Lammas 2025

Lammas¹ is traditionally celebrated on August 1st and is the midway point between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox, and one of four Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with Imbolc, Beltane, and Samhain (article coming later this year!).

It is dedicated (in part) to honoring the sacrifices made by the gods, the world, our ancestors, our communities, and ourselves in reaching this first of the three "harvest Sabbats" (to be followed by Mabon and Samhain). While we enjoy the results of our hard work in creating our personal harvests, this is also a time to reflect on the nature of labor, reaping, and on how life and death are necessarily intertwined.

Wiccans celebrate this part of the Wheel by centering stories related to the "Lord" and his sacrifices as related to the harvest. These stories can take on many forms, as this Sabbat is celebrated under different names and traditions across different cultures. What is notable is this sacrificed Lord is not typically the "Lord" known as the patron God of Wiccans. Instead, this figure is more of a Green Man (in some cultures, it is the Green Man) - a spiritual figure that represents Nature, the land, the growing crops and herds, and the ongoing efforts of communities everywhere to prepare for Winter, without which the feasting tables would lay bare and we would have no honored ancestors to guide us forward.

For Haven Song's Sabbat this year we will be calling the Lord and Lady, Wicca's patron God and Goddess. During this time of year, the Lady is seen as the Mother (in Her Triple Goddess aspect) and the Lord as the Holly King (in His Dual God aspect).

We will consider work and toil: both the grand human designs of garden and agriculture; and the ego-less, natural work of the many living things often unseen in their humble toil – growing, reproducing, enriching the soil, leavening the bread, and enlivening the beer, cider, and mead – among a billion other vital jobs. We will say thanks and eat some bread!

The next article will tackle what "sacrifice" can look like to modern Wiccans. Here's to hoping your summer has had cool, restful shade available when needed so far!

Blessed Be!

By Acorn, 1°

¹ Also known as Lughnasadh, which Haven Song has celebrated in the past - "In Celtic mythology the god Lugh is said to have held a funeral feast in honor of his foster mother Tailtiu, who died after clearing the plains of Ireland for the purpose of agriculture. The festival of Lughnasadh became a day based upon this Celtic myth and historically it was a day of contests, games, handfasting or marriage, and seeking lodging for the long winter months." Lammas vs Lughnasadh by Shirleytwofeathers (Jul 31, 2017)