May you never be hungry: Blessed First Harvest (or second, or not yet)!

[milkeyedmender]

Happy first harvest folks!

It's not actually first harvest for us here in the south.  We typically harvest grain very early in the year (wheat) as we plant it at the beginning of winter!  Our corn has been harvested since june, our blackberries are done for the season, and our peaches are coming to an end (not their best year, sadly).  We can't grow apples (at least not many varieties) and our harvest season continues through November (or later if you're very industrious). 

So even though it's not quite the same as what my ancestors on the british isles would have been doing, and I'm wishing it were cooler, I can still feel the wheel as it turns.  We had a beautiful, cooler day yesterday and the breeze has returned.  Right on time for this holiday.  The return of the wind is always my first sign that fall is creeping near.  We start the leave the wet, heavy days of summer behind. 

My peasant bread is rising on the oven (it's a great recipe if anyone wants it) and tomorrow night we will break bread and say thanks for another harvest, full bellies, and cozy nook. 

Blessings to all of you, your paths, and your beliefs.

May you never be hungry and may the sun always warm your soil

[shadowsiren]

Happy first harvest folks!

It's not actually first harvest for us here in the south.  We typically harvest grain very early in the year (wheat) as we plant it at the beginning of winter!  Our corn has been harvested since june, our blackberries are done for the season, and our peaches are coming to an end (not their best year, sadly).  We can't grow apples (at least not many varieties) and our harvest season continues through November (or later if you're very industrious). 

So even though it's not quite the same as what my ancestors on the british isles would have been doing, and I'm wishing it were cooler, I can still feel the wheel as it turns.  We had a beautiful, cooler day yesterday and the breeze has returned.  Right on time for this holiday.  The return of the wind is always my first sign that fall is creeping near.  We start the leave the wet, heavy days of summer behind. 

My peasant bread is rising on the oven (it's a great recipe if anyone wants it) and tomorrow night we will break bread and say thanks for another harvest, full bellies, and cozy nook. 

Blessings to all of you, your paths, and your beliefs.

May you never be hungry and may the sun always warm your soil

Blessed Lammas/Harvest/Whatever-you-may-be-celebrating! This holiday has a special place in my heart as it's the first one I celebrated as an "official pagan".

I still have a good 6+ weeks of hardcore summer weather ahead of me but the universe has been kind and a cold front has moved in the past few days that has sent our normal 95+ degree temps plummeting down to upper 70s/low 80s so it's actually feels all harvest-y vs last year when everything was just drooping and sad. My garden has officially thrown in the towel though. Even the zucchini plants have thrown up their hands and declared "No more!". I ended up taking advantage of the gorgeous weather and clearing out a bit of the garden and making notes of outside projects that I need to get to as weather allows.  Tomorrow it's supposed to be raining so I'll move ahead with my original plans for bread making (mmm...homemade bread) and ritual.

[Morbid]

Happy first harvest folks!

It's not actually first harvest for us here in the south.  We typically harvest grain very early in the year (wheat) as we plant it at the beginning of winter!  Our corn has been harvested since june, our blackberries are done for the season, and our peaches are coming to an end (not their best year, sadly).  We can't grow apples (at least not many varieties) and our harvest season continues through November (or later if you're very industrious). 

So even though it's not quite the same as what my ancestors on the british isles would have been doing, and I'm wishing it were cooler, I can still feel the wheel as it turns.  We had a beautiful, cooler day yesterday and the breeze has returned.  Right on time for this holiday.  The return of the wind is always my first sign that fall is creeping near.  We start the leave the wet, heavy days of summer behind. 

My peasant bread is rising on the oven (it's a great recipe if anyone wants it) and tomorrow night we will break bread and say thanks for another harvest, full bellies, and cozy nook. 

Blessings to all of you, your paths, and your beliefs.

May you never be hungry and may the sun always warm your soil

Same to you!  We celebrated Sunday night with a pot luck dinner party.  Now get this - I invited ~20 people.  We had 55 show up to the house!  It's a good thing I'm always prepared for extra guests! 

[milkeyedmender]

Blessed Lammas/Harvest/Whatever-you-may-be-celebrating! This holiday has a special place in my heart as it's the first one I celebrated as an "official pagan".

