Three Ways to Honor Lughnasadh

The Head Honcho
Jul 28
7 min read

For our Northern Hemisphere readers;

Lughnasadh, also known as Lammas, marks the vibrant midsummer harvest.

Falling on August 1st (Northern Hem), this time in the Wheel of the Year is uniquely about abundance and sharing. Even if your loved ones aren't steeped in witchcraft, inviting them to a summer cookout or a dinner party is a wonderful way to connect with the generous spirit of this day—because that's truly what it's all about!

Lughnasadh is a moment to give thanks for the overflowing yields of a successful growing season. If you tend a vegetable garden, you'll know exactly what I mean! Your tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash might be producing at an incredible pace. In my part of the world, vegetable gardens reach "almost too much" levels around this time, and people start trying to share tomatoes and zucchini with everyone they know because they simply can't keep up with the garden's output!

This holiday is also linked with partnership and commitment. In Ireland, its place of origin, festivals often featured "trial marriages" where young couples would briefly unite. After a year and a day of living as if married, they could either fully commit or simply let the arrangement end. This makes Lughnasadh an excellent time to re-examine your intentions within your own romantic relationships. Consider if you're making the most of your time with your partner or if there are new approaches you could take to bring more richness into your bond.

How to Celebrate the Season of Plenty

I always like to observe holidays in a few distinct ways. I typically prepare a special food to share, engage in some personal contemplation to deepen my understanding of the celebration's meaning, and perform a small act of magic! For this Lughnasadh, I'll be sharing a reflective exercise, a delightful recipe, and a potent ritual that I'll be using to embrace the gifts of the summer harvest.

A Sweet Summer Blackberry Cobbler

Lughnasadh traditionally signals the start of the harvest season. Because of this, many recipes for this holiday often focus on grains and bread. There's certainly nothing wrong with that! Honoring the grain harvest is a beautiful way to welcome this next phase of the Wheel of the Year. However, the grain harvest doesn't resonate as strongly with me. Where I live, there are no grain fields! Instead, our gardens are bursting with tomatoes, zucchini, and bell peppers. Wild fruits are abundant almost everywhere you look, and blackberries can become so vigorous in their fruit production that they're nearly overwhelming. For me, this truly captures the essence of the summer's bounty. I think of savory tomato pies, wholesome zucchini bread, and, best of all, warm blackberry cobbler.

This cobbler recipe has been passed down through my family for generations and hasn't changed a bit since my great-grandmother first started using it—and for good reason! It's absolutely heavenly and simple enough that you can put it together in just a few minutes on a warm summer day, avoiding long hours in the kitchen when you'd rather be enjoying the sunshine.

What you'll need:

For the Topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk (any kind)
2 tablespoons melted butter (or a plant-based alternative)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

For the Fruit Base:

1 quart fresh blackberries (or other seasonal berries like raspberries or blueberries)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter (or a plant-based alternative)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)

Instructions:

Prepare the oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F).
Mix the fruit: In a large bowl, combine all the fruit base ingredients: blackberries, sugar, melted butter, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Pour this berry mixture into a medium-sized casserole dish.
Create the topping: In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and sugar for the topping. Once thoroughly combined, stir in the milk and melted butter. Mix until the dough comes together with a consistent texture.
Assemble the cobbler: Take large spoonfuls of the dough and roll them into rough balls. Gently place these dough "dumplings" on top of the fruit mixture, covering most of the cobbler. It's perfectly fine if the dough doesn't completely cover the berries; this cobbler is meant to have a rustic, homemade look.
Bake: Bake the cobbler for about 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit has formed a thick, bubbling syrup.
Serve: I recommend serving this warm cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for an extra touch of decadence!

Reflective Journal Prompts

I always appreciate taking time to journal on holidays. It helps me focus inward and consider how the shifting energy of the seasons impacts my life. Here are a few ideas and prompts to encourage your own thoughts on how you want your life to evolve this season. Feel free to pick just one question that sparks your curiosity, or write about all of them to truly delve into how this holiday influences you.

