The Witches' Compendium: Lammas
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Tenae S. is a practicing kitchen witch from the West
Coast of the United States where she lives on a
small farm known as Howling Creek. She enjoys
emphasizing her Celtic heritage in her craft and
celebrating the Sabbats and Esbats throughout the
year. She writes “The Witch of Howling Creek”
blog and is the founder and editor of the free e-
magazine Pagan Living.
The Witch of Howling Creek Blog
Pagan Living Magazine
The Witch of Howling Creek on Twitter
The Witch of Howling Creek on Pinterest
Table of Contents
1 Foreword
Hearth & Home
3 Decorating with Natural Materials
5 Top 10 Decorations for Lammas
Magick & Witchcraft
8 Lammas Correspondences
9 Lammas Solitary Ritual
10 Corn Moon Ritual
11 Spells
1
Foreword Lammas is the first harvest festival of the year, the vegetable harvest, followed in
September and October by Mabon and Samhain. This Sabbat is not as showy as
some but is a lovely way to reconnect with the Wheel of the Year as, despite the
often stifling heat in August, Lammas is the beginning of fall. You will start to
see signs, subtle but definite, that summer is drawing steadily to a close.
I always celebrate Lammas by getting up early to bake a batch of cornbread
muffins (you’ll find my recipe towards the end of the e-book) and enjoying them
with salted butter on the back deck, overlooking the garden. It’s a wonderful,
relaxed feeling and there are many more ideas enclosed here!
I hope your Lammas is a lovely day and that you are able to spend it surrounded
by all the people and things you love.
Tenae S., The Witch of Howling Creek
3
Decorating with Natural Materials
Natural materials are abundant in every part of the year and late summer puts
all the symbols of Lammas right at your fingertips: corn stalks, wheat, fresh
vegetables, zinnias and sunflowers. Each offers a unique opportunity for infusing
the home with the spring season.
Corn Stalks
Corn is an important part of
Lammas. Corn dollies are a popular
activity this time of year and they are
very sweet decorations as well. Tuck
a corn dolly or two into a seasonal
vignette or string several together on
twine or rope and hang on the
mantel as a Lammas garland.
Wheat
Wheat is a common theme to several
summer and fall Sabbats but is
especially important at Lammas.
Tuck it into wreaths for a seasonal
accent or into vases filled with
lemons for a summer centerpiece.
4
Fresh Vegetables
Lammas is the first harvest festival
of the year: the vegetable harvest.
Cut a few differently shaped veggies
open, such as squash and peppers,
and dip the cut side into paint.
Stamp bags, garland or even
tablecloths with your new tools!
Vegetables also look great piled in
bowls around the kitchen.
Zinnias
Zinnias are a lovely, many-petaled
flower that grow in a wild rainbow
of colors in late summer. Plant
borders of zinnias in the garden and
fill vases with them to place
throughout the house.
Sunflowers
These cheerful yellow flowers
actually move their faces with the
path of the sun all day. Isn’t that
lovely? Float them in large tubs of
water with floating candles or
simply fill a vase with them. Also
consider decorating with sunflower
seeds. They make great vase filler or
votive filler!
5
Top Ten Decorations for Lammas
Lammas is such a natural, easy Sabbat to plan for. Whip up a few cornbread
muffins and decorate the house with these easy ideas:
Tie dried Indian corn cobs together with a length of burlap ribbon or raffia
and hang up in a window or over the mantelpiece as a garland.
Create or purchase beautiful corn dollies using dried corn husks, dyed
raffia, beads and other craft supplies. Place the dollies on your Lammas
altar or as decoration in the living space.
Fill vases with wheat stalks and place around the house.
Separate stalks of wheat into five even bundles and cut off to about 12
inches. Place the the stalks on top of each other to form a pentacle and tie
together with raffia. Hang over the mantelpiece.
Peel the labels off beer bottles, especially those with unique shapes or
colors, and use as vases.
Put an autumn-spin on the classic Yule popcorn string. Just string pieces
of popcorn onto a green or yellow ribbon and place a knot every ten
pieces or so to break it up.
Instead of hiding all the fresh fruits and veggies of the season away in the
pantry, fill every mismatched bowl you have with them and set them out
for all to see.
6
Gather summer herbs such as basil and thyme and bundle each type
together with rubber bands and ribbons. Hang upside down in the kitchen
to dry (and decorate!)
Use twine in unexpected ways, such as wrapped in wide bands around
mason jars.
Set up the Lammas altar in the kitchen so you can enjoy its energy while
using up all those delicious summer treats.
8
Lammas Correspondences
Every Sabbat has colors, spices and other items associated with it, most of which
are based on the natural world and the current season. These items are
particularly magickal around the time of the Sabbat and are a great place to start
when designing rituals and spells.
Colors: Brown
Yellow
Gold
Orange
Stones: Aventurine
Peridot
Citrine
Herbs, Plants & Spices: Ash
Caraway
Wheat
Sunflowers
Marjoram
9
Lammas Solitary Ritual
Sit skyclad indoors or loosely clothed in the garden.
