Hi friend 🌾

Can you believe August is already here?

This time of year always feels like a gentle turning point to me. The days are still long and warm, flowerbeds and gardens are in full bloom, but if you pause and listen, you may hear a whisper that something is shifting. And that whisper is Lammas, a lesser-known seasonal festival from The Wheel of the Year that I love sharing with people.

If you’re new to this, don’t worry, this is truly for beginners. You don’t need to be spiritual or follow any specific path to enjoy what Lammas offers us: a chance to notice what’s ripening in your life, both around you and within you.

What Is the Wheel of the Year?

The Wheel of the Year is an ancient seasonal guide with eight celebrations, or Sabbats, that follow the sun’s journey through the sky. These touchpoints offer us moments to slow down, connect inward, and live in alignment with nature’s cycles.

You don’t have to be Pagan or witchy (although you can!) to honor the Wheel. Many of us are simply yearning to feel more grounded, more present, and more in rhythm with something deeper than our day-to-day to-do lists. These seasonal pauses offer that. I find them very spiritual and a way for me to connect with my highest self, nature, and God.

So… what is Lammas?

Lammas (pronounced LAH-mas), also called Lughnasadh (pronounced loo-na-sa-duh), marks the first harvest in the Wheel of the Year, a nature-based calendar that celebrates the shifting seasons.

I like to think of the Wheel of the Year as eight little checkpoints throughout the year. Instead of rushing through seasons, it gives us a chance to slow down and live in rhythm with nature.
And Lammas is the moment where we pause to ask, “What is coming to fruition? What am I grateful for?”

It’s traditionally a time when people harvested grains like wheat and barley, baked bread, and gave thanks for the abundance of the land. There’s even an old Irish story about the god Lugh, who held a great feast in honor of his foster mother, Tailtiu, who worked herself to the bone clearing the land so people could grow food. Her story reminds us that growth often comes through deep love, effort, and care, just like the things we grow in our own lives.

Celebrating Lammas

🌾 Simple ways to celebrate:

Bake a loaf of bread (gluten-free counts too!). Infuse it with gratitude or intention.
Decorate a corner of your home with wheat, herbs, sunflowers, or even just a candle and a few seasonal touches.
Go for a slow walk, noticing what’s blooming, ripening, or fading around you.
Light a candle, speak your gratitude out loud, or write it in a journal.
Create a gratitude bundle using herbs, little notes, or found items—something simple you can place somewhere sacred.

✨ Reflection questions to ask yourself:

What am I harvesting in my life right now?
Where have I grown since spring?
What am I proud of, even if no one else sees it?
What might I need to release, compost, or replant for later?

This is also a beautiful time to honor emotional or inner growth, maybe you’ve been showing up for yourself more, holding firmer boundaries, or simply resting when you need to. That’s a harvest, too.

A little sensory magic (my favorite part):

Try this now: In your mind's eye, gather ingredients to make a loaf of bread. Remember - it’s pretend, so no matter what, it will rise! Your bread has baked, and now imagine pulling a warm loaf of bread from the oven. The scent fills your kitchen. You tear off a piece, drizzle it with honey or spread some butter, and take a slow bite. Perhaps you save a piece and bring it outside as a small offering to the Earth, a way to say thank you.

There’s something so powerful about connecting to these simple, earthy acts. You might be surprised how grounding it feels.

Want to share the celebration?

Lammas can also be a lovely opportunity to connect with others:

Text a friend and share one thing you're grateful for.
Host a simple dinner or picnic using seasonal foods.
Post your “life harvest” on social media—what you’ve been growing inside or out.

These small gestures remind us we’re not doing life alone. We’re all growing, ripening, and learning together.

You don’t need a field of wheat to celebrate Lammas.

This isn’t about big ceremonies (unless you want it to be!). Lammas is something you can honor in small, meaningful ways.

I created a Lammas Celebration Guide for you to download.

🌾Lammas Celebration Guide🌾

What’s next?

After Lammas, the Wheel keeps turning, and we move toward Mabon, the Autumn Equinox. It’s all about balance, reflection, and preparing for the slower, inward season of fall. But for now, let’s savor the sweetness of this moment and honor what’s already here.

Thanks for being on this journey with me. If you’d like more ways to explore these seasonal shifts in a supportive community, come check out The Learning Circle. We’d love to have you.

With a full heart,
Kathy

Lammas: A Late Summer Pause to Reflect, Celebrate & Reconnect