In the Northern Hemisphere, summer starts when the Sun arrives at zero degrees of Cancer. 

This happens around the 20th of June. 

When Cancer season is over, around the 20th of July, it’s time for Leo season. 

Leo is a fixed sign. This means that the energetic qualities of summer are already established when the Leo month occurs. 

The element of Leo is Fire, which is connected with passion, vitality, and generosity. 

Leo is a fun and social season. During this period, you can celebrate with others, spend time outside, and bask in the sun’s power.  

Lughnasadh is a Wiccan sabbat that takes place during the Leo season. This event occurs about halfway between the Summer Solstice and the Fall Equinox. The first crops are harvested, and this is reason enough to honor the God and the Goddess. 

Through this text, I aim to provide insights into the Lughnasadh celebration and the unique characteristics of the Leo season. 

To guide myself, I have used my own experience and Scott Cunningham’s book Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. 

This is the table of contents: 

1. Facts About Leo Season and the Middle of the Summer
2. 5 Facts About Lughnasadh
3. Rituals to Celebrate Lughnasadh 

Let’s go! 

Facts About Leo Season and the Middle of the Summer

• Leo is the fifth sign of the zodiac. It’s related to being courageous, warm, unapologetic, authentic, strong-headed, and shining bright like a diamond. 
• It’s a fixed sign, which means it is in the middle of a season and is linked with consistency, consolidation, and stability. 
• It’s a Fire sign. This element is connected with desire, vitality, adventure, enthusiasm, passion, and looking for new experiences. 
• It’s a zodiac sign ruled by the Sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun is at its peak during Leo season.    
• Playfulness, generosity, loudness, excitement, fun, and enjoyment are part of its realm. 

Related: Litha and the Summer Solstice

5 Facts About Lughnasadh

1. In the Wiccan Wheel of the Year, this festival marks the middle of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. 
2. It marks the moment of the first harvest, when the spring seeds offer their produce.  
3. Astrologically, it occurs on August 6th or 7th when the Sun reaches 15° of Leo.  
4. Culturally, Wiccans celebrate it on August 1st, coinciding with the Christian celebration of Lammas. 
5. The Sun is already losing its power, and longer nights are slowly manifesting themselves. Mystically, the God is also becoming weaker. 

Related: Autumn Equinox and Mabon Celebration

Rituals to Celebrate Lughnasadh 

Bake bread: Kneading with your own bare hands is a traditional activity to celebrate Lughnasadh. You can draw symbols of the Sun and the Moon on the bread. Doing it will mark the presence of the God and the Goddess. Giving bread away is also an appropriate way to honor the generosity of the Leo season and the land.  

Enjoy fruits: Since Lughnasadh marks the first harvest, eating specific fruits is a fantastic ritual. If you do so, you’ll signal that you appreciate the bounty. Some of these fruits include apples, pears, grapes, and all the berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.) 

Honor water: Visiting fields, orchards, lakes, ponds, and wells is a tradition in Lughnasadh. Water, and its ability to carry life in different ways, has to be respected. If you can’t do a pilgrimage on this date, I recommend reading a specific book. It is called Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age, and it was written by Katherine May. It has some beautiful passages about magical wells in the United Kingdom. 

Save for the winter: The Sun’s power is declining, so this is a good time to prepare for the future. Can you save some money now that will be helpful later? Can you buy something now that you’ll use when the days are darker and shorter? Be grateful for what you have and prepare for the cold days that await. 

NOTE: If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, you must reverse the sabbats. The celebration for you now is Imbolc, and here’s the text you should read: Imbolc or the Middle of the Winter

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I hope you have a memorable Lughnasadh celebration! May the first harvest make you realize how much you have and how much you can share with others. 

If you’re free for Halloween weekend, consider joining me and my friend Cat in Portugal! We are hosting an incredible yoga + astrology retreat over there. Check the details here. 

Thank you for your time, and until the next post!