Happy Lammas: Pagan celebration of the early harvest

Annual harvest at a Cherry Bay Farm orchard
(AP Photo/John L. Russell)

On the Pagan calendar, the summer began with Beltane on May 1, hit the midpoint at Pagan Midsummer (Litha Sabbat) on June 21, and ends August 1 with Lammas (Lughnasadh) Sabbat: the beginning of the harvest season. County fairs are traditionally held around this time in the UK to celebrate the early harvest, and county fairs are often held in the United States before children go back to school, too. The fertility and growth seasons have passed, and the earliest signs of autumn can be seen. More information can be found in this video:

As people start to look ahead to mercifully cooler temperatures, apple picking, mulled cider, Halloween trick-or-treaters, and other joys of the upcoming fall season, they can also reflect on what they will be harvesting this year in their own lives. Which seeds were planted? What storms hit? What will this year’s bounty look like? Which seeds will be planted next year? Here are some quotes that might be useful to anyone interested in reflecting on their own harvest:

• “You cannot hold on to anything good. You must be continually giving - and getting. You cannot hold on to your seed. You must sow it - and reap anew. You cannot hold on to riches. You must use them and get other riches in return.” - Robert Collier
• “If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.” – Confucius
• “Faith sees a beautiful blossom in a bulb, a lovely garden in a seed, and a giant oak in an acorn.” - William Arthur Ward
• “Keep on sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow -- perhaps it all will.” – Einstein
• “The first principle of success is desire - knowing what you want. Desire is the planting of your seed.” - Robert Collier

The celebration begins at sundown tonight – Happy Lammas!