Lughnasadh

Pronounced: ˈluːnəsə, LOO-nə-sə

Astrological Timing: 15* Leo

Calendar Timing: August 1

Sun Zodiac Sign:

Sun Zodiac Sign Element:

Sun Zodiac Sign Element Quality:

Moon Phase: Full Moon

History/Mythology:

At Lughnasadh we see the fields of corn being cut, and for some this is the true time of the festival. In the fields John Barleycorn, who laid with the Lady in the woods at Beltane, has grown old, and now stands bent and bearded with a crocked cane. He looks to the Sun as he has changed from green to gold, and he known that his time has come. His life will feed the people, and it is this sacrifice that we honour at Lughnasadh. [1]

Also known as Lammas, or First Harvest, the name of this festival as Lughnasadh is Irish Gaelic for “Commemoration of Lugh”. Some authors give the meaning as marriage, gathering or feast (in the name of) of Lugh. The meaning remains basically the same: Lugh is the Deity of Lughnasadh, and there is a feast. [1]

Although Lugh gives his name to this festival, it is also associated with Lugh’s foster mother Tailtiu, who is said to have cleared the way for the introduction of agriculture in Ireland, thus linking Lughnasadh to the land and the harvest. [1]

The modern Irish Gaelic name for the month of August is Lúnasa. In Scottish Gaelic Lunasda means the 1st of August. [1]

One of several historic sources for the four Celtic fire festivals Imbolc, Bealtaine, Lughnasadh und Samhain is the early medieval Irish tale “Tochmarc Emire” (The Wooing of Emer), which is part of the Ulster Cycle. In the form we know it today it was written in the 10th or 11th century CE, but it is safe to assume that this tale – like so many others – contains a much older nucleus.

The tale narrates how the hero Cú Chulainn is courting Emer. He receives several tasks to fulfill, one of them being that he must go without sleep for one year. As Emer utters her challenge, she names the four major points of the Irish-Celtic year, as they are also mentioned in other Irish sources. Doing this, she does not use the solar festivals, nor Christian ones, which were certainly well known and established by the 10th century. Instead Emer choses the first days of each season. [1]

One of these days is Lughnasadh, marking the beginning of fall. It takes place on the 1st of August, a date internationally agreed upon, or on the day of the full moon next to this date, if you want to celebrate when the ancient Celts probably did. [1]

Since the Celtic day started with sunset, the celebration takes place on the evening before the calendaric date. [1]

Lughnasadh marks the beginning of the noticeable descent of the Sun into the darkness of winter. From the connection between the Earth (female principle) and the Sun (male principle), the marriage of the Sky Father (Sun God) with the Earth Mother we celebrated at Bealtaine, emerge the fruits of the first harvest of the year. Lughnasadh is a time of joy about the first fruits. It is also a time of tension, because the dark days of winter are coming nearer, and most of the harvest is not brought in and stored away yet. [1]

The God of the harvest is the Green Man (also known as John Barleycorn). He sacrifices himself every year in order to enable human life on Earth. In some areas his death is mourned with wreaths decorated with poppies or cornflowers. [1]

The grain is cut, part of it goes into bread and nutrition, another part is stored away and used as seeds next spring, to create new life. Looking at that, thoughts about sacrifice, transformation, death and rebirth are also part of Lughnasadh. [1]

The celebration of Lughnasadh includes the ritual cutting of the first grain and an offering thereof, possibly the making of a first meal and the ritual eating of it, as well as dancing. Fires are mentioned, but fire or light do not play such a prominent role as with the other fire festivals. This is probably because August is a warm month in most of Europe, with still long daylight hours, where no fire is needed. Lughnasadh celebrations are reported from Ireland, Isle of Man, Scotland, Wales and Cornwall. [1]

