Celebrating your harvest

Did you know that we're just at the point of the first harvest of the year,  known as Lughnasadh or Lammas a harvest celebration beginning at sundown on the eve of the 31st of July until sundown on August 1st and derives its name from the Irish God Lugh. In Wales, this time is known simply as Gwl Awst, the August Feast. Lugh is associated with the power of sun and light, and so fires were burned in honor of Him on this day. In addition to his associations with light, Lugh is a God of Skill and Craft, a master of all human skills. On this his feast day, it is particularly appropriate that we celebrate our own abilities and skills.

The word ‘Lammas’ is an Old English word meaning ‘Loaf Mass’ celebrating the first harvesting of crops, the first of three harvest festivals.

Earlier today I read a lovely post on facebook  about Lammas /Lughnasadh from one of my most favourite little shops in Glastonbury "Starchild", I've included it below:

"The Earth is moving away slowly from the Sun, giving way to subtle changes in the weather. The ‘big easy’ feeling of the Summer comes to quite an abrupt end although there may be one last push of fertility yet to come. Things that may have been postponed earlier may surface again. It will soon become very evident what kind of fruits you will have to harvest. The winners will be those that can share the bounty of their harvests and consider the needs of others as much as their own. Harvest time is about sharing as well as stocking up your own shelves".

I wonder have you taken the time to consider your harvest? What seeds did you plant way back in the spring and are they blossoming now?

It is a time to ask ourselves:  “What are my talents?  What are my skills?   How do I express my creativity?  How do I use my abilities to re-craft my world ... to add beauty .... colour ... richness?

Oh and as  I type a little spider has just run across the computer screen in perfect timing !
( Exert from What's-your- sign.com)
"The Spider is an ancient symbol of mystery, power and growth.

We take our first lesson from the ancient symbol of the Spider by contemplating its web.

Just as the Spider weaves a web, so too must we weave our own lives. The Spider symbol meaning here serves as a reminder that our choices construct our lives. When the Spider appears to us, it is a message to be mindful of the choices we are making - and ask ourselves:

• How are my choices affecting my life?
• How can my choices improve my life?
• How are my choices affecting others in my life?

Not only do Spiders and their webs draw attention to our life choices, they also give us an overview of how we can change our thinking in order to construct the life we wish to live.

Spiders do this by calling our awareness to the amazing construction of their webs. Fully functional, practical, and ingenious in design - Spider webs serve as homes, food storage, egg incubators - seemingly limitless in their functionality.

When we consider this ingenious diversity, we can also consider the web-like construct of our own lives."

How are we designing the most effective life?
Or where have we set seeds to bring us a bountiful harvest?

Is your first harvest a bountiful one? Are there changes you wish to make to ensure your harvest blossoms to its fullest?

This is a perfect time to reflect on the abundance in your life, to celebrate, to give gratitude and to share in that with those around you.

Just as the crops need tending to with loving care, with sun and rain to bring growth, so do we. Are you tending to your life with loving care? Can you take the time to bask in the sun, feel the joy of life and feed your soul ? Are you able to move with the ebb and flow, bend with the breeze and still feel you have a rich harvest?

This is the perfect time ... right now.... as you read this....
Take out some paper and a pen, or even some coloured pencils or crayons and capture all that you have to harvest.

Draw, write , doodle it matters not.... just take the time to review where you're at, what you're grateful for and to take stock of your wonderful bounty.

But what if my crops have failed? I hear you ask...

what a perfect time to choose to recognise what you do have, make changes towards what you'd rather have and celebrate the journey, as it's in the experience that the nuggets of gold are found.

Your harvest may just as importantly be your learnings, your growth, your life experiences...... harvest those, for they are the fabric of life and the golden thread that weaves your path ahead.

Until next time,
make every moment count.
Happy Harvest everyone !
Lisa xxx