Welcome to the midweek moment in the Council Blog on our new website! We will probably still do some Facebook videos but the majority of the Council’s musings will now be here.
This coming Sunday (August 1st) Covenant of the River will be celebrating Lughnasadh with ritual and fellowship at the River Hall. We have much to celebrate at this time of First Harvest, not the least of which is that we will be honoring this high holyday in person in our sacred space!
Lughnasadh, also known as Lammas, is a time of beautiful breads and dinner spreads shared among the community. Lughnasadh celebrations can include competitive games, copious homegrown flower arrangements and counting the blessings of the past year. It is a time to walk among the lush fields and give thanks for the bounty in our lives, both that which we can see now and that which we trust will come with the turning season. Gratitude is shown to our folk and our gods for all that is good in our lives.
While many of us are not physically harvesting wheat or any vegetable in mass quantities, we can still pause at Lughnasadh and be proud of what we have in this modern world. The First Harvest is a time to recognize the skills it takes to make our personal goals bear fruit. The manifestation of healthy children, full pantries and clean swept porches takes effort and hope just like a crop of barley or strawberries. The time you have spent breathing to find your center and the prayers you have sent to struggling loved ones counts as part of your harvest, in my opinion. Offerings can be made for the grace you have been given and for the grace you have maintained. While many traditional Lughnasadh themes center on food, I would encourage you to look at what else sustains you for this life requires more than food for sustenance.
May the gods and good spirits continue to guide us on the path that feeds our souls and fuels our passions. May you find blessings around your hearth and in the faces of your beloveds.
~Jean Loomis