Light a white, yellow or gold candle Meditate on the flame, focusing on both the
blessings in your life and the sacrifices you need to make. This would be an
appropriate time to fashion a corn dolly or perform spells.
Take a bite of cornbread and a sip of wine or ale, alternating until gone.
Blow out the candle.
Blessed Be.
10
Corn Moon Ritual
Sit skyclad, in view of the full moon if possible and preferably in your garden,
however small it may be.
Light a white candle and place it so you can see the flame and the moon without
having to look away. Focus on their light, absorbing the energy.
Garden Protection Spell
Write out a protection spell such as the following on a small piece of paper:
Protect this place, this abundance of joy.
Protect this space, that this harvest we may enjoy.
Roll the paper in a piece of dried corn husk and tie it with twine. Bury in the
center of the garden.
Take a bite of something recently harvested from the garden and a sip of tea
from a white mug, alternating until gone.
Blow out the candle.
Blessed Be.
11
Spell for an Abundant Garden
Handwrite a blessing for continued prosperity and positive abundance.
Lay a snipped leaf from the garden and a few heads of wheat on the blessing and
tie the bundle with a piece of twine.
Burn the bundle or bury it in the garden.
Spell to Protect the Home
Bake a small loaf of bread, mixing in about a tablespoon of caraway seeds.
Once the loaf has cooled, break it into four pieces with your hands. Walk to each
corner of the house and bury one piece of bread, saying “Protection in the East,”
“Protection in the South” and so on.
13
Ways to Celebrate
Honor the aspects of Lammas, including the first harvest, the ancient versatility
of corn and the coming autumn, with these simple, easy activities.
Bake bread of all kinds.
Make preserves, jellies or jams, especially from fruits you grew.
Share your harvest with friends and family.
Donate canned food.
Infuse oils and vinegars.
Make a corn dolly.
Experiment with twisting corn husks into other fun shapes.
Save stale bread to feed the birds.
Share a bag of sunflower seeds with a friend or loved one.
If you don’t have a garden, pick up a few small potted plants such as
herbs and small pepper plants to fill a large clay pot.
16
Mexican Grilled Corn
Recipe courtesy of Epicurious.com
3/4 cup Mexican crema or mayonnaise
1/2 lb queso cotija, shredded, or feta, crumbled
Cayenne to taste
Lime wedges
Spread grilled corn with a thin layer of crema, then roll in cheese to coat.
Sprinkle with cayenne. Squeeze lime juice from wedges to taste.
17
Summer Corn Soup
Recipe courtesy of Epicurious.com
3 cups whole milk
3 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut from cobs, cobs broken in half and reserved
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 cups water
2 large fresh thyme sprigs
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 bay leaf
Ground white pepper
Bring milk and corncob halves (not kernels) just to boil in heavy medium pot.
Remove from heat, cover, and let steep while sautéing vegetables.
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; sprinkle with salt
and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes (do not let onion brown). Add corn
kernels, carrot, celery, and garlic; cook until vegetables are soft, stirring
frequently, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups water, herb sprigs, bay leaf, and milk
with corncobs. Increase heat and bring to boil. Cover partially, reduce heat to
low, and simmer 20 minutes to blend flavors.
18
Discard corncobs, herb sprigs, and bay leaf. Cool soup slightly. Working in
batches, puree soup in blender until very smooth. Strain into large bowl,
pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Season soup to taste with
salt and white pepper. Garnish with crispy bacon and green onions.
19
Cornbread Muffins
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 ¼ cups milk
3 ½ tablespoons vegetable shortening
3 teaspoons dried sage
Combine ingredients in a large bowl, then mix using a hand beater (no longer
than 1 minute) Pour into 12 large muffin cups.
Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
20
Homemade Corn Dogs
Recipe courtesy of Epicurious.com
8 hot dogs
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
About 8 cups vegetable oil, divided
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups well-shaken buttermilk
Oil grill pan, then grill hot dogs over medium-high heat, turning occasionally,
until lightly charred on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and
cool slightly, then insert a wooden stick into each hot dog. Put 3 tablespoons
flour on another plate and roll hot dogs in flour to coat, shaking off excess.
Heat 3 inches oil to 350°F in a deep 3-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, whisk together cornmeal, remaining 1/2 cup flour, 2 tablespoons
vegetable oil, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, cayenne, and 3/4 teaspoon salt
in a medium bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time, whisking well after each addition.
Whisk in buttermilk.
21
Transfer some of batter to a tall glass, filling it almost to the top.
Working in batches of 2 or 3, dip hot dogs, 1 at a time, into glass of batter to coat
(add more batter to glass if necessary), then fry, turning occasionally, until batter
is cooked through and golden-brown all over, about 3 minutes. Transfer corn
dogs to paper towels to drain. Return oil to 350°F and refill glass with batter
between batches.