I wanted to give plenty of options, so if you don’t see what you're looking for, just keep scrolling it’s probably there! ;) (It’s long, i’m sorry oh geez)

If not, I’m always available for messages and questions, and i’ll be posting craft ideas, recipes, and more ways to celebrate on my Instagram account that’s connected to this blog. Check the ‘Lughnasadh’ highlight and my story on August 1st for more! @selfcarewitchxo​ 

Now let’s jump in!

How To Celebrate Traditionally

To start, I wanted to suggest some basic ways to celebrate in a more traditional way, and then go into a list with lots more options and details! Some of these might repeat in the list below so sorry in advance! (Libra problems again, I tried to organize the best I could...I’m so OCD)

Lughnasadh is about giving thanks for what has grown in summer, and for the abundance in our lives. We gather what has grown and begin to prep for winter and the darker, colder months, but not before celebrating a successful harvest season!

In the old days, it was tradition to climb a hill and bury or leave an offering of the first and best of your harvest to Lugh, usually the first loaf of bread you've baked. Offerings are left in exchange for blessings, gratitude, abundance, strength, protection, and growth. You can do the same hill idea, or leave your first loaf or other offering on your altar, or another special place.

Lughs’ original festival, was also focused on feasting, games, and athletic competition. Try recreating the same and have some friends over for a BBQ and some friendly competition! 

Gods, Goddesses, Animals and Other Deities

The Celtic God Lugh is the patron deity for this festival, but if you’re not from a Celtic background, don’t use Lugh in your practice, or are from a Dianic tradition, there are many other Gods, Goddesses, animals and deities to choose from to incorporate into your Lughnasadh holiday. 

Tailtiu (Lughs’ adoptive Mother who passed away, the festival is held in her honor) is a traditional female option, but any grain/agricultural/Mother Goddess/Father God figures make great picks. 

For Goddesses, Rhiannon, Annona, Persephone, Cerridwen, Ceres, Demeter, and Isis are all options, and Odin, John Barley Corn, Dagon, Taranis, Vulcan, Mercury, Loki, Tammuz and Adonis are suggestions for the males! This is just to name a few of course! 

As for animals, agricultural animals such as roosters, lambs, sheep, calves, and pigs are associated with the holiday, you can also use the majestic stag! For more mythological options, the centaur, phoenix and griffin are also associated.

Try adding statues, figurines, feathers, bones or other things associated with these Gods/Goddesses/deities/animals as altar decorations!

Decorations

How can you have a holiday without some festive decorations? Take some time to redo your altar space, room, or even your whole house if you want, to get into the holiday spirit! Being a harvest, nature based holiday, there are many cheap, easy, decorating ideas, that include many things we already have at home! 

To start, use some seasonally scented candles, wax burners, or essential oils to make your sacred space smell like Lughnasadh vibes! 

Candles in holiday colors, or tied with holiday colored ribbon, make a good altar addition! (See below for list of color correspondences) 

Dried corn, rice, wheat, corn dollies, fallen twigs, dried straw, herbs, crystals, corn stalks, pumpkins, squash, dried oats, dried beans, a cornucopia, sunflower seeds, flowers, a scythe, a sickle, or a cauldron are quite seasonal options! (Keep reading for suggestions for crystals, scents and herbs!)

Crystals 

These crystals are associated with Lughnasadh. Try using them as altar decorations, in your spellwork, or to meditate with during the holiday!

Amber, aventurine, carnelian, citrine, moss agate, topaz, golden topaz, obsidian, tigers eye, brown agate, clear quartz, cats eye, lodestones, peridot.

Plants/Herbs/Flowers/Scent Associations 

Lumping this one a little since these have dual uses! 

