Lammas/Lughnasadh- August 1
First
Harvest/First Fruits
In traditional lore,
Lughnasadh is the celebration of the First of the three Harvest Holy days. It is still summer, hot, and the work of the
harvest has begun. Whether on a farm or
gathering from the wild, NOW is the time when we begin to take stock, harvest
the fruits which have grown, and preserve and store them away for leaner
seasons. For many people that means
harvesting the wheat to make flour and bread for the COLD winter months ahead,
but here in the
We too are in the midst of our summer, and
the first fruits are indeed ripening, in ABUNDANCE. Instead of corn, wheat and flowers, we are
now harvesting the wild fruits of our desert home. Ruby red and sparkling like jewels within,
the prickly pear fruit is beaconing from every roadside. When I see the deep red fruit on the spiny
cactus, my mouth waters, but the prickly pear is WELL protected from would be
harvesters like myself, or hungry animals.
Long and sharp spines, and glochids, the nearly invisible but very
painful hairs, cover the fruits. Picking
a prickly pear fruit is no easy matter.
It requires long hours in the HOT desert sun, or in the pouring
rain. To pick the fruits, it is best to
use tongs, and have a soft bristled brush to brush away all the spiny glochids
from the sweet fruit. Once you’ve
accomplished that, there is the process of slicing, seeding, juicing, canning
or drying the fruits. The pink juice is
sweet and warm and full of the desert.
The prickly pear is one of the MOST ABUNDANT fruits of the desert, but
is very well protected. It reminds us
that the sweetest things in life often times come at a price, of hard work, or
sticky thorns. Sometimes you have work hard
and deal with the annoying and painful little things that try to prevent you
from relishing in the sweetness of dreams or goals accomplished. In addition to the prickly pear, mesquite
pods and acorns are swelling. Both are
highly nutritious fruits of the desert, which like the prickly pear, require a
bit of work to reap the benefits from.
You have to grind those sweet mesquite pods into flour for baking or
teas or smoothies. Acorns, though they
can be collected from the ground below the magnificent oak trees, many species
will require hours of leaching and many changes of water to make them
palatable. All this work of harvesting
and processing serves as a reminder of the hard work necessary to achieve
anything worthwhile. Nourishing our
spirits and our bodies takes work, and a conscious effort. Lammastide in the desert is the time to take
stock of our goals, and our needs. Long
ago in the cooler spring we planted the seeds of ideas, dreams, hopes and
self-care. Now we look around us to see
what has grown up into fruit. We see
what we’ve accomplished, and how well we’ve taken care of our needs. We now need to put in that last strong effort
of the season to preserve the lessons learned and knowledge gained.
Summer in the desert is no picnic either. For one thing, temperatures are extreme,
almost unbearable at times. The 110
degree air in June tingles on your skin.
It is the time of year when most people hole up inside with the A/C on
full blast, and the true desert rats come out early in the morning to make use
of the only cool time of day. By July
we’ve had enough, and shortly thereafter the monsoon rains come. It is
precisely the arrival of the rains that prompts the fruiting of desert
harvest. Most plants are setting seed
during the time of the rains, in hopes that the fleeting moisture will be
enough to germinate seeds and start new plants growing before the drought in
the fall. At Lammas we can truly give
thanks to Mother Earth for her bountiful harvest, and for the blessed cooling rains. It is a respite from the burning heat and
drought of the desert. Summer is the
time of new life and flourishing in the desert.
It the “prime’ of the desert, and perhaps we feel at our “prime’ as
well. Healthy, full of life, dancing in
the rain, and lush with moisture. It is
a time of celebrating our lives, and our growth. Lammas is about giving thanks for the
abundance of Mother Earth’s gifts to us, in the form of food, learning and
prosperity. At Lammas in the desert, we
truly see Mother Earth’s bounty. At few
other times is there so much to eat, so much water, and so much green! What is abundant in your life that you can
give thanks for? What prosperous
endeavors have you began, or would like to begin? Now is the time!
But we should also remember that the monsoon
rains are not always gentle either.
Though they are a blessing to all life in the desert, the powerful
storms can be destructive and fearsome as well.
High winds and lightning set fires a blaze, destroying all in its
path. 200 year old cactus can be toppled
overnight. Flooding washes and roads
carry away unsuspecting drivers or wash away earth that was once sturdy. Sometimes it is hard to see a few feet in
front of you when the rains are coming down so hard. Lightning and thunder close to home startle
and frighten us with the loud, soul shaking cracks. Summer is full of life and growth, but there
is also destruction. Destruction is NOT
always a negative thing. Sometimes the
summer rains have come to wash away what is old and not needed in our
lives. Sometimes we are faced with
storms in our lives that challenge us to grow through them. They are there to remind us of what is
important to us, what we must hold on to, and what we should let go of or
sacrifice. Sacrifice is another theme of
the season; the grain god sacrifices himself so that we may eat. Sometimes we too must make sacrifices, let
go, and let it be washed away by the falling or flooding rains Sometimes we can’t see what is in front of
us, or what is coming next. Summer is
not a time of calm or benign growth; it is a time of storms, turmoil, and lush,
juicy and short growth. I notice the
inner storms and turmoil in my life just as the storms outside are raging
overhead. I feel so much joy at the
blessing of the rain, I will go out and dance and let the rain wash my skin,
and I know that I must weather the storms inside of me, and I will come out on
the other side. Perhaps I will have lost some things, but I will have gained
many as well. The fruits I worked so
hard to nurture and grow are full and ripe, relishing in the rain and lessened
burdens.
At Lammas we are beginning to look towards
the darker half of the year. The sun is
rising later and later in the mornings, giving us just that bit more respite
from the burning rays. Now is the time
to give thanks for our growth and learning, and begin the process of looking at
our shadow side. We are still growing
and celebrating now, and perhaps we are celebrating the coming dark, the cooler
weather, the calmer times in our life, but wheel is turning. Perhaps now is the time to identify those
shadowy aspects of our lives that are beginning to rear their heads and look
towards what we’ll be working with in the coming dark months. The darker half of the year will offer us a
respite from tumultuous storms and searing heat, while we enjoy the benefits
from what we have harvested now, at Lammas.
Lammas Prayer to Mother Earth
Bountiful Mother, heavy with
child, ripening fruit.
We honor you,
Earth Mother, who bestows the
earth with flower and fruit
Rain and sun.
We give thanks for the gifts
you give.
Abundant blessings of harvest
and rain, of learning and growth.
Ancient Mother of All
creatures,
as you hold us in your womb
and feed us from your ample
breast,
we celebrate your beauty, we
honor your power.
Giver and protector of life,
Teacher and mother of all
Let us receive your gifts
with gratitude
Let us honor your gifts in
celebration and sharing
Let us give back to you,
In return,
Our love, honor and healing.
Bountiful Mother.
