Lughnasadh morning dawned wet but by the afternoon became sunny and humid. Harvest season starts with the traditional celebaration of the grain harvest. The Anglo-Saxon word for Autumn is “Haerfest”, this is where the word “harvest” is derived from. Lammas another name for this time is from the Old English term “Hlafmaesse” meaning “Loaf Mass”. It refers to the ceremony of blessing the first bread. This was made from that year’s harvest. This ceremony was done to give thanks and for the safe gathering in of a bountiful harvest.

To mark this time of year, the simple act of making one’s own bread is a wonderful thing to do. Whilst making the dough think of all that has grown in one’s life from seeds planted earlier in the year. These can be physical seeds or metaphorical seeds. Intentions which were set and have germinated. The making of this loaf is symbolic of your own gathering in and when cooked a symbol of the year’s first harvest. Giving a blessing of thanks it can be used in ceremony for your own Loaf Mass.

The gathering in of crops varies from region to reigon and depends on the season. This year has been very, very wet here. The land flooded and saturated for long periods, it’s been a very difficult growing season. As such all manner of pollinators and insects are struggling. The consequence being pollination is low. Our bean plants keep flowering but aren’t getting pollinated.

To mark the start of The Autum Quarter and Lughnasadh, this video shows the transition from rain to sun. It marks the start of the harvest season, already underway here from the middle of July. The act of placing sacred objects to mark the season, a walk to see the fruits of the year ripening in the hedgerows and the recording of soothing nature sounds and rain.

Whilst Autumn will gradually slip into our consciousness and the days continue to be warm. The nights are already begining to creep in as we progress through the darker half of the year. The end of the season culminates with the Apple harvest.

Let’s celebrate the shifting year and my favourite season.

Happy Lughnasadh

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