Journal Prompts for Lammas

Lammas, celebrated on August 1st in the northern hemisphere (February 1 in the southern hemisphere), marks the first harvest of the year and is rooted in ancient agricultural traditions. The name derives from the Old English "hlaf-mas," meaning "loaf mass," symbolizing gratitude for the grain harvest and the abundance of the earth. Traditionally, Lammas was a time to bake bread from the first grains and offer it in thanks to deities or the land itself. It is a season of gratitude, reflection, and acknowledging the fruits of one’s labor, both literal and metaphorical. Themes of sacrifice, as the grain is cut to sustain life, and renewal, as seeds are saved for future growth, are central to the holiday. (More on the Wheel of the Year holidays here.)

Journaling during Lammas is particularly meaningful because it aligns with the reflective nature of the season. As the first harvest is a time to gather and assess what has grown, journaling invites us to evaluate the “harvest” of our own efforts and intentions over the past months. Writing can help identify accomplishments, acknowledge challenges, and set goals for the remainder of the year. It’s also an opportunity to express gratitude for personal growth and the resources—both physical and emotional—that have supported it. Journaling at Lammas bridges the external harvest with the internal, nurturing a sense of connection between the cycles of nature and personal development. Let’s get started!

25 Journal Prompts for Lammas

Lammas is the first harvest festival on the Wheel of the Year, so it’s a time to think about gratitude. What blessings are you thankful for this Lammas?

What are some of the small moments of abundance that you have experienced recently?

What have you learned to be grateful for over the summer?

How can you express gratitude more often in your daily life?

What personal qualities do you have that have helped you achieve success this year?

What “seeds” did you plant earlier this year, and how have they grown?

Write about a specific plant, tree, or flower that feels significant to you.

What does the concept of “harvest” mean to you personally?

What are you ready to let go of as the seasons shift?

What symbols or objects remind you of growth and abundance?

Lugh, a god associated with Lammas, is known for his spirit of creativity. How have your talents and skills grown over the past year? What skills would you like to grow over the next year?

How do you honor your own creativity in your daily life?

How do you balance creativity with practicality in your life?

How do you handle setbacks while working toward a goal?

Write a thank-you note to your inner creative self.

How do you celebrate the fruits of your labor?

Write about the connections between your skills and the cycles of nature.

Write about the gifts you’ve received from the natural world and how they inspire your creativity.

What fall harvest foods and traditions do you love the most? What do you look forward to from the first harvest?

What qualities make someone a wise creator or leader?

Write about a time when collaboration with others enhanced your work.

How do you (and can you) share your talents to help others or build community?

How are you a leader in your life? How do you nurture your leadership skills?

Write about a time when thinking strategically led you to personal growth.

Write about a time when persistence paid off for you.

The Wheel of the Year

The Wheel of the Year is a spiritual calendar that underscores the cycle of the seasons. It details a web of holidays, or sabbats, that celebrate the natural rhythms of the earth. By honoring this calendar, we can reflect on how the world around us changes, and we can think deeply about the same changes in ourselves.

Living in harmony with the Wheel of the Year can uplift our spiritual practice and ground us in the cycles of the natural world. It's a trip filled with joy, introspection, and interpersonal connections that enhances our lives and provides us with profoundly beautiful and thought-provoking moments. Celebrating the Wheel of the Year invites a deeper, more meaningful life experience characterized by a rhythm that nourishes the spirit and develops a deep appreciation for the wonder around us on earth during every season that passes.

The festive season of Yule, or the winter solstice, marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. The Wheel then turns to Imbolc (February in the northern hemisphere; August in the southern hemisphere), when the earth begins to awaken from its slumber and the sun begins to drive back the shadows. It's the depth of winter, so Imbolc is a perfect tie to review the lessons learned last year and set intentions for the coming seasons. Next is Ostara, the spring equinox, when light and darkness are balanced and the earth officially greets the spring season. The winter season of reflection represented by Imbolc turns to spring celebration at Ostara.

Beltane (May in the northern hemisphere; November in the southern hemisphere) marks the beginning of the summer season. The sun is strong, light abounds, and the earth is full of life. The Wheel of the Year then turns to Litha, or Midsummer (the summer solstice), the longest day and shortest night of the year. The light of the sun is at its strongest and the bright summer season is in full swing. Fire rituals and community celebrations fill the air!

The first harvest festival, Lammas, arrives at the end of summer (August in the northern hemisphere; February in the southern hemisphere). Lammas marks the start of the harvest season, a time of giving thanks and recognizing the yield of our efforts. The sun is starting to shine less every day and the shadows are starting to stretch longer. The second harvest festival, Mabon, is another festive season. The autumnal equinox brings balance to the earth once again, as day and night equalize, inviting us to reflect on harmony and thankfulness.

Finally, the Wheel of the Year's end and beginning is at Samhain, the final community harvest festival. The veil between worlds is thinnest, the world is in shadows, and it is a time for reflection on the past and looking to the future with wisdom. The sun is appearing less every day, and we must light a fire to perform our harvest rituals.

More About Lammas

Now that you have plenty of Lammas journal prompts, would you like to learn more about this festive first harvest season? Here are some places to start.

Lammas Associations.

The God Lugh.

Lammas Meditation. Reflect on the themes of gratitude and the harvest with this seasonal meditation.

