lammas circle ritual
The Earth Mother
and the Harvest Lord
I’ll admit to Lammas not being one of my favorite sabbats. I like the ideas behind it, but I’ve never lived in an area of the United States where the bulk of the grain harvesting was done in early August. From a seasonal perspective, it doesn’t resonate with me as much as the Autumn Equinox does (which was when grain was harvested when I lived in the American Midwest). While Lammas is often thought of as the start of autumn, to me it’s always been high summer.
But when I’ve asked my friends about what they expect in a Lammas ritual, the ideas of the harvest and to a lesser extent the god Lugh generally come up. One of the most frequently requested motifs linked to the harvest is that of John Barleycorn, a stand-in for the god whose sacrifice takes place at the harvest so that the crops might ripen. When I think of his sacrifice, I imagine his transformational energy being put to use in ways other than just ripening crops. What if it’s his sacrifice that acts as the catalyst for change? Grain is good and all, but it can’t become bread unless it’s mixed with other ingredients and baked. Maybe his magick is also in the baking (and the brewing and the fermenting).
So this ritual is about just that. It’s about the gifts of Mother Earth (the grain), the elemental powers that help turn that grain into bread (salt, baking powder, water, and spices, the last one being especially important if you want some really tasty bread!), and the transformational power of the sacrificial god whose power turns those five substances into bread. Over the course of the ritual, each participant gets a chance to help make the “bread,” with everyone adding ingredients such as salt and grain to the cauldron of the Harvest Lord, who then transforms.
Each element/ingredient in this rite has a specific correspondence: salt is used for protection, baking soda for inspiration, water for health and healing, and spice for adventure. What people add to the bread represents what they want to add to their own lives. Then the magick happens when people eat the bread, since their energies, along with their wants and needs, have been put into it.
This rite doesn’t require a lot of extra tools, though it does call for a large cauldron. It makes far more sense to put the ingredients we use to make bread into an oven or large bowl, but cauldrons are just so closely associated with Witchcraft! Obviously, any substitute you want to use for the cauldron is fine. The rite also requires four bowls for all the ingredients, though you can get extra creative if you want and add more ingredients if you so desire.
The working part of the rite ends with the “reveal” of the finished bread that has been (metaphorically) created using the four or more ingredients outlined above. I like to keep this finished bread on an extra table or altar and covered by a tablecloth to keep the bread hidden and safe from bugs. A second tablecloth is also used to place over the cauldron itself to symbolize the change that happens when the ingredients that make up bread are combined and baked.
I’ve tried to keep all of the rituals in this book on the simpler side, but if you want to take this experience up another level, you can literally bake the bread during ritual. All that’s really required is a regular little fire or even a charcoal grill. Mix the ingredients into dough, place the dough in a cast-iron skillet over a fire, flip once after five to ten minutes, cook for another ten minutes or so, and voilà! Bread. Alternatively, you could have everyone around you put their dough on a stick and “roast” the bread like one generally roasts a marshmallow.
In order to make the ritual more participatory, instead of using the quarter callers to hold the elemental powers found in the salt, baking soda, water, and spices, you could take volunteers from the audience. There are all sorts of ways to tweak this rite to suit the needs of your group or large circle.
There’s nothing particularly out of the ordinary in this ritual. I did start the circle casting and the quarter calling in the north simply for variety and because I know several Witch traditions that do so. This ritual honors the Earth Mother and the Harvest Lord, but you could also have a Harvest Lady and an Earth Father, or an Earth Mother and a Harvest Lady. The ritual roles can be switched around depending on who you have to help you with the rite.
Ritual Roles
• High Priestess/Earth Mother
• High Priest/Harvest Lord
• Circle caster
• Four quarter callers
Materials Needed
• Regular altar setup
• An additional altar for the finished bread
• Cauldron (or large bowl—something to put the bread ingredients into)
• Grain (Flour is messy and I don’t recommend it. Actual grains can be used, or failing that, oatmeal, which is of course also a grain and doesn’t end up all over your clothes.)
• Salt in a bowl (You can use salt already on the altar.)