What growth are you celebrating right now? What relationships, projects, or other circumstances in your life are yielding positive results at this moment?
How do you connect with the joyful, abundant spirit of this holiday? What feelings does it bring up for you, and why?
Lughnasadh is a time for profound thanks. Take a moment to list all the wonderful things in your life, whether big or small, for which you feel gratitude.
How are your relationships (both romantic and other connections) flourishing right now? Do they feel rich and productive, or could you make changes to invite more of this abundant energy into your important bonds?
Take a moment to re-evaluate your commitments. How do these areas of your life truly serve you? Are you still pursuing them because they genuinely align with your path, or out of a sense of obligation? Remember, this is also a time for deep thought and deciding whether your commitments are still worth your energy! It might be time to release some parts of your life to make space for greater abundance elsewhere.

The Harvest Offering Ritual

This ritual is designed to draw the rewards of your dedicated effort into your life. Because of this, you should only choose areas of your life where you've truly put in the work to achieve results! The outcome you gather from a relationship you've ignored will be very different from the bounty of a well-nurtured connection. You can pick any small item to represent these aspects of your life—photos, trinkets, or anything you connect with those things in your life will work perfectly.

What you will need:

Two candles (your preferred color, though green or gold are fitting for abundance).
A special offering (I often use a glass of beer for Lughnasadh offerings. If beer isn't for you, consider bread, apple juice, fresh baked goods, or any other edible item you enjoy. You can even prepare a full meal for yourself! Just make sure it's something you genuinely appreciate and will consume).
An item to symbolize each area you wish to receive rewards from (e.g., a coin for better finances, a small heart charm for happier relationships, a miniature paint brush for creative projects).
Decorations for your altar.

Steps:

Set up your sacred space: Arrange your altar. Place a bowl, glass, or plate for your offering in the center. Position the two candles on either side of it. Adorn your altar with anything that brings forth the feeling of a summer harvest for you. This could include warm yellow and golden colors, fresh flowers, braided grasses, or wreaths made of grain—the choice is yours!
Begin the ritual: When you feel ready, light your candles.
Invoke your intentions: Place each of the symbolic items you've gathered in a circle around your offering. As you place each one, clearly state what it represents:
- "I call forth the blessings on my connection with Jim."
- "I call forth the prosperity from my work at [name of company]."
- (Continue for each item you place.)
Present the offering: When all the items are in place, take your offering. As you pour or place it into the container you've set out, say:
"As this bounty has birthed this offering,
So may abundance bring forth all that I've sown here."
Contemplate the future: Sit in quiet reflection for a moment. Visualize and truly feel what it will be like when each of these areas of your life begins to yield its desired fruit. Allow a sense of profound gratitude for the coming harvest to fill you.
Absorb the energy: When you're ready, you can eat or drink your offering! I suggest you take your time, slowly savoring and truly appreciating the offering you've chosen. It has been charged with all the energy you need to manifest your desired results and should be taken into your body with reverence!
Conclude the ritual: Once you're finished, tidy up your space. Then, step out into the sun and perhaps spend time with loved ones whose company you enjoy! This is a time to fully immerse yourself in the feeling of abundance and appreciate all the wonderful things already present in your life.

Happy Lughnasadh, fellow witches! May your harvest be bountiful!

BeWitchy

BeWitchy Magazine

If you found this article helpful, please leave us a 5 star review and explanation as to why you left it. We appreciate your support and grateful you found us here. When you give to the universal energies that be, they give to you.

Warrior Strength to those who deserve it & Destruction to those who need it!

International Psychic Medium Witch Madame Verveine+

Witchcraft Practitioner Demonologist Author Artist Mentor Owner and Founder of BeWitchy

Thinking about copying or using the term "BeWitchy" or similar variations... first think... are you original? The answer will be no. Do you want to gain a reputation for riding on someone elses branding, name and presence? Stealing brand identity is a serious offence and shameful!

Medical & Mental Health Disclaimer

The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered, medical or mental health advice. It is not a substitute for professional diagnosis, treatment, or therapy by a qualified healthcare or mental health professional.

Always seek the advice of your physician, psychiatrist, therapist, or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition. Never disregard professional medical or mental health advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.

If you believe you may have a medical or mental health emergency, call your doctor, emergency services, or your local emergency number immediately. The author and publisher of this article are not responsible for any adverse effects that may result from your reliance on any information contained herein.