Lammas 2025: Work of the Circle (at Home)

On Lammas we come together to honor the gods, who we hope have been generous through our planting seasons!

Lammas marks the beginning of the harvest season, which is a milestone in many societies dependent on the land to feel secure for the coming winter months. Our Lammas ritual celebrates the community and personal sacrifices required for a successful harvest with the sacrifice our breadman!

Illustration by Acorn

Sweet Honey-Oat Bread(man) Recipe

Grain is the heart of Lammas, but the seed from which it came?

The seed does its work secretly, nestled deep in the Earth. Through its  death and transformation, our communities are given a life-sustaining gift. In the Autumn, the God of the harvest dies once more, that we may eat and consume Him, giving us strength in the months to come, honoring His sacrifice.

Wren developed this bread loaf to expand on the traditional Blue Star cakes recipe. It’s a sweet honey-oat bread that can be easily shaped into a breadman.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup whole wheat flour

• 2 cups white flour

• 1 cup rolled oats

• ½ tsp salt

• ⅓ cup honey

• 1 tbsp oil

• ½ cup wine or beer (recommended: same beverage being used in the chalice, if applicable)

• ¾ cup warm water

• 1tbsp sugar

• 2 ¼ tsp (or one packet) dry yeast

Instructions:

Mix warm water and sugar, add yeast to proof.

Add salt to bowl, then oats and flour. Add honey, wine or beer, oil, and water with proofed yeast.

Mix by hand until springy - dough will be sticky.

Cover and let rise until doubled, about an hour.

Punch down dough and shape as desired on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (more flour can be used if dough is too sticky to shape). Let rise again for 30 minutes.

While dough does second rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake for 25 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Sacrificing (Stabbing) Notes:

Bismark tip used for piping in jam or other filling (see Sacrificing (Stabbing) Notes)

I have been trying the past two years to fill the center of the breadman with jam so that it will ooze out dramatically when he is stabbed. The jam filling works well, but the oozing part hasn’t happened

yet - we're still working on proper placement and consistency to get that right.

My technique for filling with jam is to use a pastry bag and a bismark tip.

Tasting Notes:

I’ve made this loaf three times, twice with beer (a standard citrusy-wheaty Belgian Ale and a Raspberry American Sour) and once with red wine. Although the flavor is subtly different between these options, the overwhelming flavor will likely be honey!

Final Thoughts:

Sacrificing the breadman together is a way to hearken back to a time when communities more often sacrificed their time and energy, sweat and tears, resources and more - because otherwise no individual may be able to make it through needier times. As Wiccans, as pagans, as social animals - we acknowledge our part in the cycle and our communities, and hold value in our sacrifices alongside those who strive beside us.

We hope this practice helps you be present with your family, friends, Coven, Grove, teachers, students - with yourself - this harvest season and beyond!

Blessed Be!

Words & Photos

by Acorn, 1°

and Wren, 2°