Northern Hemisphere Date: August 1
Southern Hemisphere Date: February 1
Lammas (Lughnasadh)
The first harvest is here, the harvest of the grain, a sign that it will slowly get colder, but for now, there is abundance; it is the peak of the season. The grain is taken from the land. It is a time to enjoy all the abundance from the land. A time to laugh and play, a time to be without sorrow. But also a time where we are reminded that the darker days of winter are coming closer. This is the time that John Barleycorn (representative of the corn) sacrifices his life to feed his people; it is this sacrifice we honor at Lughnasadh. The grain is cut, part is stored away, and some of the grain will be used to plant next year's grain. Thoughts of sacrifice, transformation, death, and rebirth are associated with this festival.
Things to do
- Place some barley on your altar
- Bake some cookies from barley
- Make your own beer
- Think about what you want to leave behind, what are you willing to sacrifice? What do you want to change?
Fun Facts
- There are quite a few pubs around the U.K named John Barleycorn; grain is not only used to make bread!
