30 Days of Witchcraft ~30-Day Challenge~Day 1 Lughnasadh

Merry meet, and welcome to my first 30-day challenge! I'm excited to talk "30 Days of Witchcraft" with you! To read more about why I'm doing my own 30-Day challenge, go to my "Write Your Craft" page. 

While Samhain starts the pagan "New Year, I'm starting with Lughnasadh/Lammas because it is August 1, Monday and I want to get a little ahead of it so that we can all celebrate in our own ways. 

First things first, Lughnasadh (pronounced Loo-NAS-ah) has been spelled about 5 different ways in my research. Pick the spelling you can remember LOL! Lughnasadh is also the Celtic version of this Sabbat and can be used interchangeably with Lammas. 

Lughnasadh/Lammas occurs on August 1st, the midpoint between the summer solstice (Litha) and fall equinox (Mabon). As a midpoint, its date doesn't change yearly, whereas 4 of the sabbats do to match the solstices and equinoxes.

This holiday celebrates the fall harvest that fed our ancestors through the year. It was a celebration of the fruits of their labors.  If crops were harvested before Lughnasadh, it meant that the previous harvest ran out before the year was up. It meant that the previous year's crops were scant, and that could mean a vicious cycle of running out of food too early in the year. 

The Lammas Fest was savored with gratitude and village sharing of the crops. Some ancient pagan cultures held sacrifice: some a horse - to Freyr, some a bull or their king (sometimes in effigy - sometimes not), to their Sun God, some cornhusk dolls made in effigy of each member sacrificed into the fire for their Harvest God. Many broke bread together made with the first grains harvested that year. 

The Celts also honored Lugh (Irish), or Llew (Welsh), the God of skills and craftsmanship; the Many-skilled God, as he was self-proclaimed to be able to do it all!!! It is lost in lore as to the specific reason the Celts honored Lugh on this Sabbat. Some say it was a wedding fest he held for his new bride, some say it was a feast he held in honor of his stepmother who died of exhaustion after clearing a wooded area for crops.

Whatever the reason, it is  Lugh (Irish), or Llew (Welsh), the God of skills and craftsmanship; the Many-skilled God, as he was self-proclaimed to be able to do it all!!! It is lost in lore as to the specific reason the Celts honored Lugh on this Sabbat. Some say it was a wedding fest he held for his new bride, some say it was a feast he held in honor of his stepmother who died of exhaustion after clearing a wooded area for crops.

Whatever the reason, it is a time to celebrate the fruits of the season, as well as your skills as a person. Think hard about what skills you have. What are your talents? What do you excel at? Think of all the things you can do, all the things you want to do, and all the ways you want to grow in your skills. Forget your modesty for this one day, and proclaim your skills as Lugh did!

Correspondences for this sabbat:

• Deities (across all pantheons)
• Lugh
• Tailtiu
• The Green Man
• The Grain Mothers
• Gaia
• Ceres
• Demeter
• Persephone
• Luna
• Selene
• Colors
• Bronze
• Brown
• Yellow
• Gold
• Orange
• Stones
• Botswana Agate
• Jasper
• Moonstone
• Citrine
• Carnelian
• Moss Agate
• Peridot
• Aventurine
• Herbs, Plants, & Spices
• Wheat and other grains
• Onion
• Caraway
• Basil
• Rosemary
• Yarrow
• Vervain
• Caraway
• Wheat
• Roses
• Calendula
• Sunflowers
• Ash Tree
• Apples
• Pears
• Blackberries
• Honey
• Food and Drink
• Bread
• Corn
• Potatoes
• Apples
• Pears
• Beer
• Mead
• Animals
• Bees
• Bats
• Horses
• Cattle
• Bears
• Ravens
• Snakes
• Deer
• Salmon
• Spells
• Self-Reflection
• Prosperity
• Transformation
• Ways to Celebrate this Sabbat
• Decorate your altar with things related to your skill. 
• Light a grain-colored candle for Lugh: brown, yellow gold, bronze
• Harvest your own garden and share it with your "village"
• Make bread of all kinds to share with your family and friends.
• Host a canned food drive or donate canned goods to your local food pantry.
• Make corn husk dolls (no sacrifice necessary!)
• But you can!
• Renew your home protection spells.
• Have a Lammas ritual of self-reflection by meditating on the blessings in your life and the sacrifices you need to make to better your life.
• Historically, I've ended this ritual by sipping a local fall wine and eating a slice of the bread my family made, alternating a bite and a drink until gone.