Blessed Lammas, Tragics!
It’s high summer for us Australian witches: long days, sticky air, and the occasional “surprise” downpour that shows up uninvited like it pays rent. Lammas (also known as Lughnasadh) is the Sabbat between Litha and Mabon, honouring the first grain harvest and reminding us to actually notice what’s good in our lives before we barrel into the next thing.
The name “Lammas” comes from Old English: hlāf (loaf) and māesse (mass), a not-so-subtle nod to the sacredness of bread and the harvest that feeds us. It’s a gorgeous excuse to slow down, get grateful, and build a deeper connection with what you consume. Very kitchen witchcraft energy, in the best way.
Keep reading to learn more about Lammas and how to celebrate in Australia (and beyond, if you insist on having seasons the other way around).
What is Lammas?
Lammas celebrates the beginning of harvest season, especially the first fruits of the crops. It marks the midpoint between the summer solstice (Litha) and the autumn equinox (Mabon) in both hemispheres. Traditionally, it’s a time to give thanks for the abundance of the first harvest, often centred around grains like wheat and barley, and to honour the cycles of effort, reward, and letting go.
When is Lammas in 2026?
Traditionally, Lammas is celebrated on 1 February in the Southern Hemisphere and 1 August in the Northern Hemisphere. In 2026, the astronomical “cross-quarter” timing for Lammas in Australia falls on February 4, 2026 at 5:45am (AEST). If you’d like the full set of Southern Hemisphere Sabbat dates, head to our Wheel of the Year guide here. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
How to celebrate Lammas
Celebrating Lammas in Australia is a perfect excuse to lean into summer’s abundance, get outside, and do something that feels grounded and real. Here are a few ways to honour Lammas in the Southern Hemisphere:
Follow tradition by baking bread
Baking bread is the classic Lammas move. Historically, communities would cut the first grains, share them out, and bless the loaf made from the season’s earliest harvest. That ritual still hits, even if your “village” is just you, your kitchen bench, and a podcast about haunted hospitals.
If you want a beautiful buttermilk bread recipe, this one from The Goddess & The Green Man is a lovely starting point.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 mugs of strong white flour
- 500 ml buttermilk (easy to find in supermarkets)
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- A Lammas ribbon (gold, orange, or yellow are perfect)
- Sprouted seeds (symbolising renewal and regeneration)
Simple Lammas loaf method (witch-friendly, not fussy):
Preheat your oven to a moderate heat. Combine flour and bicarb in a bowl, then add buttermilk and stir until you’ve got a soft, springy dough. Fold in sprouted seeds if you’re using them. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour, but don’t turn it into a brick for the love of all that is holy.
Shape into a round loaf, place on a greased tray, then score the top gently into eight sections (one for each festival on the Wheel). Bake until golden and it sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack, then tie your ribbon once fully cooled.
Lammas blessing idea: Hold the cooled loaf, take a breath, and set an intention of gratitude for what has grown in your life. Turn it slowly three times, thinking of what you’re thankful for, what you’re harvesting, and what you’re ready to release.
Then share it. Eat it. Gift some to a friend. Feed your people. That’s the point.
Get outdoors in nature
Lammas is a brilliant time to get outside and connect with the land you actually live on. Go for a garden wander, a bushwalk, a beach stroll, or host a simple picnic. Bring a journal and write a gratitude list.
If you’ve got the space and it’s safe and legal where you are, a small fire ritual can be powerful: write down what you’re harvesting (wins, lessons, growth) and what you’re done carrying. Burn safely, and use the moment to seal your intention. Fire loves clarity.
If you’ve been growing herbs or produce, harvest what’s ready and share it. If you haven’t, no shame, modern life is a trap. You can still honour the season by creating a potluck picnic and decorating with Lammas herbs like sunflowers, calendula, mint, and meadowsweet, plus those classic harvest colours (green, gold, yellow, orange). Save a few seeds if you can, for next season’s hopes.
Get crafty with Lammas-inspired projects
Crafting is a gorgeous way to honour abundance because it turns gratitude into something tangible. Your witches at Tragic Beautiful will be celebrating the grain harvest by making corn dolls (also called grain mothers).
A corn doll is traditionally woven from straw or husks as a harvest charm, thanking the Great Mother and symbolising luck and fertility. In older customs, it was often made from the last cut sheaf of the harvest, a way of carrying the spirit of the grain forward. You can use whatever is most available where you are: oat, rye, wheat, or even dried corn husks stripped from fresh cobs.
Create herb bundles
Herb bundles and flower bouquets are an easy, beautiful way to bring Lammas energy into your home and onto your altar.
Harvest, forage, or buy seasonal herbs and blooms like sunflowers, clover, ivy, marigold, peony, rosemary, basil, apple leaf, rose, and rose hip, then gather them by the stems.
Use a string to tie them around halfway up the stems. Keep it snug enough to hold, but not so tight you crush everything into plant paste.
Hang upside down in a dry, sunny spot (a window works well). Put a tea towel, plate, or placemat underneath to catch fallen leaves.
Let them dry for about a week (longer if it’s humid). When leaves crumble easily between your fingers, they’re ready to store, decorate with, or use in ritual.
Enjoy your bounty, Tragics!
Want to learn more about Lammas? Check out our blog on Lammas Rituals and our blog on Decorating Your Lammas Altar!