• Water in a bowl or cup (You can use salted water already on the altar, or a fresh bowl of water, preferably spring water.)
• Baking soda in a bowl (or yeast—what you use to make the bread rise is symbolic of air)
• Spices in a bowl (I suggest cinnamon or rosemary. You could also use raisins, which are dried by the sun. This is where you can be really creative!)
• Two tablecloths (one to put over the finished bread and one for the transformation part of the rite)
• Finished bread, at least enough for everyone to have a decent-size piece
• Wine and/or grape juice (if celebrating the grape)
• Circlet for the High Priestess
• Circlet or horns for the High Priest
• Incense sticks
The Ritual: The Earth Mother and the Harvest Lord
The altar stands in the center of the circle, and a cauldron or large bowl, along with a second altar or table, are located in the circle’s south (Figure 7). The cauldron will receive the ingredients used to make bread, while the covered altar will hold the finished bread to be revealed near the close of the ritual.
The ritual begins with all in attendance gathered in a circle. The High Priestess and High Priest stand in the center of the circle behind the altar. Inside the circle but toward the edges stand the four quarter callers and whoever is casting the circle. The rite begins with a cleansing and the High Priestess sharing the ritual’s intent.
Figure 7. Lammas Circle Ritual Setup
Statement of Intent/Cleansing
High Priestess: We come here today to celebrate Lammas, the first harvest. Today we honor the Earth Mother and the Harvest Lord. Through her all grows, and through his sacrifice all is transformed. We revel in the first fruits of the harvest and give thanks for it. Hail the harvest!
The High Priestess places her athame in the bowl of salt upon the altar and blesses it.
High Priestess: In the names of the Lord and the Lady, I bless and sanctify this salt. May it serve to cleanse this space and those within it. So mote it be!
The High Priestess then takes her athame and places it in the bowl of water upon the altar.
High Priestess: In the names of the Lord and the Lady, I bless and sanctify this water. May its gifts touch all within this space. So mote it be!
The High Priestess then takes three measures of salt using the blade of her athame and places them into the water.
High Priestess: Once for those who are here, once for those who will be here, and once for those who are missed. So mote it be!
The High Priestess mixes the salt and water with her athame and then sets the bowl of salted water aside. Using a lighter or a match, the High Priest lights the candle representing fire upon the altar and blesses it.
High Priest: In the names of the Lord and Lady, we welcome the power of fire. May it cleanse all here and ignite their will. So mote it be!
The High Priest now takes several sticks of incense and lights them with the candle.
High Priest: In the names of the Lord and the Lady, I bless and sanctify this creature of air. May it charge this space and those within it. So mote it be!
After blessing and lighting the incense stick, he hands them to the south quarter caller. The north quarter caller then comes forward and takes the salted water. Both then proceed around the circle censing and asperging those in attendance. While walking around, they might say things such as “I bless and charge you with air and fire” (incense) and “With salt and water I do cleanse you.” If the circle is especially big, you can light several sticks of incense and have the south and east quarter callers each do half the circle. The same applies to the north and west quarter callers, though you’d have to bless and cleanse another bowl of salted water. (This can be done before the ritual if that makes it less awkward.)
Care should be taken to bless and cleanse not just the participants but also the ritual space. This means paying extra attention to windows (if you are indoors of course), shadows, and anything else that might be hiding some sort of unwanted energy.
Casting the Circle/Calling the Quarters
Using an athame, sword, or wand, the circle caster casts the circle starting in the north. They may make three journeys around the circle if necessary. An invoking pentagram can be drawn at the end of the circle casting when the circle caster returns to the north.
Circle Caster: I cast this circle so we might stand between the worlds and dwell in a place beyond time where we may look into the face of the Goddess and God and all that lies in between. May the spirits of nature, the Old Ones, the power of the elements, and those who are of the wise folk be welcome in this space. The circle is cast. We are between the worlds. So mote it be!
Starting in the north, call the quarters. An invoking pentagram can be drawn as each quarter is summoned or immediately afterward. Quarter candles can be used as well, though if you are doing this ritual outdoors, be sure to use tiki torches or hurricane candles (something that will stay lit). Light each quarter candle at the beginning, during, or at the end of each quarter call.
