Sunday 1st August doesn't just mark the start of a new month, it also brings the day we celebrate Lammas; the sunny Summer cross-quarter festival. But what is Lammas, why is it celebrated, what does this mean for us and how can we celebrate it? Keep reading to find out all these answers and more!
What is Lammas?
Lammas is the warm Summer cross-quarter festival, honouring the first harvest of the year, and represents a change in the manifesting energy. There are three main harvests in the year, with grain being the first. The weather plays a key role in when the first harvest is taken- this year due to the heatwave it has been taken earlier, but this does not affect when we celebrate Lammas.
It is now High Summer (even if it doesn't quite feel like it) meaning we witness a union of the Earth and Sun, the goddess and the god, the feminine and masculine. It is a time for us to experience the mellowing Sun, which coincides with a bountiful ripening in Mother Nature and just like her, we are expressing the truth of our being, our talents and abilities, and claiming our sovereignty!
This is a time for crop circles, corn dollies, Lammas shrines, travelling fairs, gatherings and handfastings. At Lammas, we celebrate the Summer and the gathering of the grain harvest. In days gone by, fires were lit on Lammas Eve to honour the Corn Mother as she gave birth to her harvest child, the grain. This is the seed that will bring next year's harvest as well as the grain that will sustain life throughout the Winter.
While we no longer celebrate in large festivals, it continues to be a time of recognition; understanding that the regenerative power of Mother Earth is ever more powerful. She is manifesting as the Sun's cycle begins to wane and the grain harvest is gathered in. Lammas is the doorway to the inner realms opening; in spiritual understanding, we are renewed by sleep and darkness, through many deaths and rebirths and by the sacrifice of our outer lives for the inner journey- much like a harvest.
Time for change
The Sun King is honoured as he turns inwards making this a time of shift and change. The active growth without and within is slowing down and just like the Sun, we too must sacrifice ourselves and the active outer energy of the year, and welcome the inner regenerative journey. Logical and rational thought becomes less of a focus and intuition and inner wisdom comes to the fore. These complementary opposites together, help to create balance within our lives.
It is time to feel part of the fullness and abundance of the season, we can reflect, assess and contemplate our own harvest and where we are on our path. Ask yourself:
Did the seeds I planted at Imbolc take root and develop as I had hoped?
Have my dreams developed or changed completely since then?
We must give thanks for what we have gained in the outer world and what we can take with us into the inner realms, as well as to the Spirit that nurtures and sustains us.
Our achievements are a reflection of our connection to Spirit and the guidance we receive from within.
When we reconnect to our inner world and the peace and calm we find there, we enable ourselves to find new and inspiring ways to integrate this into our daily lives.
Embrace the negatives
We often try to hide from negativity, whether that is our emotions, habits or situations. But this is not a time to do that! Instead, we must look within to see if we are harbouring any negative thoughts or a mindset of lack. We can lovingly assess them to find the fear that lies behind and feeds them, from there we can work within ourselves to find and create a positive solution. When we can acknowledge negativity and lower energies and come to accept them as having a purpose, we can then see them as an opportunity for transformation and future joy and happiness.
It is a great time to look at our life and think about our purpose or reason for being here. How can we best serve at this time and how can we help Mother Earth? You should take time to meditate and sew the seeds of potential within your own harvest. Set a pure and powerful intention to be open to receive inspired guidance and then choose to follow it.
How to celebrate Lammas:
There are so many ways we can honour Lammas and we just have to choose what feels right for us- trust your intuition. Here are a few ideas:
Make a basket of abundance and include something from our own Summer harvest. Make sure to add orange, yellow or gold crystals. Then look beyond the outer harvest that has manifest to the harvest within and express gratitude for everything we have created.
Spend time outside and appreciate what is left of the season of Summer. The Sun's energy is waning and we can sense the changes that are coming.
Make bread and seed biscuits and as we do this give thanks for the grain harvest that makes it possible. Maybe pledge to support organic farming that respects and looks after the earth.
Light beeswax candles as Lammas is a festival of light, celebrating the last long days of the year.
We can also charge our wonderful crystals in the late Summer sunshine for a few hours and this will sustain them over the Winter months. (Just be careful not to leave certain crystals in the sun for extended periods of time as they may fade).
Bless the food and drink and then have a feast and party!
Have fun, embrace the energies and use crystals for support.
Love and crystal blessings,
Tiggy xx
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