Why Keep a Journal?

Journaling is surprisingly beneficial! Writing down your thoughts and experiences can help you process emotions, track personal growth, and even spark creativity. Journal prompts are a good way to get started.

Writing Practice

First, in case this needs to be said, writing more improves your writing skills. Like anything, practice matters when it comes to writing. That means choosing each word as you are writing in your journal can help improve the writing you do in other areas of your life! And these journal prompts are a great place to start your practice.

Reflect on Your Goals

Depending on what you journal about, writing can be an opportunity to focus on your dreams, goals, and in-the-moment progress. Set intentions and write about why you want to achieve the goals you’ve set and brainstorm ways to achieve them. Write about the lessons you learn along the way, too. And don’t forget to track your progress in your journal!

Similarly, you can use your journaling time to think through an aspect of or situation in your life—even simply yourself—to sort out how you feel about it and how you want to address it.

In addition to using the journal prompts above, consider writing in your journal about your plans and goals for the upcoming school year, autumn, work season, or stage of life.

Improve Your Health

Studies are showing that writing in your journal may also reduce stress, improve your immune system response, and even boost your memory. Here’s an article from Intermountain Healthcare about how writing in your journal can improve your life.

How to Start Your Journal

Fortunately, you don’t need much. You need something to write with and something to write on, and at journaling’s most basic, that’s it.

Choose a journal that you like, because if it makes you happy, it will be easier to pick it up and start to fill it with your writing. Consider selecting a journal that reflects something you set intentions on for the first harvest season and beyond.

If you want to use your journal as a book of shadows (a collection of resources for your spiritual craft), look for a book where you can add pages.

Physical Journals

If at all possible, wait before ordering and try to hold your journal in person before you buy it so your expectations are accurate. Get a sense of whether you will reach for it and enjoy using it for your journal prompts. If you must buy it online, read the review section carefully and listen to the specific ones.

Journal Binding

Determine if the journal will lay flat. That is, can you open it to start writing and have it rest open? This will go a long way toward a more pleasant experience for you.

Is the journal’s binding sturdy? It might be difficult to tell when the journal is new, but check reviews or try to get a sense of whether the cover is going to get detached from the block of pages as you write.

Careful with spiral bindings, too. They lay flat really well, but sometimes they’re too loose and pages start to fall out. Look for a sturdy one.

Journal Size

Think about whether your journal’s size suits you. If you’re going to leave it on your desk and write there, maybe you want a bigger trim size. If you’re going to be writing your journal prompts in the coffee shop or reflect on life and art at the art museum, does the journal fit into the space in your purse?

Journal Paper

Consider the paper texture. If it’s too glossy, that limits your pen options. A standard ballpoint will probably write well, but if you want to use pencil or other type of pen, it might not make a mark or it might smear easily. Check the pages too; is there enough space between lines for your words to fit?

Journal Extras

This isn’t necessary, but a ribbon marker is a nice touch on a journal.

If this is going to be a portable journal, an elastic closure keeps it from splaying open inside your bag. Other clasps can be bulkier, so make sure the journal still lays open comfortably for writing if you look at those.

Digital Journals

What the world of digital journals lacks in book-nerd cache, it more than makes up for in portability and convenience. (And you'll never fill all the space and have to buy another!)

They’re especially handy if you’re journaling about ideas you might want to use later—don’t underestimate a good search feature.

You also have plenty of free and very inexpensive options, from Google docs to specialized apps like Penzu.

Tips for Establishing a Journaling Habit

Establishing a habit can take time, and that amount of time varies. So while you are starting out, it’s worth it to focus on intentionally creating space and time for your new practice and exploring some journaling ideas that you might like to incorporate. There's really no perfect time or right moment on the wheel of the year to get started. So set intentions, grab some journal prompts, and just try to just start in the moment.

Preparing a Journaling Spot

Think about what will invite you in. Create an irresistibly comfortable place to write. Stock it with your favorite pens and journal (and journal prompts!). Will you fill your mug with tea while you write? What else will help you get writing in your journal?

While you’re at it, remove any obstacles that will keep you from your writing rituals.

Setting an alarm

Pick a time of day to write and set up a recurring calendar appointment to remind you.

Intentionally make space to write at that exact time for the next few weeks, until you’re comfortable enough with the habit to vary it. The perfect time may vary after that, but you'll always remember to spend time with your writing.

Setting a timer

If it feels overwhelming to sit down and write for an indeterminate amount of time, explore setting a timer for 10 minutes and telling yourself to write that long.

Too long? Try to write for 5 minutes.

Still too long? Try writing one line a day.

Trying a habit tracker

Add journal prompts to your favorite habit tracker, be it standalone or in your planner. There’s nothing that brings as much joy as filling in another habit tracker box! Do check in with yourself occasionally to see if the tracker is still serving you or if you can give it a rest. In the meantime, make your rituals second nature by tracking them.

(We have a few downloadable habit trackers if you need one!)

Make Journaling Your Future

Please feel free to try and discard—or just use for inspiration—any of these journaling ideas. Personalize your practice, choose prompts to write on if you want to, and create something that works for you throughout the entire wheel of the year. Happy journaling!

More Journal Prompts

If you have set intentions about journaling and are looking for more journal prompts after Lammas, you can find plenty of options here.