Happy Lughnasadh!

Today is one of the most important feast days of the year, which is centered around the harvest, for me this usually means harvesting herbs, but also has been important for grains in times past. There are a couple of things that I thought could be mentioned here on this special day - one is why bother to celebrate and the other is about the spiritual connection of this time.

First of all, why do we celebrate anything with feasting and ritual or ceremony? Perhaps if we look more closely at our ancestors the answers lie somewhere in the past. Observing and keeping a special day alive, increases the inner connections to it deep within our psyche. We actually establish energetic ties to these holidays through this binding of ourselves to its significance.

Mark the day and you create an energy bridge within over which you can travel to find deeper meaning and understanding in your life.

As I discuss in my book The Pagan Diet©, the year revolves around the sun like a wheel reflecting inner time and cycles. Once we start walking a spiritual path, it is important to develop a relationship with all of these special aspects of ourselves as they also mirror our human journey in the outer world.

Thus, the month of August is seen as the culmination, an ending and completion of a full phase in our lives and one cycle fully fulfilled by following the path around the sun. The projects, hopes, dreams, wishes and desires (at least some of them) that have been worked on consistently throughout the year should now be coming to fruition. 

Completing another phase or stage of the spiritual path is incredibly important and should be cause for celebration, just as planting seeds, weeding, tending the young plants and encouraging your garden to grow is vital work for a family. Each person in the family benefits from the effort placed into this project and everyone is wiser for having walked the path during the year.

In this way, the ancient ones who honoured us by keeping the old ways alive have left many footprints for us to follow in. Of course, the calendar shows us that the most precious spiritual link is to be found within these carefully selected dates and changing of each season. What has long been known is that as spiritual beings we are not separate from the world around us, but merely a reflection of its' mystery. 

So, today is a feast day - there should be plenty of food (local, organic, fresh) and clean water, herbs for cooking, tea and in salads, homemade soda breads using ancient grains such as oats, spelt and millet and perhaps fish or lamb with gently cooked root vegetables. 

Then tonight, light a candle, or a small fire outside if you can, while you contemplate how far you have come this past year, all that you have to be thankful for and your harvest from the work you have done. If there is rain, create your circle inside around your dinner table with the people you care most about and make more plans for this next sun cycle - and remember, when you dream, dream big!

Have a happy day,

April

Herbs drying in the kitchen