North Quarter Caller: I summon, stir, and call you up, watchtower of the north, spirits of harvest and grain. Be welcome in our circle and guard and witness this our rite. So mote it be!
East Quarter Caller: I summon, stir, and call you up, watchtower of the east, spirits of seed and leaf. Be welcome in our circle and guard and witness this our rite. So mote it be!
South Quarter Caller: I summon, stir, and call you up, watchtower of the south, spirts of sun and plow. Be welcome in our circle and guard and witness this our rite. So mote it be!
West Quarter Caller: I summon, stir, and call you up, watchtower of the west, spirits of rain and stream. Be welcome in our circle and guard and witness this our rite. So mote it be!
Calls to the Lord and Lady
High Priestess: We call tonight to the Earth Mother, she who is the beauty of the green growing places and the source of all life. It is from you that our first harvest comes, for upon your world and in your nourishing soil, life grows. Yours is the magick that gives rise to the grain and ripens the fields. The gifts of the reaping are yours to bestow, and we accept them gladly. Be with us in our circle tonight. Lend us your might, majesty, and magick as we celebrate the magick of the harvest and praise your gifts. Hail and welcome!
High Priest: We call tonight to the Lord of the Harvest, the sacrificial god who stands tall in the fields, only to be cut down in his prime so that our lives may continue on this earth. Your sacrifice is the crucible from which new beginnings and possibilities arise. You are the change that allows us to create new life from the ashes of the old. At the first harvest, we celebrate your greatest gift, and the one that will be a part of our harvest rites until you return to us reborn. Lord of the Harvest, join us tonight as we celebrate your gifts and love for us. Hail and welcome!
The Working
High Priestess: It takes many hands to bring in the first harvest. There are those who tilled the soil, planted the seed, watered the crops, weeded the fields, watched the Wheel of the Year, and built the plow. Beyond that are those who provided comfort and sustenance to those who toiled among the crops. It is the work of the many that allows us to be well fed and live in relative security and comfort.
High Priest: Just like the crops that we harvest at Lammas-time, the bread we make this time of year is made from many ingredients. There’s the flour from the wheat, barley, oats, and maize in the fields, but that’s not all that’s required. There’s the life-giving water that gives shape to our lives and is a part of most everything we eat or drink. Bread made from just flour and water is not very good though. It also requires a pinch of salt for flavor, and baking soda or yeast so that it may rise. And often the best bread is touched with just a hint of spice.
The High Priest walks over to the altar and grabs a circlet, then stands next to the High Priestess.
High Priest: What we need now is a Priestess to personify our Earth Mother. My lady (looks at High Priestess), will you accept this task?
High Priestess: I shall.
High Priest: Then I shall ask she who is the harvest and she who is the grain to stand side by side with you. Great Lady, walk with this your servant and share with her your voice and mystery. Harvest Goddess, Earth Mother, share your blessings with us this night through she who is your Priestess. Blessed be!
The High Priest should bow before the High Priestess and then place upon her head a circlet signifying her representation of the Earth Mother.
High Priestess: The grain in our bread comes to us from the grace of the Mother. It grows upon her back and under her care. From her, and now me, we receive it this Lammas-tide. But as has been said, it is not grain alone that makes the bread. Many hands and many gifts are needed. The Lady turns the wheel, but the elements give it seasoning and character.
I have need of four who will represent the elements: one for the salt of the earth, one for the life-giving waters, one for the magick that makes the bread rise, and one for the spice that makes life such a wonderful adventure. Who will hold these powers for me?
It’s probably best to just have your four quarter callers represent the elements here, but if you want to see who else will participate, you can open it up to anyone in the audience. If you go that route and have many people volunteer, you could make them play a quick game or solve a riddle to determine who holds which element. (Games are most likely an ancient Lammas custom.) Whatever you do, do it quickly, so as not to lose the attention of your audience.
After the four representatives of the elements are chosen, each is given a bowl containing their element.