Wheat, Basil, Mint, Queen Anne’s Lace, Calendula, Yarrow, Sunflowers, Marigolds, Frankincense, Sandalwood, Rose, Rosemary, Rose hips, Blackthorn, Vervain, Peonies, Poppies, Ginseng, All Spice and Chamomile all have associations with Lughnasadh. Use these to decorate, make tea, cook or bake with, scent your home or altar space, or to leave as an offering! (Keep reading for suggestions on how to use these) 

Colors

Try candles and ribbons in shades of green, brown, bronze, orange, yellow and gold. Personally, I always choose a yellow, brown, gold, and green candle for my Lughnasadh altar space.

Yellow represents solar energies, happiness, and transformation.

Brown represents earth energies, strength, protection, and animals.

Gold is to illuminate, for success, divine power, and the harvest.

Green represents abundance, prosperity, fertility, growth, wealth, life, and vegetation.

Food & Drink Ideas 

As Lughnasadh is a feasting holiday to give thanks, consider having some friends and loved ones over for a BBQ or potluck! both are great traditional ideas. Try these food and drink suggestions to indulge in holiday flavors!

Foods: BBQ, breads, roasted lamb, pot luck, berries - like blueberries and blackberries, potatoes, pies, nuts, pumpkin, mushrooms, garlic, honey, acorn squash, summer squash, apples, oats, rice, beans, fried chicken, berry pancakes

Drinks: Since wheat is a big thing, beer is a staple drink, but if you’re more of a wine person try elderberry, blackberry or blueberry wine. For alcohol free options, cherry or apple ciders are great, or plain apple juice. 

Mint and chamomile are associated herbs, they make a great tea suggestion! Sweet mint, peppermint or spearmint make lovely iced teas. Blueberry or blackberry teas are also delicious! 

I’m also personally adding mojitos to this list as a modern update. Since mint is associated, adding some from your garden in a refreshing mojito sounds like a good way to incorporate it to me!

Try some oats or blueberry pancakes in the morning with a seasonal juice or herbal tea, then do a bigger feast for dinner of lamb or chicken, with a beer, then pie for dessert!

More Ways to Celebrate 

Bake Bread

There’s lots of recipes online for you to bake your very own loaf. Try adding herbs, or twisting the dough into Celtic knots for extra flair. You can also ‘paint’ the bread! Try Pinterest for some great recipe ideas. Bake extra to give away to a loved one or leave as an offering!

Have a Popcorn Party

Since Lughnasadh is associated with corn, try having a movie night wit friends and making different varieties of popcorn! Do you like spicy, or sweet kinds? This is a great idea to try with kids! 

Have a Beer

As a grain holiday, relaxing with a cold brew is a good way to relax this Lughnasadh. Safely and responsibly of course.

Create a Besom

A besom is a witches broom. This is a good time of year to use dried straw, fallen twigs, ribbons and charms to create your own. Personally I love to see lavender in them, gorgeous!

Make Candles

If you have the supplies (even cooler if you have you own bees and wax!) try making candles. Bonus points for seasonal colors and scents, triple points for recycling old wax and bringing life back to old candles! 

Harvest/Canning

Harvest your fruits, veggies, and herbs you’ve grown to use them in thanks in teas, tinctures, salves, your cooking, spellwork, and to hang up to dry. Make salsas, or preserves or jams to try on your Lughnasadh bread, or try canning to have a treat in the cold months!

Spend Time Outdoors

Take a walk, hike up a hill, have a picnic, visit a Farmer’s Market or produce stand for local goodies, or go pick fruits, like apples, berries or peaches at a local orchard! Find a way to soak up the last of the season’s warmth.

Have a Fire/Light a Candle

Have a bonfire solo or with friends, and consider burning away some things that need to be released. Throw things that don’t serve you (that are fire safe of course!) into the flames and let them be released. Let the fire ‘reap’ the bad from your life, and ‘sow’ positivity back into it.

If you can’t have a fire, choose a seasonally colored candle, or a few, and give thanks by it’s light! You can carve runes into them if you’d like also!

Spellwork

Lughnasadh works with themes of success and abundance, so it’s a great time of year to do spellwork involving your career, health or love life. If you or someone you know is trying for a new job, or hoping for a new relationship, or maybe buying a house, or moving to a new location, try a little spell to help you manifest your (or theirs!) goals.

