Lammas and the Art of Receiving
August 1st, is Lammas — the first harvest festival in the Wheel of the Year, and one of the four great Gaelic seasonal festivals alongside Imbolc, Beltane, and Samhain.
What Lammas Asks of Us
In the goddess tradition, Lammas is understood as the moment the Great Mother begins to pour herself out. She has been pregnant with abundance all summer and now she releases it. The grain bending under its own weight, the fruit swelling on the branch, the earth exhaling the long breath of summer — these are the great gifts of Gaia’s womb.
Lammas invites us to open into receptivity. To tune our frequencies to the dial of prosperity.
For those doing the long work of healing, this is a real practice. The Goddess’s question at this threshold is tender and direct: How do you receive nourishment in your life?
This question sits at the heart of the eating disorder recovery work we do at Fox + Feather. Nourishment — whether from food, from relationship, from creative expression, or from the earth itself — requires the willingness to receive. And for many of our clients, that willingness is exactly what has been interrupted. Learning to receive is not passive. It is one of the bravest things a person can practice.
Sunshine Lammas Lemonade
I have been drinking this all summer and feeling incredibly luxurious in my act of hydration. Lemons carry associations with solar energy and late summer brightness — a natural offering for this threshold. Make a pitcher and share it with someone you love.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups water
- ⅓ cup raw honey
- 3–4 hibiscus tea bags
- 1 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed from 5–6 lemons
- 1½ cups coconut water
- Fresh mint leaves
Instructions:
Boil 3 cups of water and remove from heat. Add honey and stir until melted, then add the tea bags and steep for 20 minutes. Remove and discard the tea bags. Add lemon juice and coconut water. Muddle fresh mint in the bottom of a pitcher. Add ice and pour the lemonade over it.
Before you drink, hold the glass and say aloud or silently: “Thank you for what has grown. I receive this harvest with gratitude.”
Harvest Map Directive
On a piece of paper, draw a simple field. Inside it, write or draw what you have been growing this year — intentions, relationships, inner shifts, creative work.
Circle what feels ready. Star what is still ripening.
The Goddess tends what she has planted, and so do you.
This kind of reflective, image-based practice is at the core of the art therapy work we offer at Fox + Feather. If you find yourself moved by these directives and curious about what deeper creative healing might look like for you, we would love to talk. Our team of licensed art therapists serves clients ages 8 and older, in person in Guilford, CT and via telehealth throughout Connecticut.
Schedule your free 15-minute consultation or call us at 860-393-0940.
With Love and Glimmer,
— Sarah Guercia, MA, ATR-BC, LPC, Founder + Owner
FAQ
What is Lammas?
Lammas, also called Lughnasadh, is the first of three harvest festivals in the Wheel of the Year, celebrated on August 1st. It is one of the four great Gaelic seasonal festivals alongside Imbolc, Beltane, and Samhain, and marks the beginning of the harvest season in the Northern Hemisphere.
What is the Wheel of the Year?
The Wheel of the Year is a calendar of eight seasonal festivals rooted in ancient Celtic and agricultural traditions, observed in modern Pagan, Wiccan, and earth-based spiritual practices. Each festival marks a threshold in the natural cycle of the year and carries its own teachings, rituals, and invitations.
What does Lammas have to do with healing?
Lammas asks us to practice receptivity — to open to nourishment, abundance, and the fruits of our labor. For those healing from eating disorders, trauma, or disordered relationships with nourishment, learning to receive is often one of the most profound and challenging aspects of recovery.
What is a Harvest Map Directive?
A Harvest Map Directive is a simple art therapy–inspired practice: draw a field and fill it with what you have been growing this year — intentions, relationships, creative work, inner shifts. Circle what feels ready. Star what is still ripening. It is a grounding, reflective exercise that can be done with any materials you have on hand.
How does art therapy connect to seasonal and spiritual practices?
At Fox + Feather, we weave the rhythms of nature — including the seasonal festivals of the Wheel of the Year — into our clinical work. We believe the body and the earth speak the same language, and that tuning into natural cycles supports nervous system regulation, presence, and healing. Learn more about our approach on our Art Therapy Services page.
Why Choose Fox + Feather Healing Arts
Fox + Feather is Connecticut’s only group art therapy practice specializing in eating disorder and trauma recovery. We honor the rhythms of nature, the wisdom of the body, and the healing power of creative expression — weaving all three into clinical care that is unlike anything else on the Connecticut Shoreline. We serve female-identifying clients, trans-femme individuals, and LGBTQIA+ community members ages 8 and older, in person in Guilford, CT and via telehealth throughout Connecticut. We accept Husky insurance and most FSA and HSA plans. Meet our providers or book your free consultation today.
References
Boston Public Library. (2019, July 30). The origins and practices of Lammas/Lughnasad. https://www.bpl.org/blogs/post/the-origins-and-practices-of-lammas-lughnasad/
Druidry.org / Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids. (n.d.). Lughnasadh – harvest festival. https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/lughnasadh
Monaghan, P. (2004). The encyclopedia of Celtic mythology and folklore. Infobase Publishing.
Newgrange.com. (n.d.). Lughnasadh (Lúnasa) – cross quarter day festival of early harvest. https://www.newgrange.com/lughnasadh.htm