Harvest isn't limited to the fields and orchards. All winter we reflect and make plans. In spring we put our plans in motion, plant and nurture our hopes and dreams. Summer is about soaking in the energy and staying the course. Then, with Lughnasadh, we begin to see the fruits of our labors. What a sweet thing that is, to see your efforts having an effect and knowing the coolness of autumn is ahead.
Economically, this year has been lean. Even leaner than the year before it. Many of us have had small "crops" this summer and much hardship. In my area, unemployment claims spiked in June and yet the blackberries did bloom and fruit. It is a comforting thing that though the machinations of men may falter and fail, nature carries on. In these endless cycles is our joy. The sun rises without fail, the moon is constant in her waxing and waning, and the seasons and heavens are mostly predictable.
Lughnasadh is the joy that springs forth from this constancy. Our ancestors, our long history, are our firm support. The sacrifices they made enable us to build on their achievements to hand over to the next generation. Firmly rooted in the cycles of sun, moon, and seasons they cared for the fields, celebrated the cycle of the year, ever constant in its endless transformations.
The summer is fleeting. The heat and long days shall not last. Taste the berries sweet from the vine. Bake new bread. Savor the first sweet tastes of the harvest with friends and carry golden memories with you into the autumn!
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