Connecting to Lughnasadh through Ritual

At the time of Lughnasadh, just as our Pagan predecessors were able to collect the first harvest and enjoy the fruits of their labor, it is important to take a moment to reflect back on your own hard work and appreciate how far it has taken you, whether your "crop" is ready for harvest or not.

The following ritual is all about aligning yourself with the meaning of this sabbat and all it recognizes and honors, which in this case should be you! This is a combo self-care, self-love, and self-appreciation spell intended to not only show yourself a little gratitude and celebrate your efforts, but to encourage yourself to keep going! Not only do many of us barely take time to acknowledge our accomplishments and hard work before jumping to the next thing, but many struggle to be proud and see themselves worthy of reward unless that validation is coming from an outside source.

If you are looking for intentions and spellwork than can be enhanced by casting near or on Lughnasadh, you may want to consider spells for abundance, success, to improve skills or talents, to guide others to take notice of your hard work, or to speed up the arrival of rewards you've earned.

As with all spells I provide, please feel free to customize the wording, actions, and ingredients to what feels right to you. You can even adjust this ritual to make it a group or coven celebration.

The Ingredients

• A comfortable location to sit or lay where you can relax in solitude -- This should be a place you truly enjoy and can unwind in, whether that is in a bubble bath, a hammock, your bed, or the floor in front of your altar. It's up to you. It is also important that the place you choose is private (unless you are not embarrassed easily!) as you will be speaking aloud to yourself as if complimenting a good friend.

• A list of all hard work you have put in since the last Lughnasadh -- whether these projects are complete, incomplete, successes, or "failures". If you have put in time and effort to work toward a goal, help someone else, create something, fix something, learn, or improve upon something, then write it on the list.

• A reward for each listed item. I don't want to tell you what to select because everyone rewards themselves in different ways, but as an example, if I have five accomplishments on my list, I might reward myself with a glass of wine for one, a Snickers bar for another, a nap in the middle of the day, a new scented candle, and purchase myself a professional massage for the most challenging item on the list (or if I wish to save money, a promise to spend my next day off on the beach with a picnic lunch packed at home).

• A mirror

• Optional: Miscellaneous items to make the relaxation experience more enjoyable for you. A fluffy robe, your favorite music playing, body oils and herbs for the bath, etc. Note: I can't tell you what should be on your list, but I recommend a mix of both big and small accomplishments. This is not going to be a celebratory ritual you do every day, so make the most of it! Consider things that were physically, emotionally, or mentally challenging. Some examples are... -I started therapy. -I house-trained my puppy. -I have been putting in extra study time for my finals. -I trained for and completed a marathon. -I beat my time from last year's marathon. -I started a new business. -I underwent surgery. -I got up the courage to ask my boss for a raise. And so on.

The Instructions

• Time: During a free, uninterrupted hour on the day of Lughnasadh

• Location: Caster's choice (see Ingredients)

1. If it is a part of your practice, cleanse your tools, ingredients, and space. You can begin by opening sacred space however you prefer, if this is something you incorporate into your craft.

2. Take time to calm your mind, ground, center, and look over your list. Visualize the amount of time, energy, sweat, frustration, tears, and other efforts that went into each accomplishment.

3. Starting with your easiest accomplishment, look at yourself in your mirror and recite the following, speaking with enthusiasm and genuine joy as if you are talking to a close friend who you are proud of: In your journey to accomplish [your goal], you sacrificed two of your most valuable commodities: time and energy. In recognition of your efforts and in honor of future efforts yet to be made, you are rewarded with this [your reward].

4. If your reward is something that can be enjoyed right this moment, do so. Feel free to take your time. This is meant to not only be relaxation time, which shouldn't be rushed, but this is also meant to be an overly self-indulgent time to linger in your personal back-patting without guilt, embarrassment, or feelings of selfishness. And if you feel silly during this ritual, it's okay to laugh a bit so long as you're enjoying yourself and not undermining your achievements.

5. Repeat for each item on your list, starting with what you consider to be the easiest to what was the most difficult.

6. End your ritual with the following and your chosen closing phrase ("Blessed be", "As I will it, so it shall be", "Thank you", etc.) Although my hard work may not always be acknowledged and rewarded by others, my efforts are still worthy of both. To tasks complete and tasks yet to be. To me. [Closing phrase]

Final Note

Seeing as how you're a normal human being with responsibilities and a shifting schedule, don't feel downtrodden if this year or in many years to come you simply don't have the time to pull off a full ritual.

If the issue is schedule, then no, you don't have to perform this ritual right on the day of Lughnasadh. And while I highly, highly encourage you to take at least one full hour to treat yourself, relax, and enjoy your moment of self-appreciation (as that technically is part of the ritual), if that isn't doable then simply try to find a few minutes out of your day to make your mirror acknowledgement for one item on your list and enjoy your treat. If you have to, do one per day until you complete your list.

However, if you are looking for even more to do to acknowledge this sabbat and/or you are struggling with performing self-care right now, here are a few additional ways to honor this day:

• Make a list of goals and projects you hope to at least begin that you will be able to celebrate your hard work for next year. (Only do this if you can do so without losing enthusiasm for what you accomplished this year and without triggering negative and accusatory thought patterns such as "I should have done this by now" or "I need to try again since I failed last time.")

• Create a corn husk doll and decide that it represents you or tuck a taglock inside of it like a small lock of your hair. Hang a small pouch from its arm and fill it with symbols of what you wish to manifest in your life--crystals, notes with single words or short phrases, charms, etc. I like to use the sheer bags that boutique jewelry often comes in for this as well as charm bags.

• Take time to appreciate and note the recent accomplishments of other people. Preferably by complimenting them and making this acknowledgement directly to the person. If that is not possible, then send them some positive energy of gratitude.