Another name used for Lughnasadh is “Lammas”, from the old-anglosaxon “hlaef-mass” (loaf mass, mass where the first loaf of bread is consecrated), which developed into the later medieval English and Scottish “Lammas”. As such it is first mentioned in old anglo-saxon chronicles as early as 921 CE as “Feast of the First Fruits”. In an agricultural society the begin of the harvest was a natural occasion to celebrate and to give thanks to the Divine for Its gifts.[1]

In Bavarian tradition, the most important festival in August is the “Ascension of Mary” on the 15th of August. On this day, numerous processions through the villages and along the fields are held. During these processions, decorated bundles of herbs, consisting of up to 77 different herbs, are carried along on wooden sticks. These herbs are specially consecrated and stored away then. They are used for ritual incense burning later in the year, e.g. during the “rough nights”, the time of the winter solstice. An older name for this festival is “Maria Kräuterweih”, meaning “Day of Mary and the Consecration of Herbs”. [1]

The beginning of fall was marked by the day of St. Bartholomäus (Bartholomew) on August 24th. [1]

The original Lughnasadh customs have obviously shifted to August 15th and additionally into numerous local and regional harvest celebrations. Lughnasadh is the therefore only one of the eight Celtic festivals which did not survive in Bavaria as a compact celebration ON or near the original date (August 1st). Harvest celebrations are instead dispersed over all of August. This might have to do with the geographical situation of Bavaria, where August tends to be a rather warm month, and harvest and fall are a bit later than elsewhere. [1]

The Deities of Lughnasadh are Danu (Anu), the Mother of Gods and Men, and Lugh, the patron of scholars, craftsmen, warriors and magicians. Lugh is also known as Lugh Samildánach (the Many Skilled) and Lugh Lámhfada (Lugh with the Long Arm). It is disputed among authors whether this refers to Lugh’s magical spear or to the rays of the Sun. Lugh seems to have been worshipped, like his Greek and Roman correspondences Hermes and Mercury, mostly on elevations, hills or mountaintops. [1]

The plant of Lughnasadh is any form of grain or corn, in a wider sense every fruit of field and garden. [1]

The meaning of Lughnasadh on the inner planes is the start of the harvest of the fruits that we have sown in spring. Which things or projects are reaping in us in the moment? What would we like to finish, what to start anew? Do we have the insight that to every harvest there is a necessity of preparation? [1]

The essence of Lughnasadh is the joy of life under the knowledge that darker times are moving in. We take in the warming rays of the Sun and store their power for the times coming. At the time we celebrate the next festival, Alban Elfed, it will be fall and the warm summer days will already be a memory. [1]

Of course Lughnasadh is a very good time to express gratitude to the Gods and the Earth Spirits for their blessings and gifts that we are now receiving. In times of microwave and frozen pizza it may seem anachronistic to thank for the harvest. Many of our modern foodstuffs make it hard to still recognize the waving grain on the field in them. And yet there is a way to connect with nature via the food that we eat. This is especially valid for self-harvested fruits. But also conscious eating, eating with focus on the food and not on TV or newspaper, is one way of expressing our thanks for the harvest – all year round, but especially at Lughnasadh. [1]

Celebration of Lugh

It is also the great festival of Lugh, or Lug, the great Celtic Sun King and God of Light. August is His sacred month when He initiated great festivities in honour of His mother, Tailtiu. Feasting, market fairs, games and bonfire celebrations were the order of the day. Circle dancing, reflecting the movement of the sun in sympathetic magic, was popular, as were all community gatherings. August was considered an auspicious month for handfastings and weddings. [2]

But underlying this is the knowledge that the bounty and energy of Lugh, of the Sun, is now beginning to wane. It is a time of change and shift. Active growth is slowing down and the darker days of winter and reflection are beckoning… [2]

The Grain Mother.

