To my friends, my kin.
Our great seasonal wheel has spiralled us through Winter’s dark nights, Spring’s budding delights, and Summer’s clear sights, to bring us to our harvests that all take place through the gorgeous season of Lughnasa. This first harvest marks the hottest time of the year; the high heat closing of the dog days of Summer, ending the heliacal rise of Sirius’ journey across our sky. Sirius heralds the change in seasons, and from its bright distant call, we can know that as the light and heat will gently start to fade, so must we begin our harvests.
For those in the Southern hemisphere, you will be greeting the rise of Spring - see Imbolc for all things ‘you’ at this time.
Please take a moment to read Jen Murphy of The Celtic Creatives’ post about our beloved Lugh; it is well worth your while and includes an excerpt from her beautiful retelling of Cath Maige Tuired (‘Second Battle of Mag Tuired’) where Lugh looks to gain entry to the court of the Tuatha Dé Danann…
I also offer you two podcasts devoted to this festival:
Hoof and horn, hoof and horn
All that dies shall be reborn
Corn and grain, corn and grain,
All that falls shall rise again
Transformation, strength, accomplishment, pride, celebration of the first harvest, the grain harvest - Lughnasadh is a time for honoring all that has been achieved in the warmth of the summer sun, while starting our gentle walk away from the light towards the darker half of the year.
Lughnasadh
Welcome dear ones to the Sixth Festival of the year that is Lughnasadh - the first of the three harvest festivals. It is high summer. Fields, crops, and orchards have been drinking in the summer rains, hosting the blessed bees, bats, and butterflies, and growing fruits, grains, nuts, and berries. This first harvest festival is also referred to as Lammas…
In this offering, we explore the story of Lugh, the Great Goddess Tailtu, and the festival celebrating their myth at this time of year. We pause through poetry and reflection to honor our divinity, wounds, and healing journeys. And we close with a rattling to honor the Sun Gods and the well Divine Masculine energy in our world. May you and all you hold dear be blessed by the radiance of the Sun, the Season, of the Ancient Ones honored by this festival, Lugh and Tailtiu. I wish you a beautiful, sacred, and health-filled high summer festival of Lughnasadh!
In Truth
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