Lammas 2019 Sabbat Box Theme Release • Hearth Witchery

• 2019 LAMMAS • SABBAT BOX THEME • HEARTH WITCHERY •

Boxes ship: 7/19 ~ We have arrived at the point of the year where the longest day is past us, and the slow waning of the day begins to give way to the longer nights. But summer is still very much in full swing and power and growth from the Sun is still in full effect.  As we leave the summer solstice behind, we move toward the next stop on the Wheel of the Year—that halfway point between the solstice and the autumnal equinox known by many on the Path as Lammas or Lughnasadh.  This festival historically is about abundance and the first harvest of crops, but in modern times we take this time to look spiritually at the return on the work put in at the beginning of the year and the harvest we hope to gain from it.

Lammas, or “Loaf-Mass” is a celebration of the reaping of crops and the first summer harvest. While we may not all be farmers or work literal fields, we all have our own work and sowing our intentions and patiently waiting for growth and a return on our efforts regardless of the time of year. So on the first day of August, we take the time to acknowledge our actions and choices and celebrate those that have brought us prosperity or security as well as examine those actions and choices that have not.

The other name for this sabbat, Lughnasadh (pronounced LOO-NA-SAH), has a more specific purpose, as it is believed that the first festival was held by the god Lugh as a funeral feast for his deceased mother Tailtiu and an athletic competition. This time also became a time of sacrifice as well, as it was important to offer the first crop cuttings to the gods in gratitude for the harvest itself. Here in parts of North America at this time there are literal “first fruits” such as the beginning of the blueberry harvest season.

While the harvest fields are an important location in celebration of this sabbat, there is also where the harvest ends up: the home and hearth. No matter where our lives take us, we all want a place to call home where we can refuel, recharge, and revitalize ourselves when our work or life stresses take from us. While hearth is generally referring to a fireplace or kitchen space, the term itself brings up images of warmth, security, and peace. It’s no coincidence the term hearth is close to heart, because what makes any structure where we reside a home is the heart and soul that we bring to it. It is where we gather with family and friends to share in our successes, lament our failures, and strengthen our connections with our fellow loved ones.

It is this idea—the hearth or soul of where we live—that we considered when curating items for this year’s Lammas Sabbat Box. We wanted to provide a collection of things and information on how we can better walk our paths when it comes to our homes and hearth, and we hope that you will enjoy what we have put together. This year, as the harvest begins, make sure you remember what all that planting and harvesting is for: to make your own little piece of the world the most prosperous and happiest it can be, to make your residence the very example of hearth, home, and soul.

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