It’s really no secret that I don’t love the summer sabbats of my religious tradition. I used to feel like a bad Pagan because I could not get excited for Midsummer or Lughnasadh. Reading Laura Tempest Zakroff’s book Weave the Liminal helped me realize that it was okay to not love every sabbat or tradition that came with my religion of choice. Which was a novel idea to someone who had been programmed from birth with a (very different) religion that said you can’t pick and choose what you want to follow from their traditions, yet that’s what most people actually did. I was further emboldened by my fellow writer John Beckett who says that August is the worst month.
I admit that most of my lack of excitement for summer sabbats comes from my local weather. We’ve been under a heat advisory since the beginning of June and now we’re adding air quality alerts to those. But like many things that I don’t enjoy on the surface, when I begin seriously thinking about them and digging down, I find things to enjoy or relate to. Lughnasadh is one of those things. For my local church and friends, perhaps holding public rituals or gatherings in honor of Lughnasadh is where we lose interest – again because it’s too hot to move without sweating. However there are a lot of options for honoring Lughnasadh that don’t involve complicated rituals or spending hours outside in the sun.
Quick Recap of Lughnsadh
Nestled between the height of summer and the first whispers of autumn, Lughnasadh (or Lammas) arrives as both a celebration and a checkpoint. Observed on August 1st, it’s the first of the three harvest festivals in the Wheel of the Year, followed by Mabon and Samhain. Spiritually, it invites Wiccans and witches to step into sacred gratitude—not only for what the land yields, but for what the soul has cultivated.
Rooted in ancient Celtic tradition and named after the multi-talented god Lugh, Lughnasadh honors labor, legacy, and life’s turning wheel. Lugh, a god of light, skill, craftsmanship, and battle prowess, established the festival in memory of his foster mother Tailtiu, who sacrificed herself to clear the land for farming. It’s no wonder this sabbat is as much about the seen (the golden fields, the baked bread) as it is the unseen (ancestral devotion, inner growth, quiet sacrifice).
Spiritual Aspects of Lughnasadh
Spiritually, Lughnasadh is a time to assess what you’ve planted, tended, and grown—both literally and metaphorically. It asks: What seeds did you sow at Imbolc or Ostara? Have your intentions taken root? Are your spiritual practices, relationships, and creative efforts bearing fruit—or do they need reevaluation, weeding, or more sun?
Getting together with your group of friends, your coven or your church is something I encourage. Being with others and doing magick with a group has more power than one person alone, and we all need to surround ourselves with people who understand and support us. But there are always things we can do personally, no matter what the need. Lughnasadh is no different, and you may feel like celebrating this sabbat at home is more appealing than dragging yourself to the park in the middle of the summer. This sabbat is ideal for reflective rituals, journaling, and gratitude work which can all be done in the coolness and safety of your home.
Harvest Your Inner Work at Lughnasadh
Sit with your journal and write out everything you’ve accomplished over the past few months—projects completed, personal healing, acts of courage, or even simply surviving a rough season. Celebrate these as sacred. You’ve done more than you think, and this is a time to name and honor it.
Break (or Bake!) Sacred Bread
Lammas means “loaf mass,” and bread is more than food here—it’s a metaphor for transformation. Grain is cut, ground, kneaded, baked. Its effort turned to nourishment. Whether you bake from scratch or pick up a favorite loaf from your local bakery, bless it with gratitude. Each slice is an act of reverence for nature’s generosity. Really, who doesn’t love a holiday that gives you permission to be spiritually enlightened and carb-loving?
Host a Personal Gratitude Rite this Lughnasadh
Gratitude is always a good place to start with your spiritual practice. We typically always want and need more, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be grateful for what we do have. Light a candle, place fresh herbs or grains on your altar, and give thanks aloud for the lessons and gifts of the year so far. Offer words of thanks for things that didn’t go as planned, too. Even the crops that failed taught you something. Lughnasadh honors work, not perfection.
Align with the Sun’s Wisdom
In Wicca and witchcraft traditions, there is a lot of focus on the moon phases, and working with the phases of the moon can add extra energy to your spell work. We often forget that we can also work with the cycles of the sun and harvest it’s energy to amplify our manifestations. This Lughnasadh, perhaps you can try following the short cycle of the sun to boost your spell work.
As the sun begins its gradual descent toward autumn, so too are we reminded that all things move in cycles. Lughnasadh is a time to soak in the light that’s left, literally and spiritually. Use it to illuminate what you still want to complete before the final harvest at Samhain.
Magickal Focus: Success, Abundance, Courage
I am a firm believer in doing magick when you need it, and not always waiting for perfect day of the week or moon phase or planetary hour. But if you’d like to harness the energy of Lughnasadh for your ritual work you may want to focus on works that focus around prosperity, creative momentum, and spiritual strength. These are all solar, projective needs that align with symbols of the sun and The God.
Community and Connection
Historically, the holidays were times of community where groups would get together for meals, games, networking and even marriages. If the heat has you down and you don’t feel like doing much, try sharing a meal with like-minded souls or having a heartfelt conversation. These acts of community can embody the spirit of Lughnasadh that is connection, joy and honoring each other without breaking a sweat.
Go Forth and Celebrate Your Way
Lughnasadh reminds us that harvesting isn’t just a chore or a reward—it’s a sacred pause. It’s a chance to reflect, to give thanks, and to ready ourselves for the final push toward completion. Whether you’re dancing barefoot in the fields or simply savoring warm bread with your morning coffee, you’re part of a cycle as ancient as the sun. And honestly, if spiritual enlightenment comes wrapped in a crusty sourdough loaf… isn’t that the kind of cosmic alignment we could all use more of?
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