The wheel of the year is a Wiccan construction that has been adapted by neo paganism. It takes from older pagan celebrations across Western Europe (mainly the UK) and puts them together in perfectly spaced celebrations in the year. However most of these celebrations were never celebrated as the Wheel of the Year and each region would celebrate a different festival. Nor were these perfectly spaced and always on the same date each year. Rather people would perceive seasonal change through the natural world via plants, weather or the sun signalling a changing of seasons.
The origins of the Wheel of the Year seem to not matter anymore. Nowadays many pagans and witches (including me), whether they’re Wiccan or not, celebrate the Wheel of the Year. This could be for various reasons, however a prominent one seems to be the connection between other witches and/or pagans. Or simply to live more slowly and attentively with the seasons. In my Wheel of the Year series, I take you through the origins of these celebrations and give my interpretations and modern adaptions for them.
Lughnasadh (Loo-na-sa) is the 5th sabbat and the first of the three harvest festivals (Lughnasadh, Mabon and Samhain) in the Wheel of the Year, taking place every year on the 1st of August. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, the wheel turns 180 degrees, and the 1st of August encompasses Imbolc for you.
The festival is known by two names, Lughnasadh and Lammas. Though, these were two different festivals falling on the same day. These festivals were merged together with the creation of the Wheel of the Year. Lammas is derived from the old Saxon festival Loaf Mass. Whereas Lughnasadh originated from Ireland and is a festival in honour of the Celtic deity Lugh. Moreover the cross quarter dates (Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain) within the Wheel of the Year, also encompass the start of a new season, with Lughnasadh signalling the start of autumn.
Loaf mass
The 1st of August is the very beginning of the harvest period. Vegetation starts to ripen and the weather will be watched closely, as the continuation of the dry, sunny, summer weather is essential to the harvesting process. This also entails that the weather actually dictates the official start of the harvest. Nevertheless the Anglo-Saxon still always celebrated it on the 1st of August. An old custom was to make bread from the very first grains harvested. Some folk then went on to bless it at church, where they then broke the bread into four parts and placed it at the four corners of their barn. It was believed that this would protect the grain that was yet to be garnered.Lughnasadh
Lughnasadh (meaning Lugh’s assembly) originated from Ireland, to honour the Celtic deity Lugh. Lugh is nowadays recognised as a solar deity and harvest god. However, he used to be honoured as a god of human skill, kings and a patron of heroes. He was the king of the Tuathe de Danaan, a race of divine beings which roughly translates to “People of the goddess Danu”. He was therefore also the consort of the goddess Danu, the first great mother goddess of Ireland. She was associated with water, the earth, fertility and victory. Irish mythology foretells that Lughnasadh has been founded by the god Lugh as a funeral feast and athletic competition. There are various stories regarding for whom Lugh founded it for, however the theme of death is heavily present within the celebration of Lughnasadh.
Folklorist Máire Macneill extensively studied folklore and traditions of Lughnasadh. She has found that the central idea is a struggle for the harvest between two gods. Crom Dubh guards the grain as his treasure and Lugh must seize it for mankind. Sometimes it is depicted as a struggle over a woman named Eithne. Another tale is Lugh defeating Balor, who represents the overcoming blight and dry hot summer. These tales are in line with Lughnasadh as a harvest festival and it’s date, as Lughnasadh falls within the dog days of summer.
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| Butterflies symbolise the death - rebirth cycle through their metamorphosis. Their abundant presence during Lughnasadh make them a great correspondence for the sabbat. |
Symbolism
Within
this section I would like to provide an overview of my personal symbolism and
interpretations of Lughnasadh. Take what resonates and leave what doesn’t (as
goes for everything within this post).
Lughnasadh is first and foremost associated with Harvesting. This is the time where we express our gratitude for all that we have manifested and gained over the past months. Therefore gratitude is a central theme of Lughnasadh.
Lughnasadh
isn’t the only harvest festival, meaning there is more to harvest over the weeks
to come. Folklore suggests that farmers from medieval times would participate
in traditions to protect cattle and their harvest. Although in modernity we don’t
feel a dire need to protect direct vegetation, we can still protect our harvest
symbolically and spiritually. Think of all the things you’ve worked hard for
the past 6 months. What is a seed you planted at Imbolc that you’ve seen come
to fruition? Does it still need time to ripen? How can you protect it during
this time. This makes protection another important theme of Lughnasadh
The Scythe immediately comes to mind when I think of Lughnasadh. The Scythe symbolizes death, and to me Lughnasadh is the point where the Death cycle start. We harvest our success, manifestations and things we need in life, but we also let go of what no longer serves us. I perceive this as a balance, where at Lughnasadh this is at an equilibrium. As the days move on and we get closer to Yule, the harvesting starts to wane and themes of death become more prominent. Death as a theme is also found in the folklore surrounding Lughnasadh and the god Lugh.
How to celebrate
During Lughnasadh I like to express my gratitude for the things that have come to fruition. I also like to reflect on the balance between harvest and death, and what I mayhap need to let go of for other things to come to life. This could be in the form of journalling, mediating or divination.
Lughnasadh is when I also amp up my protection work. Not only to protect things that still need to ripen, but also in preparation for the darker half of the year. As we inch closer to Samhain, the veil between this world and the next becomes thinner. And I’d like to keep the negative energy and spirits at bay.
Of course Lughnasadh wouldn’t be Lughnasadh without a good harvest. It’s a great time to go outside and forage (ethically!). Blackberries and billberries are abundant this time of year (where I am atleast), making them a great addition to a lovely summer salad for those hot summer days. I encourage you to go outside and connect with these plants. If you are planning on making a salad, you could perhaps bake a nice bread to go with it. Lughnasadh is often also called Loaf Mass.
As many of you know, I love a good outfit. During sabbats I like to go all out and dress up in colours and accessories associated with the sabbat. The colours yellow, brown, green and gold are often associated with Lughnasadh. These colours represent the solar and earth energies present at Lughnasadh, as well as colours of bounty and harvest.
One thing I always do for every sabbat is set up a sabbat altar. This is a practice I adapted from the Hearthwitch on YouTube. I like the idea of having the energies of a sabbat in my own space. One thing I’ve started doing this year is slowly building the altar over time, with trinkets from my celebrations or things I forage from the natural world. I’ve found that this brings more intent into the process, brings the local landscape inside and I become more attentive of the natural world around me. I haven’t included a picture of my current altar yet, because that one is simply not yet set up. So I present you with my altars from 2024 and 2025 for inspiration.
Lughnasadh signals the start of autumn for me. And gods do I love autumn. So naturally I get very excited when Lughnasadh is around the corner and I see the various berries start to ripen. This ties into the death aspect of Lughnasadh for me and the start of the process of letting go. Autumn also deeply ties in with new beginnings for me, truly signifying the cycle of death and rebirth.
Lastly, with every sabbat (yes even Yule and Imbolc) I spend an ungodly amount outside. I like to celebrate these sabbats by dressing up, going outside and be present in the natural world. That means no music, no distractions, just me and whatever tree decides to be open to my yapping. And at every sabbat I have a great time again. Many witches and pagans are in the broom closet or don’t have a community close by. Going outside and sitting in nature or your local landscape is always a great option if you aren’t able to (or simply don’t want to) celebrate the sabbats extensively.
That’s all for today, if you have any questions please let me know! Thank you for reading and making it this far 😊
What
are your plans for this Lughnasadh?
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