Wiccan Gathering

It's that time of year! Let's learn how to celebrate Lammas! We celebrate Wiccan sabbats, or holidays, on eight occasions throughout the year. Lammas is a sabbat falling within the month of August and it celebrates the date of the first harvest. To celebrate Lammas, celebrate the harvest by decorating your altar with fruits and grains. You can give offerings of bread and cider to the Goddess and God to show gratitude. Or dry herbs and save seeds for future use as the wheel turns. You can also pray for abundant food during the cold months. In this article we will explain more in depth about the Wiccan sabbats, in particular the sabbat of Lammas. We'll discuss what it is and how to celebrate Lammas! Wheel of the Year Each sabbat represents a spoke in the Wheel of the Year which is the Wiccan yearly cycle. Both the Wheel of the Year and its sabbats are rooted in storied pagan traditions. Each sabbat falls on a seasonal marker based on the positions of the moon and sun. To talk about the passing of time, Wiccans refer to the turning of the Wheel. The occurrence of sabbats, and the turning of the wheel, are used to stay in tune with the Earth’s natural rhythms. They allow us to reflect on the cycle of life, and express gratitude to the God and Goddess. The eight sabbats are Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, and Mabon. Celebrating Sabbats You can easily participate in these storied holidays and become at one with the Earth. Sabbats can certainly be celebrated alone, especially if you are a solitary practitioner. There are many rituals which can be done by yourself, introspection you can perform, and ways you can adorn your altar at home. Sabbats can also be celebrated as a group. This can your coven or with fellow witches. However it can also be celebrated with friends and family who are not Wiccan. For example, if you'd like to celebrate the harvest by feasting and showing gratitude, what better way to do that then to assemble some close friends and family! Even non-Wiccans like to feast regardless of the reason! So for those solitaries whose family doesn't know that they're Wiccan, this is a great way to avoid celebrating alone. How to Celebrate Lammas Lammas is a sabbat around August 1 which celebrates the first harvest. It’s the first of three fall harvest festivals. Lammas is a time of both hope for an abundant harvest, but also of fear that the yield may not be enough to last comfortably throughout the winter. This sabbat is also a time when Wiccans face their inner fears, prepare themselves for possible hard times ahead, and are ready for sacrifice. Deities such as Demeter, Ceres, Lugh, and John Barleycorn are associated with this sabbat. There are many ways to celebrate Lammas! Gratitude for the Harvest Thank the Goddess and God for the crops to be harvested. Give thanks and feel gratitude in all areas of your life. Pray for Abundance Pray for a fruitful harvest and abundant food during the cold and dark months. Decorate Your Altar Decorate your altar with fruits and grains. Feast Feast with fellow witches or other covens. Save Seeds Save this small capsule of life for future planting during the spring. Honor the Pregnant Goddess Celebrate the cycle of life and her pregnancy, which will eventually lead to the birth of the God. Dry Herbs Prepare herbs for storage, so your wintertime meals will be healthful and flavorful. Give Offerings Give offerings to the Goddess and God. Offerings of bread and cider are great around this time. You can give offerings to wild animals too. Lammas Correspondences Color Correspondences Deep Golden YellowDark OrangesBronzeBrownsTansDark Green Herbal Correspondences StrawberriesBlackberriesAloeWheat Crystal Correspondences PeridotCitrine Deity Correspondences CeresPersephoneOdinDemeterFreyaInannaFriggLugh Animal Correspondences Cow Magick Correspondences Growth and agricultureConclusions and endingsDeathSuccess and accomplishment Conclusion I hope this has given you a good background on Wiccan sabbats, the sabbat of Lammas, what it means, and how to celebrate it! Click below to get more helpful information about other Wiccan sabbats. And for a wider overview of Wiccan sabbats, visit our comprehensive guide to the Wheel of the Year. ← litha mabon →