Lughnasadh & Lammas reflections and journal prompts
Celebrating Lammas or Lughnasadh: abundance, gratitude and the first harvest
When? 01st August
Direction/Element: South and the element of Fire: energy, inspiration and imagination
Themes: gratitude, craftsmanship, sustenance and community
Both Lammas and Lughnasadh (or Lùnastal in Scottish Gaelic and Luanistyn in Manx Gaelic) mark the beginning of the grain harvest around August 1st, sitting midway between the summer solstice and autumn equinox
The arrival of this season is usually one of my favourite times of the year. I love summer and there’s always something about August that feels like summer’s peak to me even though, in reality, it means that we are a little bit closer to the dark half of the year’s arrival. This year, as I write this, we’re experiencing our third heatwave of the year so far, and the heat has felt relentless.
If you’re new here, I’m Laura, a counsellor, nature therapist, somatic therapist, meditation teacher and space holder. My work is all about supporting people to explore connection to themselves, the land and each other.
I am enjoying parts of the hot weather. I love being bare foot, and when I’m able to spend time in the shelter of the woods, summer is glorious. What’s not so glorious is the existential angst that I feel about the climate and, however intense things feel here, I am also mindful of the impact on people in the global majority countries, who are much more severely impacted than we are.
Lammas and Lughnasadh (I talk about the distinction between the two below) are about connecting with gratitude for the first harvest and any abundance that we are able to bring in to resource ourselves. When we do this, I think it’s important to honour the people who don’t have access to the same resources that we do and, where ever possible, share a portion of our harvest with someone who might need it.
Every season is temporary and the Wheel always turns.
Lughnasadh (or Lughnasad, Lughnasa, Lugnasad, Lúnasa - pronounced Loo-nah-sah) is one of eight festivals on the Celtic-Pagan Wheel of the Year. Both Lughnasadh and Lammas fall around the 1st of August, sitting midway between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox. This is the time when the fruits and grains (from both an agricultural and metaphorical perspective!) we’ve been tending since spring are ripening, ready to be gathered, baked, shared and celebrated.
The main differences between these two celebrations are cultural.
The name Lughnasadh comes from Lugh, the Irish god of skill, craftsmanship, and light. According to Irish mythology, Lugh established this festival in honour of his foster-mother Tailtiu, who died clearing the land for cultivation. In this context, this festival is a celebration of sacrifice and gratitude; a reminder that every harvest is born of effort, care and the willingness to let go.
Lammas is an English, Christianised version of this celebration and it comes from the Old English hlāfmæsse, meaning “loaf mass.” It’s thought that our ancestors celebrated this festival by baking bread from the first grain harvest. They then took it to church to be blessed, before breaking it together in gratitude.
The foundations of this season
As well as following the seasons and agricultural cycles, the Wheel of The Year also honours the four sacred directions and their elements. This time of year sits in the South and connects to the element of fire, the force of vitality, transformation and illumination. Fire represents both the radiance of the sun and the inner spark that drives creation and creativity.
At the point of the year (this year especially!) we can really feel that heat. The energy of the sun burns high and strong.
Fire consumes and renews and this festival is a good time to notice what has been fully expressed, and what needs to be released to make space for what’s next.
Reflections on the first harvest
Last year, as I reflected on Lammas, I asked: How can we sit with our own light and darkness, accepting that both are equally part of us? I also reflected on the “polycrisis” and the web of overlapping global challenges that we currently face. In this season, where we celebrate abundance, you might also think about the community and societal aspects of that. What are we reaping as a society? How can we sow seeds for the future with greater consciousness and care?
As you explore the prompts below, you could do this from a personal and then collective viewpoint. What do these questions mean for you, and what do they mean for the wider communities that you’re part of? And for the world? How can you translate your insights into small, aligned actions that nurture balance, sustainability, and compassion?
Journal prompts
What does abundance mean to you in this moment?
What are you harvesting right now? Literally or metaphorically?
What are you most grateful for?
How do you express your gratitude, in both small and larger ways?
Where in your life might you need to let go, to create space for what’s next?
How can you share the fruits of your own “harvest” with others?
