A big thank you and hello to everyone who attended the Lammas workshop and ritual on Saturday! It was wonderful to have you there! If you couldn’t make it, here are some thoughts on the Lammas holiday and how it may touch on the work you’re doing this season.

Lammas Blessings
by BlackLion and Starcat

Lammas is about first harvests, getting our first taste of the things we have planted and tended, the first flavors of a new crop of experiences. Sometimes we tend to overlook the first harvest because we can see how much work is yet to be done. But it’s important to savor the fruits of our efforts, to refresh ourselves and renew our trust in the process, so we know what we’re working towards and recognize when it manifests.

We may look at a project or goal as being successful when it is completed, yet in most things there are stages of growth and achievement. When we take the time to acknowledge and celebrate each new level of accomplishment, we are welcoming those energies, becoming familiar with them, and encouraging them to flourish.

The first step of every achievement is to set our intention, to plant our seeds of knowledge, growth and possibility. As we move forward, we take the actions necessary to tend them, giving them the attention they need to grow. The next stage, which is where we are at now, at Lammas, is to let those intentions go and trust that the Universe will take care of them. We can provide seeds, water, soil, sunlight and attention, but we can’t make plants grow. We have to trust that they will grow and thrive. It’s the same with any of our creative projects.

It may be tempting to micromanage or overanalyze the process of creation. However, there is a point at which, no matter what we do, we may only be hindering progress. So how do we deal with impatience? How do we really trust the Universe? Use creative energies in a different way; a writer could instead paint a picture or build a stone wall. Know that our projects will still be there when we get back. Relax and spend time out in the summer sun with friends. Let go of expectations – really. Recall other times when everything worked out just right. This will, too!

While we are still waiting with trust and hope to find out how the crops will fare, remember that Lammas is also the first harvest. We reap the fruits of our labors, and experience the initial results of our projects and goals. Lammas is a time of gratitude. We allow the feelings of thankfulness to build up within us, shining outward like bright rays of sunshine. Although the outcome may remain uncertain, we give thanks for the blessings that surround us in the present.

There are many ways to recognize and express our gratitude. Try keeping a daily list of blessings. Each morning as the day begins, or each night before sleep, write down at least three things for which we are grateful. In our household, we say blessing at the evening meal by having each person speak out loud one thing that they are thankful for in that moment. Leave offerings of food, drink, or small tokens such as stones or beads outdoors to say thank you to the faeries and nature beings. Or simply offer prayers and incense to the Divine.

Be sure to be sincere in giving thanks, and don’t do it by rote, or in order to get direct results. Sometimes, especially if we are depressed, ill or upset, it’s difficult to feel grateful for what we have. Think of very simple things: the food we ate today, the bed we slept in, the sunshine. As these feelings of gratitude find natural expression, our mood and energy levels will improve, perhaps gradually, or perhaps even as a dramatic shift in attitude.

This season is like a pause in the turning wheel of the year. It’s a time for releasing, relaxing and being thankful. Know that the harvest will be bountiful. Sample what has been created so far, and enjoy its flavors. Give thanks and offerings for the abundance. Open up and realize the amazing connection we have with the Universe, as co-creators of everything! Blessed Be!