Merry Meet Everyone!
As the summer speeds by and the commercials for back-to-school clothes and supplies flood the media outlets, I am reminded again how fast time gets by me. Being a Witch doesn't necessarily mean I can influence time or slow it down any. I have the same 24 hours in a day that everyone else does, and the Wheel of the Year keeps turning!
Lughnassadh or Lammas as some call it, is right around the corner. Some of you may wonder what calendar I use, as many Wiccans or Pagans have already celebrated Lammas or Lughnassadh on August 1st and or 2nd. I subscribe to the belief that the cross-quarter holidays should be celebrated on the zodiacal point on the calendar, not on a specific date. Thus, Lughnassadh would be celebrated this year on the eve of August 6th and the day of August 7th. These dates are determined by the cross-quarter day being at 4:21 am EST on Wednesday August 7th the Sun reaches 15 degrees of Leo, and the New Moon occurring at 5:51 pm Tuesday August 6th. Thus, the holiday would begin after sundown the 6th and continue into the day on the 7th.
For a busy single Mom working full-time at a mundane job and trying to keep a arts and crafts website going, and now a blog, I sometimes let the everyday things get in the way of practicing my craft. I sometimes forget the new moons and barely acknowledge the full moons. It is equally difficult sometimes to make extra time to celebrate the turning of the wheel.
This Lughnassadh is different from last year only in two ways. First, I am a year older, and so is everything around me, and Second, I have a day to prepare! Never let it be said that Witches can't be crafty! How will I celebrate this year differently than last year? I will say an extra prayer of Thanks to the Goddess and the God for all that I have been blessed with this past year.
Lugnassadh is the first of the three Harvest Festivals. This would be the Fruit and fresh Vegetable Harvest. This is the time of the year the all the fruits are coming into their most perfect ripeness. Think of a fresh peach and what it feels like to bite into it and have the juices run down your chin! If you haven't experienced this, it is definitely a must-try! This is the perfect time of year to plan a trip out to a farm and pick your own berries or fruit. If you don't live in an area where you can do this, there are still ways to celebrate. If you have the luxury of having your own garden, you are blessed for certain!
One of the best ways to celebrate the Lughnassadh holiday is to just give thanks for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon you during the past year since the last holiday. If you can get out to a produce stand where you can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables just picked from the trees or vines, that is second best to being able to pick your own. If you can't do that, go to your local grocer and "pick" the best of what they have available by paying attention to the pieces you choose. Really think about where the fruit or vegetable came from. It grew from the earth, from the fresh rains and sunshine. If you can afford organic, all the better.
The main way to celebrate the Lughnassadh holiday is to take whatever time you can to be present in your own reality, and make the holiday your own.
Blessed Be everyone, and Merry Part!
