The Power of Story

History

Lughnasad (Loo-NAW-saw) is an ancient Celtic holiday, celebrating the first of three harvests: the grain harvest. The second harvest arrives at the Fall Equinox and bears fruit. And the final harvest of nuts and berries occurs at Samhain, or All Souls Day. For our ancestors, bountiful harvests meant they would have enough food to survive the winter ahead.

The name “Lammas” is derived from the Old English term “hlaf-mas,” which means loaf mass. Using the first cut of wheat, communities would bake the first loaves of bread as a sign of gratitude and an offering to the deities who blessed their crops and provided an abundant harvest. Lammas is all about harvesting joy, ancient traditions that connect us to the cycles of nature, and inner magic as a time of reflection and letting your true self shine.

Lughnasad is associated with the god Lugh, Master of Skills , a deity representing skill, craftsmanship, and the sun. Lugh’s tale speaks of his ultimate sacrifice to ensure the land’s prosperity during this season. The festival celebrates the literal harvest of crops and the fruits of one’s labor and achievements. He is associated with Hermes, the Trickster and ruler of Mercury as well as Apollo, known as the Sun God.

Summer is fun and full of adventure; it is can also be depleting! This cross-quarter day on the Wheel of the Year marks the midpoint of summer and reminds us that without rest, summer’s intensity can burn us out. The summer sun is still fiery hot at this time of year. It is active, energetic and bold. This summer sun is helping to ripen what will become and the same thing is happening to all of us. This is the time to open ourselves to the power of the sun and allow the fruit we’ve been cultivating to open.

• What is currently ripening in your life?
• What are you ready to start harvesting? 
• What are you clearing out?
• What are your feeling grateful for and what are the lessons of this time?
• What will you preserve and take with you as you Walk the Wheel?

Symbols and Celebrations

Read: “How to celebrate Lúnasa like a god who knows how to do everything” 🌞🌞🌞

Ten of Tarot : Lindsay Mack, founder of Tarot for the Wild Soul, likes to think about Tens when reflecting about this cross-quarter – especially the Ten of Pentacles that represents harvesting. Tarot reader, Gina Wisotzky, of Incandescent Tarot notes that The Tens are about the 3Cs: Culmination, Complexity, and Completion. She shares that the Ten of Pentacles “gives us a beautiful depiction of the richness that comes from creating and caring for our physical world. This card speaks to the work and understanding that goes into creating a space meant to foster our growth and the growth of those close to us. Life explodes in a riot of color, connectedness, and complexity. It’s rich and wild, deep and meaningful, and uniquely our own.”

Summary

Celebrating Bread!