LAMMAS: hopeful harvest

Lammas is the first of three celebrations traditionally related to the harvest. Perhaps no other holidays are as intimately connected as Lammas, Mabon, and Samhain, yet each has its own distinct flavor. Lammas marks the very beginning of harvest time when the first few crops have matured. This is a chance to prepare as much as to gather, a time when great bounty seems almost inevitable albeit fragile. Next we have Mabon at the peak of abundance when the harvest is in full sway, yet since it occurs at the Autumnal Equinox, Mabon also has an eye toward the fading light. The last holiday of this trinity is of course Samhain, which signifies the bittersweet end of the harvest season and heralds the impending onset of winter’s cold, the darkness, and all that that implies.

But today it's still the height of summer and Mother Nature delights in a sultry dance of ripening, fullness, and plenty. This is a time of sweet summer fruits, of sturdy grains ready to be cut, of fields fairly bursting with vegetation and verdant growth. The trees & bushes are wearing their full, leafy green mantles as a profusion of blooms paint splashes of color in gardens, woodlands and meadows. Wildflowers sway in the humid breeze along windswept highways and even nudge thru the cracked concrete of city sidewalks. Autumn fruits are swelling and becoming heavy on tender tree branches, while brambles and vines tangle and twirl around anything in their path, bracing against the weight of berry clusters drooping from their tendril clutches. Row after row of fruits, vegetables, and grains are scattered across the earth like a patchwork quilt that blankets the landscape here and there, whether it be the agriculture of nearby farms, or the more simple backyard garden. Day after day the markets are becoming a veritable feast for the senses; and mind you -- this is only the beginning!

The image of harvest baskets filled to overflowing calls to mind many symbols, in particular the goddess Habondia or Habonde, also known as Abundia or Abundantia. Her name literally means abundance and she represents the fecundity of the land itself, the fruitfulness of the earth bursting with bounty. In ancient times she had a strong connection to the rural farming folk that once held her so dear, and her symbolism yet lingers today. For many Habondia becomes the literal quintessence of this August holiday, the embodiment of generosity taking the form of the earth’s precious yield. The sacred horn of plenty is a fitting emblem and like a divine cornucopia personified, the spirit of abundance graciously pours out abounding gifts of prosperity and fertility upon our tables, especially at Lammas time.

The word Lammas comes from the Anglo Saxon “loaf-mas” with mas meaning feast…the feast of bread. Traditionally, special loaves were baked with the flour ground from the first reaped grain to rejoice in the beginning of the harvest season. Just think about the transformational magic necessary to go from seed to plant to bread; plowing fields, sowing seeds, tending plants, reaping the ripened grain, threshing the stalks, winnowing away the chaff, grinding the grain, not even to mention the amazing wonders of yeast! There’s mixing, needing, rising, placing the precious dough into the warm oven to bake for the final delicious conversion of plant into food – a process worthy of an alchemist!

The baking of bread was a daily occurrence in virtually every household at one time, so vitally important it was the hearty basis to almost every meal. In fact grains in some form were and still are a staple in the diets of many cultures, and considered the very staff of life. Without a good harvest of these grain crops the hardships of winter would be immense, so this was a crucial time for our ancestors. The fact that they celebrated in the face of such uncertainty shows the faith and fortitude of the human spirit. For although now there was much in the fields ready to be gathered, still a great deal more had not fully ripened and anything could happen. Lammas marked a moment of anticipation and the expectation of reaping rich rewards. But it was also a point in time that swayed between optimism and apprehension, between hope and fear.

In many parts of the world Lammas was and is actually more of a chance for final preparations before the harvest season really gets into full swing. On the farm, barns, haylofts, silos and sheds are swept clean of debris awaiting the overflowing bounty hopefully soon to arrive and be heaped to the rafters. The reaping tools needed to be checked one last time…whether it be sharpening the blades of scythes and sickles or tuning up the engines of giant combines and harvesters. Storage bins, pantries, cupboards and larders are emptied of any remains from last years harvest to make room for the freshly gathered crops of this years gleaning. Much like the spring-cleaning attributed to Imbolc at the opposite point of the wheel, Lammas too is a time of clearing out the old to make way for the new…of taking stock and seeing what needs to be done.

