LUGHNASADH

Lughnasadh, often called Lammas, marks the first real turning away from the height of summer. On the surface, the land can still look full and alive, but something has shifted. The push of growth begins to slow, and attention naturally turns to what has actually taken root.

This is a time of taking stock.

The outward effort of the year has done what it can. What was planted earlier has grown as far as the conditions allowed. Now the question is simpler, and more honest: what is feeding you, and what is not?

Lammas is not the final harvest. It is the first one. It brings discernment rather than celebration for its own sake. This is where effort meets reality, and where we begin to see the difference between what we hoped would grow and what truly has.

There can be mixed feelings here. A sense of satisfaction alongside disappointment. Gratitude alongside tiredness. Pride alongside the recognition of limits. Lammas makes room for all of this, without asking us to tidy it up or explain it away.

This is also a time of gathering in and letting go.

Not everything can move forward with us. Some things have done their work. Some directions no longer justify the energy they ask for. Lammas invites an honest review, not as self-criticism, but as understanding gained through experience.

There is a quiet sense of responsibility at this point in the cycle. What we see now reflects not just intention, but the way we have shown up over time. Lammas reminds us that things don’t unfold instantly. They grow through commitment, adjustment, and contact with real life as it is.

In ceremony, Lughnasadh offers space to acknowledge effort. To honour work done, whether it has been visible or not. To recognise gains and losses without exaggerating either. Gratitude here is steady and real. It comes from knowing what it took to get here.

Lammas also marks the beginning of the inward turn. The energy of the year starts to gather itself, preparing for deeper reflection later on. What is gathered now is what will sustain us moving forward, not just practically, but emotionally as well.

Working with the energy of Lughnasadh supports clarity, maturity, and conscious choice. It helps us carry forward only what is worth tending, so the next part of the cycle can be entered with honesty and integrity, rather than excess.