Scrying/Divination

Break out your tarot, oracle cards and scrying/divination tools! This is a good time to try new methods you haven’t worked with before, such as bones or runes. If you’ve never tried fire scrying, use your Lughnasadh bonfire or candle as a first attempt!

Cooking/Baking/Drink Making

Feasting with friends or loved ones is a good way to celebrate! (Try the menu ideas above!) Try using herbs you’ve grown or purchased from a local stand in the recipes!

Make a Corn Dolly

Traditionally the least sheaf that was ceremonially cut was used to make a ‘corn dolly’, and carried to the village. The corn dolly would be made into a corn maiden (or corn mother) if the harvest was good, or a ‘cailleach’ (Celtic word for witch, hag) after a bad harvest. These dollies could be clothed, or dressed with ribbon. If you make a doll at Lughnasadh, she can be used again in six months for Imbolc, and can be dressed in spring colors. The harvest Mother, becomes the Spring bride! (Some traditions don’t believe in reusing the doll, but that depends on your practice!)

Smudge/Cleanse/Bless Your Space

Smudge away that negativity that’s been lingering, clear the air, and your life, so that you may grow bountiful! Buy a smudge stick or make your own with sage and added herbs if you’d like. Mugwort, rosemary, lavender and juniper are good additives. Open the windows, let the light and breeze in! Start fresh and clean this holiday, and reap those bad energy places!

Make a Gift

Acts of service and selflessness are important on Lughnasadh. We’re in a place of abundance, and it’s time to share the bounty and love with others. Make a gift for a friend, loved one or neighbor to share the holiday spirit. Try flowers you’ve picked, breads or foods you’ve made, jams or jellies you preserved, or another homemade craft item. Make it with love! They’ll be sure to feel the positive vibes. They’ll see this act of kindness, and pass it on...the world needs more love!

Acts of Service

Lughnasadh is centered around themes of prosperity, generosity, continued success, and giving thanks; which makes it a great time to help those around us, and share the blessings of our abundance with others. 

Consider volunteering your time, organizing a community cleanup, picking up trash at the beach, having a friend, neighbor, or loved one over for a hot meal, or offering to help a neighbor with something they need. Devote your time, and watch the blessings come back to you.

Make a Gratitude List

What has ‘grown’ in you life this year that you’re thankful for? Have some seasonal tea, sit by a candle, and make a gratitude list of everything you’re blessed with in life. 

Make a reap/ sow list

On that note, you can also try a reap/sow list. Write down what you’re proud to have “planted” in your life, and watched grow, and also what your’re not proud of. What needs to be ‘reaped’ from you life? What weeds are strangling you, that need to be pulled for a bountiful harvest next year? Use this time as personal reflection, and choose what to reap and sow to live your best life in alignment with your true self. Think in ‘Regrets’, ‘Farewells’, ‘Harvest’ and ‘Preserves’

Regrets: Think about things you meant to do this summer that did not come to fruition. Project your regrets onto fire safe objects, like pine cones, and throw them into your fire. You can also write on dried corn husks or paper. 

Farewells: What’s passing from your life? What is over? Say goodbye. You can use visuals or writing for this, and also throw into the fire to release, or a lake or ocean. You could also use a flower bulb and plant it, to watch it grow back next year.

Harvest: What have you already harvested this year? What is sprouting? Find a way to represent those things and create a visual reminder to hang in your home. 

Preserves: Think about the fruits you have gathered this year and how you can hold onto the sweet memories. Make a remembrance box, or box altar, to help remember special things, times and people. 

Make a Craft

Lugh is the God of craftsmanship, so try making something festive to decorate your home or altar! Wheat can be used for wreaths and door decorations, apples can be turned into seasonal candle holders, or try making your own corn dolly or besom. Search Pinterest for these great ideas or check my Instagram account for the how-to’s! (@selfcarewitchxo)

Go to a Craft Fair

And again, on that note! Since Lugh is the God of this, see if there’s any local craft fairs in your area and buy some local goodies!