At Lammas the Goddess is in Her aspect as Grain Mother, Harvest Mother, Harvest Queen, Earth Mother, Ceres and Demeter. Demeter, as Corn Mother, represents the ripe corn of this year's harvest and Her daughter Kore/Persephone represents the grain - the seed which drops back deep into the dark earth, hidden throughout the winter, and re-appears in the spring as new growth. This is the deep core meaning of Lammas and comes in different guises. The fullness and fulfillment of the present harvest already holds at its very heart the seed of all future harvest. (It is a fact that a pregnant woman carrying her as yet unborn daughter is also already carrying the ovary containing all the eggs her daughter will ever release - she is already both mother, grandmother and beyond, embodying the great Motherline - pure magic and mystery.) [2]

So as the grain harvest is gathered in, there is food to feed the community through the winter and within that harvest is the seed of next year's rebirth, regeneration and harvest. The Grain Mother is ripe and full, heavily pregnant she carries the seed of the new year's Sun God within her. There is tension here. For the Sun God, the God of the Harvest, the Green Man, or John Barleycorn, surrenders his life with the cutting of the corn. [2]

Symbols:

Grain Harvest

There are many customs throughout Europe around the cutting of the grain or corn and they applied to all cereal crops including wheat, barley, rye and oats. Both the cutting of the first gain and the last grain are significant. [2]

Herbs and Plants of Lammas

All Grains

wheat, barley, oats, rye, all representing both fulfillment and potential. [2]

Meadowsweet.

Also known as Queen-Of-The-Meadow, Bridewort and Bride of the Meadow. One of the most sacred herbs of the Druids, this was often worn as a garland for Lammas celebrations and was a traditional herb for wedding circlets and bouquets at this time of year. Also used for love spells and can be strewn to promote peace, and its heady scent cheers the heart. [2]

Mint.

Mint is another of the three most revered herbs of the Druids (vervain being the third, according to Grieve). Its magical properties are both protection and healing, and at this stage in the year, its properties of drawing abundance and prosperity, are most appropriate. [2]

Sunflower. We take sunflowers for granted, they are perfectly named and loved by children of all ages. By this stage in the year the flower heads are full and heavy with that wonderful spiral of seeds and they spend the whole day gently turning their heads to gaze at the sun. In the Aztec temples of the sun, priestesses carried sunflowers and wore them as crowns. They symbolize the fertility of the Solar Logos. [2]

Calendula. Little suns, pure joy, in all their shades from deep orange to pale yellow. [2]

Practices:

Grain Use

The first sheaf would often be ceremonially cut at dawn, winnowed, ground and baked into the Harvest Bread which was then shared by the community in thanks. The first barley stalks would be made into the first beer of the season. The first sheaf guarantees the seed and thus continuity. [2]

Corn Dolly

The last sheaf was also ceremonially cut, often made into a 'corn dolly', carried to the village with festivity and was central to the Harvest Supper. The corn dolly was made into a Corn Maiden (after a good harvest) or a cailleach, hag or cone (after a bad harvest). She could be dressed with ribbons, even clothed. [2]

This last sheaf would live in the home, often above the fireplace or hearth of the home, until the next harvest. Or it might be placed in the branches of a tree or mixed with the seed for the next year's sowing. In some way it eventually needed to return to the earth from whence it came so that the fertilizing spirit of John Barleycorn, of the Harvest God, could pass from harvest to harvest. It could be ploughed back, returned to decay and rot, or burnt and the ashes scattered. [2]

In some parts of Europe the tradition was to weave the last sheaf into a large Corn Mother with a smaller 'baby' inside it, representing the harvest to come the following year. Once the harvest was completed, safely gathered in, the festivities would begin. Bread was made from the new grain and thanks given to the Sun's life-giving energy reborn as life-giving bread. [2]

Correspondences:

Colors:

Still green, with every shade of sun and harvest, from gold and yellow to deepest orange.

