Here’s a tarot spread to help you attune to the magical energies of Lammas.
In the Wheel of the Year, Lughnasadh (August 1st in the Northern Hemisphere, February 1st in the Southern) is the first of three harvest festivals: a time to celebrate the earliest fruits and grains of the harvest year.
To this day, some of us are farmers, and many more of us grow food in our gardens. And even those of us who don’t grow food benefit from the hard work of those who do. And we don’t just benefit from that hard work! We rely on it. It literally gives us our bread, cereal, peaches, tomatoes, cucumber, melons, beans, corn, and summer squash (to name just a few examples that are relevant to this time of year).
And, of course, each sabbat also has psychological connotations and spiritual energies associated with it. At Lughnasadh (also known as Lammas), those energies are gratitude, abundance, growth, and reflection.
Here’s a tarot spread to help you tune into these energies and gain clarity on how you can enhance and increase them in ways that are uniquely suited to you and this particular moment in your life.
First, find the Empress card in your deck. This card will be the significator: it will symbolize you being your magical self at Lughnasadh. Place it in the center (as shown).
Now, relax, center your mind, and invoke the Divine in any way you prefer.
Set the intention to tune in deeply to this uniquely magical time of year, and ask to be shown what it will most benefit you to know, particularly with regards to how you can make the most of the powerful energies of Lughnasadh.
Shuffle the deck. Stop when you feel intuitively guided to stop, and cut the deck once or twice.
Now, lay out four cards, face up: first at the “1” location, then at “2,” “3,” and “4.”
Card One: Reflect and Take Stock
Let this card inspire you to reflect. Grab your journal. Gaze at the card and consider how it may apply. Then, through the lens of the card, write out your thoughts about how you’ve changed, what you’ve learned, what you’ve been through, and how your values have shifted since last year at Samhain.
Card Two: Celebrate Growth
Consider how this card might inform your celebration of the ways you’ve grown this harvest year. In your journal, brainstorm all the many successes you’ve experienced, big or little. Also list some ways you can reward yourself and celebrate.
Card Three: Enjoy Sweetness
At Lughnasadh, we stop working hard for just a moment so we can enjoy the sweet fruits of our labor. Look at the card in this position and then let it inspire you to take stock of all the sweet and beautiful things you already have in your life experience. You’ve worked so hard in so many areas. So what sweet rewards have you earned? And how can you consciously enjoy this sweetness even more: not just at Lughnasadh, but always?
Card Four: Call in Abundance
Lughnasadh is an excellent time for wealth and abundance magic. Consider the card in this position, and see what insights you gain about how you can summon even more luxurious prosperity into your life experience. Also make some plans for cultivating an even healthier relationship with money. Remember to consider both sides of the coin: inner and outer, spiritual and practical.
Did you try this Lughnasadh Tarot spread? What did you think? Please share in the comments below.
P.S. I have lots more Lughnasadh ideas and inspiration here on this site.
This was a great exercise! I drew:
1) 10 of Wands,
2) Knight of Pentacles,
3) 4 of Pentacles,
4) The Star
Nice! Glad you liked it.
These past 2 years have been difficult. My number 4 card was the 10 of swords, telling me the worst has occurred and I may need professional help. Yes. This past Christmas a dear friend nearly died in a terrible fall after having surgery. He is now in a nursing home. In very bad shape. The first day of summer I came down with a very bad case of covid. That has cleared. So it could have been worse. I am thinking I need to contact you about the Akashic record reading. It’s expensive but sounds worthwhile. Best to you, I love your posts. One thing is I can’t understand why skulls are used in Magick and the Goat is a symbol of evil. Goats are such gentle, wonderful animals if you treat them right. Can all this be modernized?? Best to you Tess….of course I am not a Witch so don’t understand these seemingly ancient symbols. But the poor Goat…..
Hi Cynthia! I’m sorry you’ve had a rough couple of years. To answer your questions, I love goats too and don’t think of them as evil at all. I’m sure different practitioners think of skulls in various ways, but I find them to a beautiful natural artifact and a powerful symbol of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
I start every morning pulling cards from various decks and this Lughnasadh spread was a beautiful way to start my day. It is so important to look back and reflect on personal growth over the last year, to create empowering boundaries and to just be reminded that I am a Queen! Thank you so much Tess, for the beautiful tools you provide! I have done so much healing through reading and using your magical tools. Sending you so much love!
Jacqueline, well said and what a lovely compliment – thank you! ❤️