Every August I begin celebrating Lammas, also known as Lughnasadh and this year, my weight loss journey.  Lughnasadh is the ancient first harvest festival. Although the traditional celebration falls on August 1, I think of the entire month as harvest season. It is a time to slow down, notice what has grown, gather the fruits of our labor. We are preparing for the season ahead.

For our ancestors, Lammas meant long days in the garden, bringing in the grain, preserving vegetables, drying herbs, and making sure there would be enough food to last through the winter. Today, most of us can simply visit the grocery store whenever we need something, but if you’ve ever tended a garden, you know there is still something deeply satisfying about harvesting tomatoes, picking herbs, freezing berries, or filling jars for the pantry. The rhythm of the seasons still calls to us if we’re willing to pay attention.

The photograph that accompanies this post includes some of my favorite symbols of the season—a Longaberger coffee cup and saucer for quiet reflection, a traditional straw dollie to honor Lammas, and an heirloom tomato surrounded by tiny cherry tomatoes, reminding me that every harvest begins with seeds planted long before we see the results.  Those tomatoes ended up in a spaghetti sauce served over a chickpea pasta.

Back to School

I’ve realized that this harvest isn’t just about food.  It’s also about our lives.  This August, I find myself harvesting something much more personal.

After five weeks of studying aromatic chemistry, I’m nearing the end of another fascinating class. I’m also finishing a year-long aromatic studies program that began last fall.  Just after Labor Day, I’ll begin an advanced aromatherapy certification program that I’m incredibly excited about. I am ordering my supplies and have my essential oils and carrier oils organized.  I’m looking forward to another year of learning.

Like many families preparing for “Back to School,” I’m excited to get my study space and supplies organized. Only this time, my classroom will be my home office and my apothecary room, my textbooks will smell faintly of essential oils, and my lessons will revolve around the fascinating chemistry of plants.

It’s Not Just About Food, It’s Much More Personal

As exciting as this next chapter of my life will be, it has reminded me of something important.  To learn, concentrate and enjoy this journey, I need energy, good nutrition, and to take care of my health.  That realization has brought me back to one of my biggest personal goals: continuing my weight loss journey.

Weight Loss is not a One and Done Thing

Weight loss isn’t something I accomplish once and then forget about. Like tending a garden, it requires daily attention. Some days are filled with growth. Other days require pulling weeds, adjusting my plans, or simply starting again. Every healthy meal, every walk, every glass of water, and every meal I record is another small seed planted toward the future I want.  That’s one of the reasons Lammas feels so meaningful to me.

Harvest reminds us that today’s abundance began with small choices made months ago.  The same is true for our health.  Every nutritious meal, every healthy habit and every decision to care for ourselves is a seed and eventually becomes part of the harvest.

Gratitude is the Attitude

One of the things I appreciate most about this season is the incredible variety of fresh foods available. Sweet corn, juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, zucchini, peppers, berries, peaches, fragrant herbs, and leafy greens remind me that healthy eating isn’t about deprivation. It’s about celebrating abundance. August is one of the easiest times of year to fill our plates with colorful fruits and vegetables that nourish both body and spirit.  I am very grateful I can grocery shop at a local co-op and grocery stores with abundant produce departments.

Lammas Essential Oils, Colors and Crystals

As an aromatherapist, I also enjoy bringing the spirit of Lammas into my home through fragrance. Essential oils such as frankincense, rosemary, sandalwood, chamomile, eucalyptus, and myrtle evoke feelings of gratitude, grounding, and abundance. Their warm, earthy aromas are a beautiful reminder to pause and appreciate the gifts this season brings.

The colors of Lammas are just as rich and comforting—gold, yellow, orange, green, and brown—reflecting ripened grain, late summer fields, and gardens overflowing with life. If you enjoy working with crystals, this season is often associated with amber, citrine, tiger’s eye, clear quartz, and peridot, each symbolizing abundance, confidence, gratitude, and the light of the harvest season.

Harvest Your Garden

Whether your harvest this year is a flourishing garden, a completed project, a new skill, improved health, or simply finding more peace within yourself, take time to celebrate it.

I’m learning that celebrating Lammas through my weight loss journey, the harvest isn’t measured only by what’s in the pantry or on the scale.  It’s measured by what I’ve learned, the healthy habits I am cultivating and by the courage to begin again every single day.

I’m Ready for the Harvest

As I prepare for another year of aromatic studies, I’m also recommitting myself to nourishing my body with the same care I give to my education and my little herb garden. I want to enter this new season feeling strong, healthy, and grateful for every step forward.

May this Lammas season remind all of us to celebrate our progress, honor the work we’ve done, and trust that even the smallest seeds we plant today can grow into an abundant harvest tomorrow.

What are you harvesting this Lammas season?

Happy Lammas—and happy harvesting.

Aromatherapy Companion                                                    The Mindful Kitchen