11 Lughnasadh Quotes to Inspire You This Lammas

Spark your inspiration with these 11 quotes about Lughnasadh: the first harvest festival of the year.

Blessed Lughnasadh!

Lughnasadh, also known as Lammas and observed on August 1st, is a festival of first fruits and grains. In ancient times, it was a time to stop all the hard work of tending to the land in order to celebrate the sweetness and sustenance of the crops.

Today, we can observe Lughnasadh by acknowledging our successes, bringing conscious completion to projects, and feeling gratitude for all the sweet and nourishing aspects of our lives.

Here are 11 quotes about Lammas to spark your inspiration and awaken you to the unique magic of this powerful time.

1. “Lughnasadh is the time of the first harvest, when the plants of spring wither and drop their fruits or seeds for our use as well as to ensure future crops. Magically, so too does the God lose his strength as the sun rises farther in the south each day and the nights grow longer…As summer passes, Wiccans remember its warmth and bounty in the food we eat. Every meal is an act of attunement with nature, and we are reminded that nothing in the universe is constant.”

~ Scott Cunningham in Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner

2. “Originating in Ireland, Lughnasadh gets its name from the Celtic deity Lugh (pronounced LOO)…In modern times, Lugh is often thought of as a solar deity and a harvest god, but originally he seems to have been understood as a god of human skill, kings, and a patron of heroes. Lugh was king of the Tuatha de Danaan, a race of divine beings whose name translates to ‘people of the goddess Danu.'”

~ Melanie Marquis in Lughnasadh: Rituals, Recipes, & Lore for Lammas

3. “Lughnasa means ‘the marriage of Lugh.’ There is a tremendous romantic component to the celebration. Lugh the sun and the Earth Mother renew their wedding vows annually during the full moon in August and invite all to gather and revel with them. Lughnasa celebrates the consummation of their sacred relationship. It precedes the spring festival of Beltane, which symbolizes the birth of the bright half of the Celtic year, by exactly nine months. It’s not an affectation to say that this is the say the solar deity weds the Earth.”

~ Judika Illes in The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft: The Complete A-Z for the Entire Magical World

4. “Lughnasadh is a time of wonderful abundance. The gardens are filled with fruits and veggies and herbs. The weather tends to be blisteringly hot at this time of year, and all of that sunshine goes into the crops. This is a good time to carefully consider which projects and goals you need to begin harvesting when bounty is all around you. What talents do you have that need to be put to use? The natural energy of abundance is here and all around us at Lughnasadh. All you have to do is be willing to tap into it.”

~ Ellen Dugan in Seasons of Witchery: Celebrating the Sabbats with the Garden Witch

5. “Lammas is a time of the fullness of life, and a celebration of the bountiful and abundant Mumma Earth. The main themes of Lammas are to give big thanks, high fives and deep bows to the Goddess for Her bountiful harvest, and to state your hopes and intentions for what you wish to harvest, sacrifice, or transform.”

~ Lisa Lister in Witch: Unleashed. Untamed. Unapologetic.

6. “Lughnasadh, named after the Celtic sun god Lugh, is a cross-quarter day and the first of three harvest holidays, marking the beginning of harvest season. The day is celebrated with feasting, games and song. It’s when we welcome in the impending darkness on an energetic level. Our spirits shift and prepare for autumn: something wicked this way comes!”

~ Gabriela Herstik in Inner Witch: A Modern Guide to the Ancient Craft

7. “Occultists draw parallels between the Celtic Lugh and the Roman Mercury, since both are gods who are skilled in all arts — especially in magic. Lughnassadh was aptly named because it was a tide of great natural magic for the rural folk of Europe. The earth, their mother, was providing them once more with fruit and grain so they might live. They watched seed become sprout, bud, leaf, and then flower. To the ancient mind – and still to us today – this was a feat of stupendous natural magic.”

~ Timothy Roderick in Wicca: A Year and a Day: 366 Days of Spiritual Practice in the Craft of the Wise

8. “There are several legends about the European ‘sacred king’ or ‘divine king’ associated with this holiday. The basic idea is that ‘the king and the land are one.’ The king is the representative of the people and the God, and the land is the Goddess. At Beltane, they join in order to create the fruits of the harvest, and at Lammas, the king/God dies in order to feed the people and start the cycle of rebirth.”

~ Thea Sabin in Wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy & Practice

9. “Native Americans celebrate early August as a grain festival in honor of the Corn Grandmother and called it the Festival of Green Corn. The ancient Romans also honored their grain goddess, Ceres, at their annual August Ceresalia. The birth of the Egyptian sun goddess, Isis, was celebrated in North Africa near the time of this Sabbat, as was a Roman festival in honor of Vulcan, god of the forge and guardian of its fire. In ancient Phoenicia this sabbat honored the grain god, Dagon, and a substantial portion of the harvest was sacrificed to him.”

~ Edain McCoy in The Sabbats: A Witch’s Approach to Living the Old Ways

10. “In August, the hot, humid weather that bathes the land in a warm haze imposes a slower pace so that the plants and animals (including we humans) have time to complete the annual cycle of growth. Roses may be fading, but lavender and chamomile are in their glory. Thunderstorms bring relief from blazing temperatures and raise energy that further nourishes growing plants. Whenever possible, tap into this energy. Rituals performed during storms can be powerful experiences.”

~ Sandra Kynes in A Year of Ritual: Sabbats and Esbats for Solitaries and Covens

11. “Corn, wheat, and other grains are typically harvested around Lughnassadh. In agrarian cultures, this was the time to begin preparing for the barren winter months that lay ahead. Our ancestors cut, ground, and stored grain, canned fruits and vegetables, and brewed wine and beer in late summer. The old English song ‘John Barleycorn Must Die’ describes the seasonal ritual of rendering grain into ale.”

~ Skye Alexander in The Modern Guide to Witchcraft: Your Complete Guide to Witches, Covens, & Spells

Did this post inspire any new Lammas ritual or craft ideas? Or did you learn anything about Lughnasadh that you didn’t know before? Please share in the comments below!

You may also like these 5 Little Ways to Celebrate Lughnasadh and this Lughnasadh Affirmation for Health, Wealth, and Creativity.