PHEW!

That’s it folks! Your complete guide to celebrate Lughnasadh! Thank you for being patient with me as I got this posted. If you hear from me on other sites you know I already typed this whole thing once and it got deleted! Ahh! I’m glad to have this up finally!

Connect with me on Instagram to see what i’ll be doing for the day, and send me the ideas you’ve decided to try out! I’d love to see your crafts or anything you’ve baked! Also if you have any ideas to add, let me know and I’ll post them!

HAPPY CELEBRATING!

Blessed Lughnasadh Witches!

~ Faye ~

@selfcarewitchxo​ 

[thaiteaprincess]

For lughnasadh I’m blessing my plants! I used some citrine sun water and my candle. Happy lughnasadh everyone! 🌾

[tattooed-alchemist]

On July 31, 2019

There will be several astronomical and energetic happenings.

It is Lughnasadh/Lammas in the Northern Hemisphere, and Imbolc in the Southern Hemisphere

It is a New Moon (in Leo), and a Black Moon (2nd new moon in month)

Mercury goes direct

Plan accordingly, witches....

[harvest-larvae]

Harvest time

[ami-ven]

Happy Lughnasadh!

[mrs-k-cottage-witch]

Happy Lughnasadh! Here is my altar all lit up!

[rabbitofswords]

My Lughnasadh lesson: Stop doubting your intuition. Let go.

[greyesherbalapothecary]

Happy Harvest Season! May the season bring love and joy and blessings of abundance and good health through the cold winter months to follow. 

Blessed Be!

[escapethentropy]

Summertime Sadness in honor of Lughnasadh being tomorrow and the end of summer ✌🏼 New Moon, New Sabbat, New Me 🌑

[misplacedmoorwitch]

✨Southern Hemisphere Witch Dates for 2019! ✨

Sabbats - Traditional and astronomical dates are included, so you can celebrate how you prefer.

🥐 Lughnasadh 🥐  - Friday 1st February (Trad.) - Sunday 3rd (Astro.) 🍎  Mabon 🍎 -  Wednesday 20th March 🎃 Samhain 🎃  - Wednesday 1st May (Trad.) - Sunday 5th May (Astro.) 🎄 Yule 🎄 - Friday 21st June 🕯️ Imbolc 🕯️  Thursday 1st August (Trad.) - Wednesday 7th August (Astro.)  💐 Ostara  💐 - Monday 23rd September 🔥 Beltane🔥  -  Thursday 31st October (Trad.) - Thursday 7th (Astro.) 🌻 Litha 🌻 - Saturday 21st December 

Moon Dates - Some locations and countries will have specific moons based on local phenomena, so this is more of a general guide that anything specific.

🌚 January 5th 🌚 - New Moon in Capricorn 🌾 January 21st 🌾 - Thunder/Hay Moon in Leo  🌚 February 5th  🌚  - New Moon in Aquarius  🐾 February 20th 🐾 - Dog/Red/Grain Moon in Virgo  🌚 March 7th 🌚 - New Moon in Pisces 🥝 March 21st 🥝- Fruit Moon in Libra 🌚 April 5th 🌚 - New Moon in Aries 🍂 April 19th 🍂 - Harvest Moon in Scorpio 🌚 May 5th  🌚 - New Moon in Taurus ❄️ May 19th ❄️ - Frost Moon in Sagittarius (Blue Moon for 2019) 🌚 June 3rd 🌚 - New Moon in Gemini 🐺 June 17th  🐺 - Long Night/Dingo/Oak Moon in Capricorn 🌚  July 3rd  🌚  - New Moon in Cancer ⛄ July 17th ⛄ - Old/Ice Moon in Aquarius   🌚 August 1st  🌚  - New Moon in Leo  ⚡ August 15th ⚡- Kangaroo/Storm Moon in Pisces 🌚 August 30th  🌚  - New Moon in Virgo 🐛September 14th 🐛- Worm/Crow Moon in Aries   🌚 September 29th  🌚  - New Moon in Libra 🌺 October 14th  🌺 - Pink Moon in Taurus 🌚 October 28th 🌚 - New Moon in Scorpio 🐇 November 13th 🐇 - Flower/Hare Moon in Gemini 🌚 November 27th 🌚 - New Moon in Sagittarius 🍓  December 12th 🍓- Black Swan/Strawberry Moon in Cancer 🌚 December 2  6th 🌚 - New Moon in Capricorn

