Lughnasadh History
One of the Old Irish seasonal festivals marking the beginning of the harvest season. Named after the Irish god Lugh. Mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature.

Ways to celebrate Lughnasadh
* Bake bread
* Make a seasonal feast with tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, corn and other Summer veggies
* Make a corn dolly
* Meditate on abundance and give thanks
* Harvest summer crops from your garden and preserve them, or harvest wild berries from the woods

Herbs, etc
* Barley or wheat berries to represent grain
* Corn for the same reason
* Basil and mint, plentiful this time of year
* Rosemary for The Mother
* All garden herbs, fresh from the garden

Stones
* Citrine, abundance and manifestation
* Golden topaz, prosperity and gratitude
* Carnelian, courage and confidence
* Amber, joy and prosperity
* Peridot, happiness and abundance

Symbols
* Anything that represents grain is appropriate. So small sheaves of wheat, ears of ornamental maize (what we used to call ‘indian corn’), or bowls of barley, oats, or other grains will work. I also like to bake cornbread and leave that as a traditional offering.
* Statues and offering bowls made by hand from clay. This is my own connection, but I feel like the baking of the clay is a good metaphor for how baked and dry and parched we feel this time of year. I like the alchemy of it, and clay just has a really good look with the other symbols of this time of year.
* The corn dolly. This was traditionally made with the last stalks of grain to be harvested from a field. The spirit of the grain was coaxed into those last stalks, then they were ceremonially cut and braided into a beautiful shape so that the grain spirit had a home to stay for the Winter. It’s brought back out at Imbolc, where it’s dressed as a bride, ceremonially wedded to the land, and placed back into the field when seeds are planted to carry the magick from last year’s harvest forwards. Honestly, I’ve tried to make a corn dolly, but to no avail. So I’ll probably just buy one from Etsy this year.
* The sun is usually honored at Litha, but its influence is still strong right now. So a smaller, more subdued image of the sun would work, or maybe a nice sunflower or 3.
* Any fruits that are ripe right now. Traditionally apples and grapes are reserved for Mabon celebrations, but I have ripe apples that I’ll be using. I’ll also be tracking down some blackberries, as they’re usually represented at this time of year.
* Representations of any animals that I’m seeing a lot of around this time. And probably some turkey feathers, because they just look cool.

** Information shared from my personal Book of Shadows