August 1, 2021|Seasons, Crystals, Rituals
Goddess, Harvest Mother
What have you harvested this season? What bore fruit from seeds that you planted in the deep of winter or in early spring? What would you like to manifest? Now is the perfect time to pause and reflect upon these questions.
Lammas is the first of three harvest festivals. It is the harvest of grain that is traditionally celebrated on August 1st. As the nights begin to lengthen, the seasons begin to shift toward shadow season. Mabon or the Autumn Equinox is the Second Harvest of Fruit, and Samhain is the third and Final Harvest of Nuts and Berries.
"At Lammas the Goddess is in Her aspect as Grain Mother, Harvest Mother, Harvest Queen, Earth Mother, Ceres and Demeter. Demeter, as Corn Mother, represents the ripe corn of this year's harvest and Her daughter Kore/Persephone represents the grain - the seed which drops back deep into the dark earth, hidden throughout the winter, and re-appears in the spring as new growth. This is the deep core meaning of Lammas and comes in different guises. The fullness and fulfillment of the present harvest already holds at its very heart the seed of all future harvest. (It is a fact that a pregnant woman carrying her as yet unborn daughter is also already carrying the ovary containing all the eggs her daughter will ever release - she is already both mother, grandmother and beyond, embodying the great Motherline - pure magic and mystery.)
" https://www.goddessandgreenman.co.uk/lammas/
I thought the above expressed the Motherline so concisely that I had to quote it exactly as it was written. Beautifully poignant, as the seeds of intention that we plant now carry within them manifestations of seasons yet to come.
The month of August celebrates the Celtic Sun King and God of Light, Lugh. He is also known as the God of craftsmanship, and grain. The Sun God, Lugh, as John Barleycorn, is the living Spirit of the corn, or grain.
As I mentioned in the opening, this is a time to reflect on the first half of the year. What intentions did you set, what manifested, what did not manifest and why? What do you want to bring forth the second half of the year?
Ways to Celebrate and Honor Lammas
Altar or Tablecloth: A covering to represent the colors of the sun and harvest season like, gold, yellow, orange and green or any combination of them.
Decorations: Light candles to honor this festival of light, honoring the last long days of the year. You can use the same colors as used in your altar cloth or any other colors that call to you. Add items that represent this harvest like sunflowers, wheat, oat, and barley.
Crystal Allies:
Carnelian To stoke the fires of creativity and passion.
Citrine Sunny citrine for prosperity and abundance.
Green Aventurine For growth and to promote new beginnings.
Clear Quartz To amplify the energies of other crystals or to program with your own intentions.
Activities: Bake. The most traditional practice during Lammas is to bake bread from the newly harvested grains.
Create a Lammas Harvest jar. Write down things that you are grateful for and that you manifested this year and put the slips of paper in the jar. You can decorate the outside of the jar by gluing on paper pictures of leaves, sunflowers, wheat, etc. You can also place crystals in the jar or glue tumbled stones or crystal chips to the outside of your jar.
Make a Corn Maiden or Corn Dolly
Corn Maiden or Corn Dolly
You can buy a readymade corn dolly online or make one on your own. There is a series by Llewellyn that has a book for each holiday, one includes Lammas along with crafts, recipes, rituals, and history that you may enjoy.
Sending love and blessing your way!
Chrysalis Chris