Blessed Lughnasadh ~ August 1st ~ First Harvest Festival of the Year

Blessed Lughnasadh ~ August 1st ~ First Harvest Festival of the Year
Lughnasadh is a Cross Quarter Festival. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, Cross Quarter Festivals are also called High Sabbats or Greater Sabbats, these are Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane and Lughnasadh. Also known as the Fire Festivals their dates of celebration are set. With the exception of Samhain, their rituals are usually performed during the day as they are solar holidays. Each of the elements is represented and is also represented here by a holiday: Samhain - water; Imbolc - air; Beltane - earth; Lughnasadh - fire.

Lughnasadh: August 1^st

This Cross-Quarter Fire Festival is celebrated on August 1^st or the first full moon of Leo and is the seventh Sabbat of the year and represents the first harvest, when the Earth’s bounty is cut and stored for winter and thanks are given for the abundance received. The God has weakened and is losing his strength as seen in the waning of the day’s light. The Goddess is pregnant with the young God who will be born at Yule.

Element:	Fire
Herbs:	Acacia, Alfalfa, All Grains, Aloe, Blackberry, Corn, Cornsilk, Cornstalk, Crab Apple, Cyclamen, Fenugreek, Frankincense, Ginseng, Golden seal, Grapes, Heather, Hollyhock, Meadowsweet, Myrtle, Oak leaves, Pear, Rye, Sloe, Sunflower, Wheat
Oil/Incense:	Aloe, Apple, Corn, Eucalyptus, Safflower, Aloes, Rose, Sandalwood
Colors:	Gold, Golden Yellow, Green, Light Brown, Orange, Red, Yellow
Stones:	Aventurine, Carnelian, Citrine, Peridot, Sardonyx, Yellow Diamond
Foods:	Apples, Barley Cakes, Berries, Berry Pies, Bilberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Breads, Calcannon, Cider, Corn, Grains, Honey, Lamb, Nuts, Potatoes, Rice, Sun-shaped cookies, Wild berries
Symbols:	Corn, Grain dollies, Shafts of grain
Activities:	Traditionally, this is the largest feast of the year. Celebrate with family and Coven members (if you belong to a Coven) by having a potluck feast. If you’ve saved the seeds from fruits and vegetables you can plant them in symbology of our connection to the God & Goddess. Take walks along any body of water, if there are any near you, and commune with the Divine. Fresh baked breads, Wheat weaving
Spellworkings:	Abundance, Bounty, Fire magick, Rituals of thanks, Sun magick
Deities:	Goddesses - Aine, Alphito, Bracacia, Carmen, Ceres, Damia, Danu, Demeter, Freya. Grain Goddesses, Ishtar, Kait, Mother Goddesses, Sul, Sun Goddesses, Taillte, Tea, Zaramama Gods - Athtar, Bes, Bran, Dagon, Ebisu, Ghanan, Grain Gods, Howtu, Liber, Lono, Lugh, Neper, Odin, Sun Gods, Xochipilli
Other Names:	Lammas, August Eve, Feast of Bread
Related Festivals:	None