Lughnasadh (Harvest Festival) - 1st August

Lughnasadh (pronounced Loo-nasa) 29th July - 1st August is the celebration of harvest; it's the realisation that the green earth's energies and bustling growth are beginning to slow down, darker and colder days will arrive soon and the summer is coming to an end. The warm days are still lingering but the Sun is slowly losing its strength, marking the beginning of the harvest season. The seeds fall from the crops into the earth where they will now rest all through the winter, until they return at Imbolc.

The main theme of Lughnasadh is fulfilment: the earth is producing a harvest and providing us with food. Celebrations reflect the achievements of the physical, mental, emotional and creative labours of the last few months.

Activities/ways to celebrate:

- Bake Bread - the harvest of grains is happening during Lughnasadh, so bake bread made from wheat, corn, rye and oats.

- Feasting - A large part of the harvest is of course, eating! Create a meal for your loved ones with all the home-grown or food you may have produced in your garden and herb garden (If you don't grown your own food then maybe food purchased at a local farmers market) it is a great way to honor the land and give thanks for all it has brought this year.

- This is the last opportunity to enjoy the warmth outdoors before the colder months approach, so if you haven't already done, now is a great time to go on picnics, walks, bike rides and visits to the beach or forest.

- Foraging - Go outside in your local area and see what you can find. Focus on the energy of the wild grains, plants or flowers to decorate your altar. (*DO NOT eat anything from nature unless you’re absolutely sure you know what it is*).

- Plant any seeds now so they are ready for Imbolc

- Meditation

Food and drink:

Home-made bread

Fresh berries and fruit

Fruit berry juice or wine

Home-grown vegetables

Sweetcorn, popcorn, corn on the cob, any corn related produce.

Apples, apple cider and apple cake

Crystals for this Sabbat:

Citrine - Citrine promotes motivation, activates creativity and encourages self-expression. Enhances concentration and revitalises the mind. It releases negative traits, depression, fears and phobias. Emotionally balancing.

Clear Quartz - Clear Quartz is known as the "master healer" and will amplify energy and thought, as well as the effect of other crystals and brings the body into balance.

Aventurine - The Aventurine crystal stone meaning is linked with the heart plexus chakra, which makes it a powerful gem for calming negative emotions that often gets stuck in the heart center. Working with this stone allows the gentle and supportive Aventurine crystal healing properties to flow through your chakras, which helps promote harmony and balance while clearing away toxic emotions.

Yellow Topaz - Yellow Topaz is a gemstone that redirects all the powers to bring positivity and the right things in your life. It is also known as luck stone because it brings lucky charm in your life. It reinforces all your good deeds and negates all the negative thoughts. Yellow Topaz strengthens your faith and beliefs. Its the golden light of spirituality because of its colour associated with the Sun.

Alter Ideas:

- Light gold, yellow, brown, orange candles to represent the earth changing from green to brown, autumnal colours, and black candles for the darker days arriving.

- Scatter relevant grains from the harvest to honour the fulfilment you feel at this time of year: wheat, corn, onion, oats, barley and rye.

- Use bright autumn leaves, nuts, acorns, and other natural found goodies to accent your altar space.

Scents:

- Sandalwood

- Rose

- Camomile

- Mint

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Any information displayed on our website is not regarded to be authoritative or certified as the best practice and is only considered to be useful supplementary advice to other certified codes of practice. All information on our website is updated regularly.

Sources:

Wicca - Harmony Nice

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