Green

Green is the color of Earth, growth, and therefore also of earthly possessions. Hell yes, it's also the color of cash, and that's no coincidence. Likening the color green to a walk through the woods, Potter says, "It’s also the color of fertility or starting a new business." [3]

Green symbolizes money, luck, prosperity, vitality and fertility. It is also associated with envy. Green is the color of healing; it is beneficial in all healing situations. In the aura green signifies balance, peace and often indicates ability as a healer. [4]

Heart Chakra Color: Green

Location: Center of chest

Meaning: Although pink or red might logically be the first colors that come to mind when you think of the heart chakra, this energetic area is actually associated with green. “This chakra represents the ability to give and receive love, compassion, expansion, empathy, service to others, kindness, health, and healing,” Poon says. “We experience loss, regret, pain, low self-love, and low self-worth when this chakra is imbalanced.” [5]

Yellow

Associated with abundance and joy, yellow is the shade I work with when I’m feeling down, dealing with depression, or just need a burst of sunlight in my life. "Yellow is an injection of happiness," Potter says. From ancient nature-based religions to modern day patriarchal practices, the sun is literally a source of life. [3]

Yellow symbolizes intellect, creativity, happiness and the power of persuasion. It is also associated with cowardice. In healing use yellow to promote clarity of thought. In the aura yellow signifies intellectual development, for either material or spiritual ends. [4]

Solar plexus Chakra Color: Yellow

Location: Between naval and sternum

Meaning: The solar plexus chakra is all about personal power, self-esteem, and confidence. “The color yellow represents the ability to tap into the light of a thousand suns that exists within you,” Schieffelin says. “Focusing on the color yellow in the upper part of your abdomen can help you to feel strong, confident, motivated, and powerful.” Poon adds that you can also eat yellow-colored foods to help you tap into the energy of this chakra. [5]

Orange

Orange is akin to yellow and is wonderful for help in creative endeavors, Potter says. "I recommend orange when someone has writer’s block," Potter says. I associate orange with David Bowie-as-Ziggy Stardust’s hair, AKA a confident and creative genius. It's always good to have orange energy on your side. [3]

Orange symbolizes the individual’s relationship to the external world, the needs and wants of the physical body and the ways in which these are satisfied, the world of work. In healing orange may increase immunity and sexual energy. In the aura orange signifies thoughtfulness and creativity. [4]

Sacral Chakra Color: Orange

Location: Two inches below your belly button

Meaning: “This chakra governs your emotions, your creativity, sensitivity, sexuality, intimacy, emotional well-being, and self-expression,” Poon says. “Often, the sacral chakra needs to be cleared of stuck energy from traumas and pent-up emotions to heighten your creativity and ability to express your true self.” [5]

Given that it exudes a feeling of warmth and excitement, it makes perfect sense that the sacral chakra is connected to the color orange. Similar to the root chakra, if you want to call in more of the sacral chakra energy, Schieffelin suggests envisioning orange light in that area of your body while meditating on the affirmation “I am creative.” [5]

Sun Zodiac Sign: Leo

People born under the sign of Leo are natural born leaders. They are dramatic, creative, self-confident, dominant and extremely difficult to resist, able to achieve anything they want to in any area of life they commit to. There is a specific strength to a Leo and their "king of the jungle" status. Leo often has many friends for they are generous and loyal. Self-confident and attractive, this is a Sun sign capable of uniting different groups of people and leading them as one towards a shared cause, and their healthy sense of humor makes collaboration with other people even easier.

Leo belongs to the element of Fire, just like Aries and Sagittarius. This makes them warmhearted, in love with life, trying to laugh and have a good time. Able to use their mind to solve even the most difficult problems, they will easily take initiative in resolving various complicated situations. Ruled by the Sun, Leo worships this fiery entity in the sky, quite literally as well as metaphorically. They are in search for self-awareness and in constant growth of ego. Aware of their desires and personality, they can easily ask for everything they need, but could just as easily unconsciously neglect the needs of other people in their chase for personal gain or status. When a Leo representative becomes too fond and attached to their achievements and the way other people see them, they become an easy target, ready to be taken down.