I still have a good 6+ weeks of hardcore summer weather ahead of me but the universe has been kind and a cold front has moved in the past few days that has sent our normal 95+ degree temps plummeting down to upper 70s/low 80s so it's actually feels all harvest-y vs last year when everything was just drooping and sad. My garden has officially thrown in the towel though. Even the zucchini plants have thrown up their hands and declared "No more!". I ended up taking advantage of the gorgeous weather and clearing out a bit of the garden and making notes of outside projects that I need to get to as weather allows.  Tomorrow it's supposed to be raining so I'll move ahead with my original plans for bread making (mmm...homemade bread) and ritual.

It sounds like you and I are in the exact same boat!  My plants had to be revived (succulents and what not) but the past few days have been cooler!  It's been so wonderful.  It feels like the season is right around the corner.  On another note, Mabon was the first holiday I celebrated as a pagan and I feel the same way about both of these feasts.  So much warmth and appreciation. 

[milkeyedmender]

Same to you!  We celebrated Sunday night with a pot luck dinner party.  Now get this - I invited ~20 people.  We had 55 show up to the house!  It's a good thing I'm always prepared for extra guests!

You're a better host than I!  Solitary feast for me tonight, as even my husband has been delayed.  Sort of nice to check in with myself.  Blessed Be.

[MamaThistle]

Happy first harvest folks!

It's not actually first harvest for us here in the south.  We typically harvest grain very early in the year (wheat) as we plant it at the beginning of winter!  Our corn has been harvested since june, our blackberries are done for the season, and our peaches are coming to an end (not their best year, sadly).  We can't grow apples (at least not many varieties) and our harvest season continues through November (or later if you're very industrious). 

So even though it's not quite the same as what my ancestors on the british isles would have been doing, and I'm wishing it were cooler, I can still feel the wheel as it turns.  We had a beautiful, cooler day yesterday and the breeze has returned.  Right on time for this holiday.  The return of the wind is always my first sign that fall is creeping near.  We start the leave the wet, heavy days of summer behind. 

My peasant bread is rising on the oven (it's a great recipe if anyone wants it) and tomorrow night we will break bread and say thanks for another harvest, full bellies, and cozy nook. 

Blessings to all of you, your paths, and your beliefs.

May you never be hungry and may the sun always warm your soil

It doesn't quite feel like Harvest for me yet, so I'm having trouble getting in the mood. We don't have air conditioning, but it's been in the high 80s/low 90s so I'm probably not going to turn on the oven to bake. I'm also 7months pregnant, so any extra heat is miserable.

I'm gonna have to come up with something quick/special for tomorrow. Maybe blackberries and ice cream? I normally love Harvest time, but usually it's a little cooler and I'm not humongous.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Morbid]

You're a better host than I!  Solitary feast for me tonight, as even my husband has been delayed.  Sort of nice to check in with myself.  Blessed Be.

Grams has two rules about the table: Always be prepared for extra guests and extra servings.  There's only two things that matter around a table and that's good food, and good laughs.

[MeadowRae]

It doesn't quite feel like Harvest for me yet, so I'm having trouble getting in the mood. We don't have air conditioning, but it's been in the high 80s/low 90s so I'm probably not going to turn on the oven to bake. I'm also 7months pregnant, so any extra heat is miserable.

I'm gonna have to come up with something quick/special for tomorrow. Maybe blackberries and ice cream? I normally love Harvest time, but usually it's a little cooler and I'm not humongous.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm sorry you have to go through the summer heat pregnant. I was fortunate enough to be pregnant in the fall and winter.

I do not have a green thumb at all, but my mom does! She sent me squash and tomatoes to eat, so that felt like a harvest to me. I also went swimming to celebrate the last wave of summer and had a celebration with friends, albeit for a different reason. Just happened to fall on Lammas.  We prayed together. They are Christian, but it still felt special to celebrate together on this holiday. I also said a blessing in the morning. Overall, a great day!

[MamaThistle]

I'm sorry you have to go through the summer heat pregnant. I was fortunate enough to be pregnant in the fall and winter.

