Seven Thrift Ideas for Your Wheel of Year Celebration
The Wheel of the Year sabbats are opportunities to pause and celebrate the changing of the seasons, both within and around you. When you are just starting out, it can feel like you have to buy all.the.things in order to celebrate each sabbat properly.
The Wheel of the Year sabbats are opportunities to pause and celebrate the changing of the seasons, both within and around you. When you are just starting out, it can feel like you have to buy all.the.things in order to celebrate each sabbat properly. You may need certain items like candles or vessels, or fabric in a specific color that corresponds with that sabbat. Or maybe you are throwing a dinner party and need additional place settings and serving dishes. Thrift stores, charity shops and even yard sales are all great places to stock up on items for your Wheel of the Year celebrations.
Anyone who’s been following along on my Instagram knows that I love thrift store finds. Most of my home decor is thrifted or second hand finds. I love thrifting because it's affordable and more sustainable than buying new. I can often find higher quality items than what is available in local box stores.
Here are seven things that you can usually find for pennies on the dollar at your local thrift store:
Candles
I often find nice quality candles, new in the original packaging at my local thrift store. Candles are useful for altars, centerpieces or add a specialness to an ordinary day. Imbolc especially embodies candles as part of its celebration.
Dishes
A beautiful table doesn’t have to cost a lot of money (looking at you Pottery Barn). I love (and I mean LOVE) picking up vintage dishes whenever I’m thrifting. I am especially partial to Blue Willow china because it’s easy to find and adds an instant charm to any meal. Plus it reminds me of Jessica Fletcher’s kitchen from Murder She Wrote.
Along with place settings, I have scored most of my nice serving dishes from my local thrift store, including mixing bowls, various size platters, small serving vessels and pitchers.
Table Linens
Along the same lines of thrifted dishes, thrifted table linens are an easy and inexpensive way to dress up your dinner table. Along with vintage tablecloths and napkins, I often pick up handmade doilies and dresser scarves to use throughout my house or on my altar, if I am setting one up.
Picture Frames
I love adding framed printable art and quotes to my seasonal decor. It’s usually free or very low cost and easy to swap out as the seasons change. To make my thrifted frames look more cohesive, I’ll often give a mismatched collection a coat of spray paint. And whenever I find an oversized frame (bigger than 8x10) I’ll grab it, because they are harder to find and surprisingly pricy to buy new.
Baskets
Woven baskets offer beauty and function for your entire house. I use them for holding bread on the dinner table, to store magazines or craft projects and corral clutter in my office. In the autumn, to celebrate Mabon, I like filling small baskets with dried flower bouquets from the garden and placing a larger basket of fresh red apples on our kitchen counter.
Faux Greenery
Not everyone has ready access or a budget for fresh flowers and greenery, especially in the winter months. Thrift stores are an excellent place for scoring gently used fake plants, picks and flowers. I use faux greenery to add a little color and texture to places in my house where real plants won’t make it, such as my kitchen which gets little direct sunlight. For my Wheel of the Year celebrations, I will add faux greenery for sabbat decorations.
Now, some might argue that using fake greens goes against the very essence of a nature based spiritual path. I argue that it is the intent that you have when using any item, real or fake. Plus I feel it's a bit elitist to assume that everyone can pick up a fresh bouquet of flowers for their Wheel of the Year celebration. I say do what you can, where you are, with what you have.
Clothes
Easily half of my wardrobe is thrifted. If you are looking for a special outfit for your Wheel of the Year celebration, thrift stores and consignment shops are a great place to look. ThredUp is another resource, if you don’t live near any good quality second hand clothing stores. I wrote a whole post on how to shop online for thrifted clothes. Buying second hand clothes is one of the best ways to avoid fast fashion and reduce the environmental footprint of your wardrobe.
As you plan for your next Wheel of the Year celebration, I hope that these tips have helped inspire you. Be sure to visit the Member’s Library for Free Wheel of the Year Printables, calendars, art and more!
Quinoa Craisin Walnut Salad
This easy summer salad makes a great addition to your Lughnasadh celebration
This is one of my favorite dishes to make in the summer. It’s quick and easy and perfect for humid summer evenings when I don’t want to do a lot of cooking. It also makes for a fun addition to a Lughnasadh dinner party.
Ingredients
1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
½ cup craisins
½ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup chopped scallions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
Directions
Cook quinoa as directed on the package. Let cool to room temperature.
