Lammas

Holiday Series

by Anna Franklin

Although it has a fascinating history, little is known about Lammas (or Lughnasa), one of the eight festivals of the witches' Wheel of the Year. Celebrated in early August to mark the beginning of harvest, it comes from the Irish Gaelic nasad (games) of Lugh (a leading Celtic deity and hero). Lammas helps you celebrate with recipes, incense, spells, traditional types of divination, and several full rituals, some never before published.

Genres: Paganism, Wicca, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Witchcraft, Religion, Reference

Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[MaggiCat Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Lughnasadh is a toughie. It kinda gets lost in between the summer solstice and autumn equinoxes, and this book really brings a light to the subject, but it still felt a little lacking. As a witch that celebrates all of the sabbats and loves to read about each of them, I get a little tired of hearing about John Barleycorn and the overstated and overdone stories of Lugh, but I also realize that there isn't a whole lot of material to work with.

All that said, it's interesting to see how cultures throughout the ancient world took notice of the beginning of harvest season, and there are some cool spells and incense recipes I want to try out that Franklin included. I also dog-eared the pages to reference for bird auspices and animal totems, as well as gods and goddesses that correspond to this time on the Wheel of the Year.

Overall, it's a decent read and worth taking the time to learn about.

[Juli Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the way this was organized, but it was still a little too myth-and-history focused for me. I would have like to see more hands-on activities and recipes.

[William Araujo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ótima pesquisa. Amei.

[Jewels · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very informative volume on the history and lore surrounding the holiday of Lammas. It includes recipes, history, rituals, and other sundry information that might not be well known as being associated with this particular holiday. I really liked the fact that they included rituals from several different religious paths, and that they were able to connect with facts back to ancient customs practiced at the time. For anyone looking to understand the holiday better, this is a good place to start.

['Nathan Burgoine · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better books in the sabbat series by Llewellyn, "Lammas" was written by Anna Franklin and Paul Mason. It includes rituals, mythology, crafts, and a veritable buffet of ideas and recipes to help guide your Lammas rit and celebration, and was especially useful to me when I was first starting out, and found tonnes of information about Yule and Samhain, but not much else.

From corn dollies to songs and games, there's a lot in this book—and enough background and history—to flesh out the day's meaning and celebration for anyone who wants to know more.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book on interlibrary loan, so it had a shorter checkout period and I didn't get a chance to finish it. However, I'd definitely check it out again next Lammas-time and read through it again!

[Liz]

Excellent reference to the celebration of Lammas and other holidays around the world taking place in late July/Early August, including suggested activities, rituals, songs, and recipes for making your own celebration, if you so choose.

[Lilla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wiccans will love this book, but I didn't because of its eclecticism.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another holiday for Pagans.

[Danielle Alexandria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely comprehensive history of the lore in Ireland, Scotland and England. Great recipes and activity ideas. Very informative!

[Randel · Rating 5 out of 5]

a very good book on the subject.

[Bladestryke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though repetitive at times this is still chock full of information. Another must if your interested in the wheel of the year or religious ceremonies in general.

[Cyndie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing amount of information. Even though the holiday is long past I was intrigued to keep reading. I will be using some of this information next Lughnasadh.