I do not have a green thumb at all, but my mom does! She sent me squash and tomatoes to eat, so that felt like a harvest to me. I also went swimming to celebrate the last wave of summer and had a celebration with friends, albeit for a different reason. Just happened to fall on Lammas.  We prayed together. They are Christian, but it still felt special to celebrate together on this holiday. I also said a blessing in the morning. Overall, a great day!

I like having babies in the Fall/Winter. It's a special time to have a new addition, but yes, it means being pregnant over the summer. Luckily our summers aren't long, it just takes a lot out of me.

That sounds lovely!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[milkeyedmender]

I like having babies in the Fall/Winter. It's a special time to have a new addition, but yes, it means being pregnant over the summer. Luckily our summers aren't long, it just takes a lot out of me.

That sounds lovely!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've always said I wanted an October baby.  Seems like the perfect month (I'm septemeber)

All the blessings to you and babe!

[wineinveins]

Blessed Lammas/Harvest/Whatever-you-may-be-celebrating! This holiday has a special place in my heart as it's the first one I celebrated as an "official pagan".

I still have a good 6+ weeks of hardcore summer weather ahead of me but the universe has been kind and a cold front has moved in the past few days that has sent our normal 95+ degree temps plummeting down to upper 70s/low 80s so it's actually feels all harvest-y vs last year when everything was just drooping and sad. My garden has officially thrown in the towel though. Even the zucchini plants have thrown up their hands and declared "No more!". I ended up taking advantage of the gorgeous weather and clearing out a bit of the garden and making notes of outside projects that I need to get to as weather allows.  Tomorrow it's supposed to be raining so I'll move ahead with my original plans for bread making (mmm...homemade bread) and ritual.

My wine grape harvest is just around the corner, probably around October. My wife and I will celebrate on the 21st to honor our matron Hecate and thank Her for protecting the harvest and guiding the success of our business. Then on September 2nd we will honor and thank Dionysus and Ariadne. The wine grape harvest is always 1 month of non stop work so I am also really looking forward to our harvest party. We are going to cook a whole pig in a pit we dig in the ground this year and have a big bonfire with some ecstatic naked drunken dancing so I am pretty stoked.

[ehbowen]

We are going to cook a whole pig in a pit we dig in the ground this year and have a big bonfire with some ecstatic naked drunken dancing so I am pretty stoked.

You get the pig drunk before you cook it? 

[Louisvillian]

My peasant bread is rising on the oven (it's a great recipe if anyone wants it) and tomorrow night we will break bread and say thanks for another harvest, full bellies, and cozy nook.

I did much the same on the eve of August. I baked a loaf of spicy, dark, soda bread while the missus made a feast of vegetables and pork chops. I took the occasion to consecrate our new home's altar, and lay some of what we'd made in offering to the gods of our ancestors, and to the spirits of those ancestors. It might seem strange that, despite myself being a Roman pagan, I essentially inaugurated our altar in dedication to our ancestors, and only on the following day, the kalends of August, did I make offerings to the traditional Roman gods. But...isn't this something the Romans, or at least Romanized Celts, might do? The household gods, the gods of one's ancestors, and the spiritual remains of the ancestors themselves, were of prime importance in the domestic cult. In my mind, they would come first, and their worship would inaugurate a new home.

As for the festival itself, we kinda celebrate both Lunasa and Lammas, simultaneously but not quite as-the-same-holiday. After all, they are separately Celtic and Germanic festivals. But, knowing the history of them, it's clear that they intertwined and influenced each other in the Middle Ages, long before Wicca existed and before Wiccans conflated them. You can distill some common things within them, especially the first fruit offering and the consideration of the start of autumn. Even here, south of the Ohio river, things are starting to stir towards the autumnal; this week has been rather cool for this month, and we can only hope that will continue. And, to boot, while I have many prominent Scottish ancestors, they're mostly Lowlanders and so have considerable admixture with English and Norman families; and my wife can trace her ancestry directly to a Norse knight under King Cnut. We're both a product of blended Celtic and Germanic ethnic history, not to mention the cultural melting pot that is America. A bit of syncretism is, well, it's quite literally in our blood.