Astrological Phenomena - Visibility will depend on where you are, so be sure to check if they’ll affect you here!

🌚 20/21st January 🌚 - Full Lunar Eclipse 🌞 2nd July 🌞 - Full Solar Eclipse ⛅ 16th/17th July ⛅ - Partial Solar Eclipse  🌕 11th November 🌕 - Mercury Transit 🌞 26th December 🌞 - Annual Solar Eclipse

 Star Sign Dates - Same as the Northern Hemisphere, but still useful to have for reference.

♒ Aquarius ♒  January 21st - February 19th ♓ Pisces  ♓   February 20th - March 20th ♈ Aries ♈  March 21st - April 20th  ♉ Taurus ♉  April 21st - May 20th ♊ Gemini ♊  May 21st - Jun 21st  ♋ Cancer  ♋  June 22nd - July 22nd ♌ Leo ♌  July 23rd - August 23rd ♍ Virgo ♍  August 24th - September 23rd ♎ Libra ♎  September 24th - October 23th ♏ Scorpio ♏   October 24th - November 22nd ♐ Sagittarius ♐  November 23rd - December 21st ♑ Capricorn ♑  December 22nd - January 20th, 2020

[immersivepaganryblog]

LUGHNASSADH Popularized in modern times by the Wheel of the Year, Lughnassadh, is the traditional Irish Gaelic celebration of the annual grain harvest. Named for the Sun God Lugh it is also associated with his foster mother Tailtiu. It is said Tailtiu perished from exhaustion after clearing all the fields in Ireland for farming and agriculture. To honor his foster mother Lugh began the annual grain celebration Lughnassadh, and that extra 'S' is not a typo, that is the traditional Irish Gaelic spelling. Across the British Isles people would gather around August 1st to celebrate the annual Grain Harvest under many names, listed below: Irish Gaelic - Lughnassadh modern Irish Gaelic - Lúnasa Scottish Gaelic - Lùnastal Welsh - Calan Awst, Nos Gŵyl Awst, Gŵyl Galan Awst, Gwi Awst, Ffaile Llew Isle of Man - Lunassa, Luanistyn Cornwall - Guldize Old English - Hlaef masse derived from Old English - Lammas modern English - Harvestide Participating Pagans and Witches today usually bake bread and/or perform small harvest-time rituals to honor this ancient tradition. Pictured is a Lemon Blueberry cake loaf with a tart lemon glaze I baked in 2019. It was soooo yummy!! I also baked a Cherry wheat bread with a cherry blossom pollinated honey glaze in 2018 that turned out fabulous too. Unfortunately I was not able to bake anything in 2020 but I'm meeting up with friends to get baking tomorrow for this year's celebration and I can't wait to share the results with you all! I won't share WHAT type of bread we'll be making -- savory, sweet, glaze or no glaze, you will just have to tune in tomorrow for the delectable pictures! Note: If you're struggling to brainstorm bread recipes IN-SEASON and LOCAL is always best! You can also research online what berries, veggies, and grains the ancients were farming or foraging for and start with those for inspiration too! You might be surprised by how much historians have compiled about food and farming during Pagan times. #lughnasadh #paganism #witchcraft #witchesofinstagram #witchesoftumblr #history #irish #scottish #welsh #manx #english https://www.instagram.com/p/CSEyaEvr1aB/?utm_medium=tumblr