High Priestess: Tonight as a group we shall all together make bread with my gifts and those of the elements. Listen closely and take what you need to add to our bread so that it might benefit you.
For the element of earth, salt! This salt is a source of protection for all who would eat of it! May it keep away sickness, those who are unwanted, and all negativity from our lives. So mote it be!
For the element of water, fresh spring water! It’s water that keeps us well, and without which we would not be! Drink of the water and add it to your bread so that it may bring love and healing to those who need it. So mote it be!
For the element of air, baking soda! For bread and many other things are always better when they have risen! The air is the gift of breath in our lungs, and the breeze the inspiration that drives our imagination and creativity. Add this to our creation tonight if you so need it! So mote it be!
And lastly, for the element of fire, spice! Spice is what makes every life unique. Some of us require a lot, some very little, but we should all have just what we need to get by. Add this ingredient if you have lost your lust for life or just need or crave excitement! So mote it be!
But there is one last ingredient we truly need to make our bread, and that is the element of change. This is sometimes the hardest of all things to grasp. At Lammas, the change comes with the sacrifice of the Harvest Lord. His death is his most powerful gift. It’s what allows the grain to ripen and gives us the power to strike down the sheaths of grain in the field. In order to fully grasp his power, we must have one stand for him.
The High Priestess walks over to the High Priest (or again, you could seek a volunteer) and looks him in the eye. If you do get a volunteer, you’ll probably want to have something prepared for them to read off.
High Priestess: My Lord, will you accept this duty?
High Priest: Yes, my Lady. (Since she is representing the Goddess here, he should bow.)
High Priestess: Lord of the Harvest, God of the Grain, we ask that you would stand beside your servant here. Lend him your energy so that all we touch may be transformed! You are the crucible of the early autumn that changes my gifts into those that can be enjoyed by all the folk! Harvest Lord, be with us now! Blessed be!
The High Priestess crowns the High Priest with a circlet, crown, or pair of horns (something representing his connection to the God).
High Priest: At the harvest I am the sacrificial god. I give my life so that which you eat and drink may be reborn in a new form. I am the heat that bakes the bread, the yeast that ferments the grape, the fire that distills the whisky, the coals that brew the beer. I am the change as summer gives way to autumn.
As my Lady has said, tonight we bake our bread together. Gather whatever ingredients you need for this time of year and bring them here into my cauldron. As you gather your ingredients, fill them with your intent. What is it you wish to transform in your life during the months ahead? Select the items needed for that transformation and then infuse them with your will. When they have been charged, drop them here in my cauldron.
High Priestess: All journeys begin with the grace of the Mother and end with he who stokes the fires. Take from me a bit of grain, or from those representing the elements, salt, water, baking soda, and spice! Come let us make bread together and celebrate the first harvest!
The High Priestess picks up the bowl containing the grain as everyone is invited to move around the circle and grab whatever ingredients they want to add to the cauldron. Everyone who is holding ingredients should say something to those who take an ingredient. The High Priestess might say, “Take of the gifts of the field,” or just “Blessed be!” What is said is not of the utmost importance, but you want everyone to feel acknowledged and like they are participating. Drumming or music makes for good background noise during this part of the ritual. (One of those songs might be “John Barleycorn,” for instance.)
Once the ritual winds down, everyone should be instructed to return to their spot in the circle. Two of the quarter callers should go and stand near the High Priest and be ready to move the altar with the bread on it when ready.
High Priest: Into this cauldron you have placed what you need to make our bread, along with what you yourself would reap from this year’s harvest. To this cauldron I add one more ingredient: my sacrifice. Through my power, I now change what has been received by me here. I forfeit my life so that my folk might have an abundant harvest and see their kin once more at Samhain. I am the Lord of Life and the Dread Lord of Shadows, I am the Lord of the Harvest! I now add my power to this cauldron!