In a mixing bowl, mix quinoa with the rest of the ingredients. If it tastes bland, try adding in a dash more balsamic vinegar and/ or salt
Chill for an hour before serving.
Serves eight buffet portions, four side portions or two entrée portions.
The History of Lughnasadh & Lammas
Lammas or Lughnasadh? What’s the difference? Ancient Celts and Anglo Saxons celebrated the first harvest of grain…
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In the Wheel of the Year August 1st is the sabbat holiday of Lughnasadh, named for the Celtic Sun God, Lugh. August 1 is also known as Lammas, an Anglo Saxon tradition celebrating the first grain harvest of the growing season. Modern pagan groups including Wiccan and practicing witches often observe both of these ancient traditions, melding elements from each into a modern day Lughnasadh celebrations.
A History of Lughnasadh
Lughnasadh is named after Lugh, a prominent figure from Irish mythology. Because ancient Celtic people did not have written history, much of Irish mythology is interpreted through the writings of Romans and later on, Christian monks. The Roman emperor, Julius Caesar likened Lugh to the Roman deity Mercury and as such Lugh is considered a warrior and portrayed as the god of craftsmanship, including blacksmithing and wheel making.
One version of the origins of Lughnasadh is that Lugh wanted to throw a festival to honor his foster mother Tailtiu, who died of exhaustion from clearing the plains in Ireland for agriculture. The other origin story is that Lughnasadh was a celebration of Lugh’s marriage. The festival coincided with the first grain harvest of the growing season. Grains like wheat, barley, oats and corn were vital for surviving the long cold winters of the Northern Hemisphere. So it makes sense that the first harvest of grain was a cause for celebration, with or without the Irish Sun God. On August 1 grain would be harvested in the dawn hours and by evening it was baked into a loaf of bread to be shared by the community.
A History of Lammas
Like Yule, Imbolc and Ostara, in certain parts of Europe the ancient celebration of Lughnasadh and the first grain harvest was melded with Christianity during the early middle ages, as the influence of the Christian church spread. Early Christians would take the first loaf of bread from the harvest to the local church and be blessed by a priest, leading to the Old English term Hlaf Maesse, or Loaf Mass, which is where the term Lammas comes from.
Lughnasadh Symbols & Elements
As part of the Wheel of the Year, Lughnasadh is associated with symbols of mid and late summer. Sunflowers, sheaves of grain, and harvest tools such as scythes are all symbolize Lughnasadh. Colors associated with Lughnasadh are drawn largely from nature, including bold shades of yellow, bright greens and orange. Stones associated with Lughnasadh include citrine, peridot, carnelian, gold topaz, clear quartz, and amber.
Celebrating Lughnasadh Today
Lughnasadh, and later on Lammas, are both forerunners of the modern county agricultural fairs and festivals. They are more like seasons than a specific holiday or event such as Litha and the Summer Solstice or Mabon and the Autumn Equinox. Thinking about Lughnasadh in this way takes the pressure off of doing one specific celebration on August 1. You can spread out the fun through the month, or celebrate when it works for your schedule.
There are many ways to celebrate Lughnasadh today. Baking bread and sharing with others is a popular way to honor the traditional grain celebration, giving thanks for the abundance in your life. If you’re not a baker or just don’t have the time, there is nothing wrong with using a store-bought loaf of bread instead. Remember the Wheel of the Year isn’t about doing things perfectly; the true magick comes from the intentions you set forth as you practice and celebrate.
Another way to celebrate Lughnasadh on a more personal note is by decorating an altar with Lughnasadh symbols, colors and elements. Taking time to set up your altar and then spending time in meditation offers a way to connect with your inner spirit and take stock of what you have and think about what you’d like to invite into your life. It is also just a great way to slow down from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Gathering with friends and families for a Lughnasadh potluck is also a fun way to celebrate the high point of summer. Along with freshly baked bread, other popular Lughnasadh foods include blackberries, early apples, corn, grains like quinoa, oats or barley and wine and beer. Again, if you are not into spending a day in the kitchen cooking, pick up some premade items from the grocery store. I love incorporating items I don’t usually buy during the rest of the year into my Lughnasadh dinners such as hearty artisan bread from a local bakery, locally made beers from a small batch brewery and rich wines flavored with late summer fruits. These simple items are an easy way to elevate a regular dinner into something special. Grab the Free Lughnasadh Celebration Guide in the Mabon House Members Library.