For us now in present times we could certainly take this opportunity to do a bit of cleaning & decluttering if that is what our home requires -- and my home certainly could use it! But this should also be a reminder to do some clearing away in a more symbolic sense. Lammas can provide the needed inspiration to unpack some of our emotional baggage and discard that which serves no purpose anymore and thus clutters our spirit. The process of living life inadvertently collects all manner of debris, both figurative and literal. Like a dusty floor in need of a good sweeping, emotional litter needs to be swept away once in a while too in order to create a clear path for positive change, thereby refilling our spiritual or emotional energy stores.

Lughnasahd is another name for this holiday. The word Lughnasahd means games or assembly of Lugh, an ancient Celtic deity of light. Lugh’s name may have come from an older word, meaning oath, and in a sense it was an oath that initiated the original great festival. As legends go, Lugh promised to hold funeral games in honor of Tailtiu, his mother, foster mother, or in some versions of the story his wife. Tailtiu died of exhaustion as a result of clearing a great forest so that the land could be planted with grain to feed the people. The veneration of her death by Lugh became the festival of Lughnasahd. Of course Tailtiu could be thought of as the very earth herself, ready to give sustenance from the body of her fields. Lugh, in many traditions is yet another variation of the dying and resurrected grain, cut down now in proverbial sacrifice in order to provide sustanence for life to continue on.

These old tales and myths speak often of sacrifice, as well as generosity of spirit for the greater good. Tailtiu giving herself to the land, folk tales of grain deities cut down, all so that people will have food to survive. The symbolism of sacrifice plays a pivotal role in the themes of many harvest traditions. At the core of this concept we can find relevance today; in order to gain what is needed we must be willing to work, to give of ourselves. But further, we need to do so for the good of the community, we need to take care of each other. Sometimes small, simple acts done with genuine intent can make great changes in the world.

Another aspect to Lughnasahd is the honoring of a life well lived rather than dwelling on the sorrow of death. Funeral games may seem odd to us in this day and age, but this plays out mythologically the same idea of rejoicing at the tentative start of a harvest season rather than awaiting its safe completion while paralyzed with fear. There is a simple truth here, as is often buried within these folk tales: Life goes on, and though not always easy, how you actively choose to go on with it will make all the difference – there lies the greatest gift we each posess…we all have the ultimate blessing of an endless capacity for adaptation to change.

So, now, the harvest begins – we know what this meant to our ancestors but what of us? Few of us are directly involved in agriculture, even the most avid gardener amongst us is not likely to be self-sustaining in terms of food production. Perhaps, this time of the year can make us appreciative of those that do provide our food. We can do this by supporting the small local farmer whenever possible. Even in the heart of most urban centers there is a farmer’s market. Supermarket chains sometimes offer organic and local produce. Just stopping at a roadside stand and buying some corn is a means of showing your support. Find out where your food comes from. This is the most primal and basic need we have and there are people who grow what we eat, who provide food for us, who in many ways still live according to the natural cycle of life like our forbearers did. They deserve our respect and deep admiration. Food that is grown with care for the land offers us wholesomeness and nourishment …not just physically speaking, but spiritually, and environmentally.

Nourishment does come to us in many forms, and this is yet another way we can tap into the energies of this season, by feeding ourselves spiritually and emotionally. Community can provide us with emotional sustenance and Lammas was traditionally a time for clans, tribes, friends and families to assemble for festivals and celebrations. Even today there are many fairs and events during this season, so seeking them out would be a great activity.

A more personal way to nurture the spirit is by striving to live more often in a state of greater awareness, to appreciate what we have today, right now...and to realize the sacredness of even the so called mundane and seemingly ordinary. In a way, that is part of what the holidays can be about in these modern times. By setting aside these moments to be present, to be deeply aware and appreciative of the seasonal tides and simple earth rhythms and then by honoring them with reverence and with ritual, we not only make that singular moment special, or even holy -- but we also infuse and feed our core, centering ourselves with a sense of sanctity that then continues to permeate the rest of our days as well.

So, today give thanks for the many gifts that you have. Nourish your body with good food, your spirit with gratefulness and your future by sowing the seeds of hope. Believe that ample abundance exists for us all and strive to share with those that need more. Taste the sweetness of desired aspirations brought to fruition by tending the garden of your dreams with faith and fortitude. Like winnowing the threshed grain, may the winds of change clear away any unnecessary obstacles and leave you with the rich center, the nourishing heart.