With a dramatic flair, the High Priest should remove his circlet/head gear/necklace and place it into the cauldron. He should then drape a tablecloth over the lid of the cauldron and grab the sides of the vessel with both hands. He should then will the energy of the transformation and change wielded by the Harvest God at Lammas into the cauldron and feel it mix with the ingredients within. Once they have all been mixed, he should slowly turn and will all of those energies into the bread on the altar behind him. When done, he should indicate this with a hearty “So mote it be!” to the quarter callers, who will then move the altar in front of the cauldron. He should then go around and carefully remove the tablecloth from the altar, revealing the bread.
High Priest: With my power, what has been reaped and blended together has been made whole. Eat of my Lady’s gifts, but as you eat, take in the energies you willed into this bread! Let that power spread through you, and may your will be done at this time of the first harvest! Blessed be!
Cakes and Ale
The quarter callers who moved the altar out in front of the cauldron now distribute the bread to all in attendance.
High Priest: The bread we now share has been touched by the Lady and the Lord and all that lies between them. It has been nourished by the flame of the sun, the water of the rains, the soil of the earth, and the breath of air that pollinates all growing things. It was then gathered, transformed, and brought to us today so that we might share in it. Blessed be!
High Priestess: In the late summer, we celebrate the gift of the vine. From earth, wind, rain, and sun, this drink has come to us to take away our troubles and give us cause to celebrate. As it takes many hands to gather this harvest, today we shall use many hands to bless our wine. For within us, about us, and beyond us lies the power of the Harvest Lord and the Earth Mother and all that exists betwixt and between them. Extend your arms toward the center of our circle and push your blessings and good intentions into the wine we share here today.
All extend their hands and bless the wine in the center of the circle, the High Priestess humming or toning a little bit to direct the energy.
High Priestess: And now let all eat and all drink and all be welcome in this our circle and harvest rite! Blessed be!
Wine and any leftover bread are passed around the circle. The quarter callers who are not distributing the bread should share the wine—and something nonalcoholic, such as grape juice—with all those gathered. When all have eaten and drank of the wine, the rite resumes.
Goodbyes to the Lord and Lady
High Priest: You have worked hard tonight, my Lady. It is time to relieve you of your burden.
The High Priestess takes off her circlet and places it on the altar.
High Priestess: Earth Mother, we thank you for being a part of our rite. We thank you once more for your gift of the grain and all that you have given us in this lifetime. Walk with us in the waning days of summer and be with us in the autumn soon to come! Blessed be!
High Priest: Harvest Lord, we thank you for joining us in our rite. May we honor your sacrifice in the months ahead as that which we have reaped tonight comes to fruition in our lives. Be with us in the bread and the other miracles of harvest time! Blessed be!
Dismissing the Quarters/Releasing the Circle
Starting in the west, dismiss the quarters, moving deosil. If desired, a banishing pentagram can be drawn during or at the end of each dismissal. If you’ve lit quarter candles, blow them out after each quarter is dismissed.
West Quarter Caller: Watchtower of the west, spirits of rain and stream, we thank you for witnessing and guarding these our rites. Blessed be!
South Quarter Caller: Watchtower of the south, spirits of sun and plow, we thank you for witnessing and guarding these our rites. Blessed be!
East Quarter Caller: Watchtower of the east, spirits of seed and leaf, we thank you for witnessing and guarding these our rites. Blessed be!
North Quarter Caller: Watchtower of the north, spirits of harvest and grain, we thank you for witnessing and guarding these our rites. Blessed be!
Starting in the north and using an athame, sword, or wand, the circle caster moves deosil around the circle, undoing the energies used in creating the magick circle. If they cast the circle thrice, they should release it thrice. After returning to the north, they draw a banishing pentagram.
Circle Caster: We have stood between the worlds and have dwelled in a place beyond time and space. Once there, we looked into the faces of the Goddess and God and all that lies between them. But now the time comes to return to our waking world. All will be as it once was, though we shall keep the magick raised here forever in our hearts. The circle is open, but our bonds are unbroken! So mote it be!
Final Thoughts
High Priestess: As we leave this place, we take the love of the Earth Mother and the Harvest Lord with us. When we look upon the harvest this autumn, may we see their faces reflected in the gifts and the bounty we might receive. Until then, we say merry meet, and merry part, and merry meet again!
FIN