Lughnasadh

The first harvest

Grove Park and Ardington from Kingsgrove. John Barleycorn and a stormy sky.

I’ve been delving deeply into what Lughnasadh, the next turn in the wheel of the year, means to me this week. I’ve followed the wheel of the year for many years now and have felt less of a connection to Lughnasadh than others - this year I have learned so much more about this special time of year and how I can incorporate my practices to connect with the Goddess, nature and myself at this time.

Creating a ceremony of simple things - a posy of garden flowers, now turning red and orange as the summer fades.

I have learned that this festival is like many others, a day upon which several traditions mark the seasons. Lammas, or ‘loaf-mass’ is the traditional English folk celebration of John Barleycorn - the harvest of the wheat and barley which is sacrificed so it can provide us with bread, beer, whiskey and feed for the animals which will sustain us through the winter. More excellent writing on this and the astrological forecast from Christine Cleere here below…

A Brave New World?

The Gaelic traditions of Garland Sunday and Lughnasadh have also given me food for thought. The former, a feast day of thanksgiving for the harvest and of pilgrimage, reminded me of the importance of the gathering of women in the community, something which happened rarely but was a great joy in my great-grandmother’s time but which we are slowly remembering now. I am looking forward to holding a women’s circle here in Wantage on 12th August - do send me a message if you are in the Shire and feel called to join us around the fire.

Lughnasadh, named after Lugh, the Celtic God of many skills and part of the Tuatha Dé Danann pantheon of deity to which my own beloved Brigid also belongs. In one of the legends I have read about Lugh, we find him memorializing his stepmother Tailtiu by hosting a series of games of athletic pursuit. The imagery of these funeral games, linked to this soulful and bountiful time of year has resonated deeply within me. We gather and preserve our first fruits, the wheat and the barley, the tomatoes and courgettes all the while with a deep knowing that the darkness will return and we must turn inwards once again.

At this turn of the wheel I am considering what I am harvesting from the seeds I sowed at Imbolc. And the sacrifices I will need to make to sustain me in the winter. I am tired, but not quite in burnout like I have been in so many previous years. I am better at self advocacy and I am looking towards developing more ease and flow in this. The fierceness protects me but I can ease it a little now to welcome in more peace, to allow it to be real and to benefit from it.

Practically, I have turned to the garden to harvest and preserve shallots, blueberries bottled in a bay leaf syrup (from a recipe by the inimitable Pam Corbin) and a killer tomato ketchup from the same book (River Cottage Preserves) which is so good that I’ll have to make a few more batches. Next up are the garlics - some to be pickled and some to be plaited up for the stores. Tomorrow we will use some flour from the local mill to transform into pizzas with some of our produce as toppings - perfect fuel for a playdate for the little ones and a nice way for us to connect with the turning of the wheel together.

We’ve also got herbs harvested and dried waiting to be processed for tea, baths, saining and healing. My Brigid priestess training is now turning towards the creative and the nurturing as we delve into Her aspect as Bridget the Mother.

In this time of reflection and abundance, I am reminded to practise gratitude. A gentle noticing of the gifts of the Great Mother. This weekend we went to our local spring, Alfred’s Well, to dress the well with rose petals and a clootie of natural hemp material, a crystal and lavender and rose from the garden which was made by my daughter. She is growing so much and is now a fierce adventurer, climbing the trees and fearlessly navigating the stream to connect with the elements. Now she is asking to do more ‘naturey stuff’ which will be exciting for us all. My husband and son also got to connect with the energy of the deer as they came across a muntjac on their way around the brook. My son is becoming more confident too, beckoning me to cross the brook with him. We drummed and sang, connected with some people in the community but most importantly with each other.

This is why I am making a personal resolve to journal more and to connect here. In these wild heady days of summer holidays, tumbling into autumn, I must not forget the abundance in my life and I will show my gratitude.

I will also be attempting some chats here soon so do join along with the things that are bringing you joy at this time of year.

Bright Blessings