Sun Zodiac Sign Element: Fire

The element of Fire is both creative and destructive, its qualities are Brightness, Thinness and Motion and its mode is Active. It is fire that we and our ancestors used to warm our homes, we use it to cook our food, we sit around it to ward of the darkness of night, and it fuels our passions. Fire, unlike the other elements, does not exist in a natural state. Its physical form can only take place by consuming some other element. Fire is the transformer, converting the energy of other objects into other forms: heat, light, ash, and smoke. To feel the manifestations of this power, go out on sunny day and feel the warmth and light of the Sun, hear the crackling of logs and smell of smoke from a burning fire. As you gaze into the transformational flame of a candle, immerse yourself in the energy of Fire. Fire is the natural element of animals and mankind, and they "have, in their natures, a most fiery force, and also spring from celestial sources." In order to gain benefit from the energy of this element, we need to control Fire's destructive aspect. When we light a candle, we are not only calling upon the energy of Fire, we are also limiting its power. This destructive aspect should not be seen as negative, forest fires, actually help, clearing away underbrush and encouraging seeds lying dormant within the Earth to burst forth into new life. Fire is a masculine element, its aspects being change, passion, creativity, motivation, will power, drive and sensuality. It is sexuality, both physical and spiritual. Fire is used in spells, rituals and candle magic for healing, purification, sex, breaking bad habits or destroying illness and disease. Fire is the element of authority and leadership. The properties of Fire, Heat, Making things fruitful, Celestial light, Giving Life to all things. Its opposite the Infernal Fire are a parching heat, consuming all things and darkness, making all things barren. [8]

Sun Zodiac Sign Element Quality: Fixed

Right after something has begun with a bang, a sign of fixed quality comes to calm the situation and last where found. Each season has a middle period when it is clearly defined, and it is understood what can be expected from it. This is a quality that finds it hard to make changes and people with the Sun or a personal planet in the sign of this quality will usually be confidently set in their ways. Fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. [9]

Leo is a representative of the element of Fire, and its ruler is the fire itself. It falls in the middle of summer and speaks of the warmest and the sunniest time of year. When we think of its fixed quality, we can just imagine the Sun in the center of our solar system, brightly burning for millions of years and prepared to do so for millions of years to come. It guarantees our future and our lives, for as long as we take care of our bodies and our own planet. Leo doesn’t think much about the greenhouse effect. It burns no matter what. [9]

Moon Phase: Full Moon

The Full Moon is the most powerful phase of the entire lunar cycle. Even people who don’t believe in magic are able to recognize that something is energetically “different” at the Full Moon, as they experience strong emotions, erratic behavior in themselves or others, or strange sleep patterns. Those who do understand magic are in an excellent position to take advantage of these lunar energies and bring their desires into physical reality at this time. Many Witches find that the day of the Full Moon is the most magically potent day of the month, and may save spellwork related to particularly important goals for this occasion. Divination can also be particularly successful at this time, as can efforts to improve psychic abilities. The Full Moon represents absolute abundance and the full promise of the growth cycle. This is the flowering stage in the world of plant life—the flourish of beauty confirming that the fruit is on its way. The Mother aspect of the Triple Goddess is in her full power now, lending her nurturing and tending energies to our manifestations in progress. [6]

References:

1. https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/lughnasadh

2. https://www.goddessandgreenman.co.uk/lammas

3. https://www.allure.com/story/color-magic-witchcraft-meanings-guide

4. https://reikitrainingprogram.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/the-spiritual-meaning-of-colors/

5. https://www.wellandgood.com/good-advice/chakra-colors-and-meanings/

6. Chamberlain, Lisa. Wicca Natural Magic Kit: The Sun, The Moon, and The Elements: Elemental Magic, Moon Magic, and Wheel of the Year Magic . Wicca Shorts (Chamberlain Publications). Kindle Edition. 

7. https://www.astrology-zodiac-signs.com/zodiac-signs/leo/

8. http://www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/the_elements/fire.asp

9. https://www.astrology-zodiac-signs.com/astrology/qualities/fixed/