The Witches’ Compendium:

Lammas

By Tenae S.

The Witch of Howling Creek

Copyright Information

The Witches' Compendium: Lammas is licensed under a

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free to share the content in any way you like, just please

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Disclaimer

The author of this e-book has used their best efforts in preparing this e-book. The

author makes no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy,

applicability, fitness, or completeness of the contents of this e-book. The

information contained in this e-book is strictly for educational purposes.

Therefore, if you wish to apply ideas contained in this e-book, you are taking full

responsibility for your actions.

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

Honor & Celebrate

13 Ways to Celebrate

Fete & Feast

15 Corn Recipes

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

2

Hearth & Home

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.

7

Magick & Witchcraft

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.

12

Honor & Celebrate

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.

14

Fete & Feast

15

Corn Recipes

Mexican Grilled Corn

Summer Corn Soup

Cornbread Muffins

Homemade Corn Dogs

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.