Lammas
Festival of Gratitude and First seeds
End of July/ beginning of August in Northern Hemisphere
End of January/ beginning of February in Southern Hemisphere
Lammas is Chapter 5, Summer Turns to Autumn, in the Yoga Through the Year book
"Lammas gives us the opportunity to give thanks to the Earth for her abundance and to express our gratitude for our own personal harvest. As the energy of the Sun begins to wane, we begin to acknowledge the path within and assimilate what we have learned during the busy growth period. We begin to transform our outer achievements into the seeds of our future that we will nurture within."
From “Earth Wisdom” by Glennie Kindred
We Celebrate Summer's Abundance
This is the time of first harvest; apples are ripening on the tree, and the corn is being brought in from the field. During the season of harvest, we take time to enjoy the cornucopian feast that nature has laid out before us. Whether we live in the city or the country we can mindfully use our five senses to appreciate the bountifulness and abundance of the season.
Although it is high summer, autumn is visible on the horizon. The sun is gradually waning and losing its power; the days are getting shorter, and each morning the sun gets up a little later and goes to bed a little earlier. The energy of the Earth is moving from: fire to
water; yang to yin; outer to inner, sun to moon, and if we can flow with this change of energy, and gradually shift from outward pursuits to a more inward focus of contemplation, then it can be a wonderful way of keeping our life in balance.
Whether we are gardeners or not, we all have a harvest and now is a good time to consider what you are harvesting. Look back over the past year and consider where you have been putting your energy and whether this has been fruitful, or not. Your harvest may be the fruition of a project that is dear to your heart. Or perhaps it is the blossoming of a relationship that you have been nurturing. It might be the peacefulness that you have felt since you have established a regular yoga practice. Or perhaps it is literally vegetables and fruit that you’ve grown in your garden. Now is the time to honour your effort and celebrate what you have achieved
Although it is high summer, autumn is visible on the horizon. The sun is gradually waning and losing its power; the days are getting shorter, and each morning the sun gets up a little later and goes to bed a little earlier. The energy of the Earth is moving from: fire to
water; yang to yin; outer to inner, sun to moon, and if we can flow with this change of energy, and gradually shift from outward pursuits to a more inward focus of contemplation, then it can be a wonderful way of keeping our life in balance.
Whether we are gardeners or not, we all have a harvest and now is a good time to consider what you are harvesting. Look back over the past year and consider where you have been putting your energy and whether this has been fruitful, or not. Your harvest may be the fruition of a project that is dear to your heart. Or perhaps it is the blossoming of a relationship that you have been nurturing. It might be the peacefulness that you have felt since you have established a regular yoga practice. Or perhaps it is literally vegetables and fruit that you’ve grown in your garden. Now is the time to honour your effort and celebrate what you have achieved
The reaping of the harvest is associated with the theme of sacrifice. The grain-harvest in its passage from sheaf of corn to loaf of bread is threshed, sifted, grounded, kneaded, and then assigned to the “sacred fire” to become bread. In many traditions there are variations on the story of the God of Fire and Light being sacrificed to Mother Harvest. This is a good time to consider what needs to be sacrificed to ensure the success of your harvest. Sometimes to say yes to your passion, you must say no to something else that is less important to you.
Although the days are still warm and summery, the nights are gradually drawing in. We too draw our outward achievements inside, sorting the wheat from the chaff. The Sanskrit word for seed is bija. Contained within the harvest are the seeds of next year’s crop. When you hold a grain of wheat, or an apple pip, in the palm of your hand, you are holding a miracle that is full of the potential for future growth.
What do you wish to preserve from your harvest? What are the seeds that you wish to store over the autumn and winter, ready for planting out next spring? The autumn and winter aren’t the best time for action, but they are the perfect time to dream and make plans about what you wish to make manifest during next year’s growing season. At harvest we draw our awareness back inside to the magical core at the heart of our being. We take our outer achievements inside to this wise, knowing, loving centre at our core, to process them.
Although the days are still warm and summery, the nights are gradually drawing in. We too draw our outward achievements inside, sorting the wheat from the chaff. The Sanskrit word for seed is bija. Contained within the harvest are the seeds of next year’s crop. When you hold a grain of wheat, or an apple pip, in the palm of your hand, you are holding a miracle that is full of the potential for future growth.
What do you wish to preserve from your harvest? What are the seeds that you wish to store over the autumn and winter, ready for planting out next spring? The autumn and winter aren’t the best time for action, but they are the perfect time to dream and make plans about what you wish to make manifest during next year’s growing season. At harvest we draw our awareness back inside to the magical core at the heart of our being. We take our outer achievements inside to this wise, knowing, loving centre at our core, to process them.
Sacrifice to the Goddess as reaper those things, behaviours, or attitudes that will hinder the completion of your own personal harvest: weed out, pinch back, or thin out anything not essential that might impede its fruition. Look at the priorities in your life and review them to see if they are consistent with what you say you want or need. Initiate any necessary changes.
Ruth Barrett "Women's Rites, Women's Mysteries"
Speak to us of love...
"Then said Almitra, "Speak to us of Love."
And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them. And with a great voice
he said:
When love beckons to you follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.
For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.
Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that
you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.
All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart."
"The Prophet" Kahlil Gibran
Loving the Harvest, Harvesting Love...
What will you give away with love this harvest season? Paradoxically it is when we are sharing our wealth and giving it away that we feel most enriched. One way to celebrate abundance is to mindfully prepare a meal to share with your loved ones. As you prepare the food notice the colours of the ingredients, the smells, textures, and taste. Remember not to forget the magic ingredient: love! Or you could make a harvest loaf plaited into a sheaf of wheat and share it with friends. Baking bread is a wonderful way of getting in touch with the harvest. Kneading the dough by hand is therapeutic and a great stress reliever too.
During the period of first harvest we remember to say thank you to Mother Earth, as without her there is no harvest. One way of thanking the earth is to treat her with kindness and respect by embodying the yogic principle of non-harm, or non-violence (ahimsa). We do this by considering what impact our actions are having upon the environment and aim to act in a way that does least harm. Some yogis choose to be vegetarian, others vegan, and some just cut down on meat and eat more vegetarian meals. If we all make some small changes to the way we live, then environmentally it will add up to a big difference. For example, at harvest you can reduce the air miles of food by buying delicious, fresh local produce. Or you can reduce air pollution, and improve fitness, by one day a week leaving the car at home. Your mantra: Change begins with me.
During the period of first harvest we remember to say thank you to Mother Earth, as without her there is no harvest. One way of thanking the earth is to treat her with kindness and respect by embodying the yogic principle of non-harm, or non-violence (ahimsa). We do this by considering what impact our actions are having upon the environment and aim to act in a way that does least harm. Some yogis choose to be vegetarian, others vegan, and some just cut down on meat and eat more vegetarian meals. If we all make some small changes to the way we live, then environmentally it will add up to a big difference. For example, at harvest you can reduce the air miles of food by buying delicious, fresh local produce. Or you can reduce air pollution, and improve fitness, by one day a week leaving the car at home. Your mantra: Change begins with me.
3 Lammas Yoga Practices
Here are 3 Lammas yoga practices from my archives.
Yoga Moon Salute
I love Julie Lusk's version of the Yoga Moon Salute
May I be filled with loving kindness, may I be held in loving kindness
May you be filled with loving kindness, may you be held in loving kindness
May you be filled with loving kindness, may you be held in loving kindness