It's Harvest Time!

The produce aisle at the grocery store is overflowing with colorful treats from mother earth and people trying to pick a good piece of fruit. The days are hot and steamy and

farmer's markets are sprouting up in empty parking lots and city side walks. Sweet corn signs are everywhere, the line for fresh baked bread goes on for days and sunflowers the size of your head are sold by the bushel. We've reached the halfway point between summer solstice and the autumn equinox. It's time for Lughnasadh, the first harvest. Pronounced loo-nah-sa, the Celtic Sun God Lugh (Loo) is honored at this time. There are many spelling variations and different names for this sabbat. Lunasa is the Gaelic word for the sabbat and the month of August. Other names for the sabbat are August Eve, First Harvest and Lammas. Lammas is a common name and it means "loaf-mass" most likely because of the grains harvested at this time and subsequent bread making. Native American traditions refer to this time as the Festival of Green Corn and honor the Corn Grandmother.

The first of three harvests (followed by Mabon and Samhain), a major theme for this sabbat is abundance. It's a hard trend to miss because it's everywhere you look. Gardens are teaming with bright flowers, farms head into overdrive to bring in the harvest and there is a lot to choose from. Grains, corn, fruits and veggies, abundance is everywhere. At this time of year, we also begin our farewell to the sun. Nights have come earlier since the summer solstice and the shorter days are more noticeable now. Despite the raging heat we experience now, this is the beginning of the end of summer.

Lughnasadh Colors

Gold

Green

Brown

Orange

Yellow

White

Themes

Abundance

Fertility

Gratitude

Harvest

Renewal

Regrets and Farewells

Not that Sirius...

...This Sirius

Random Fact: I'm sure you've probably heard the term Dog Days of Summer, right? Ever wonder where it came from?? It's all Sirius' fault. Sirius is part of the constellation Canis Major or Big Dog and it's one of Orion's hunting dogs. At this time of year, when Sirius rises with the sun, ancient Romans and Greeks believed Sirius (from the Greek word seirios meaning scorcher or glowing) added fuel to the sun's fire causing more heat to beat down on them. Ancient Egyptians recognized that the Nile's flooding season began when Sirius showed up and this marked the beginning of the fertile season in the valleys.

So it's Lughnasadh, what are you gonna do? Here are some ideas:

Corn Dolly

Go on a nature walk
Wander through a farmer's market
Bake some bread
Make corn dollies
Volunteer at a local farm
By some extra fruits and veggies for someone that may not be able to afford them
Bring home some sunflowers
Throw a potluck dinner party
Get your hands dirty with some gardening
Reflect on where you are in life: what have you been working on? Is it flourishing or do you need to rework your plans?
Take time for gratitude and count your blessings. You're probably way more blessed than you realize. Here's a simple gratitude exercise for Lughnasadh.

You'll need a candle (preferably one of the colors mentioned above), a pen and paper or journal, a jar and some kernels of corn (You can use anything related to the season. Kernels are just a suggestion.)
Light the candle and spend some breathing deeply and reflecting.
Then, count your blessings. Really go deep and express everything you are grateful for. Say them out loud. Each one counts as a kernel and should be added to the jar. Eventually the jar will begin to fill up and you'll start to see there is much more in your life to be grateful for than you may have realized. Keep the jar and continue to add to it during the harvest season.
Once you're done with the jar spend some time journaling, focusing on the themes of Lughnasadh.
You can do this with your family, group or alone.