lunasa – Marble Crow

My Handsome Assistant and I were originally intending to go on a camping trip with a local Druid group that we’re part of, but with him still recovering from his accident, we decided (at the last minute) that it might be better to focus on getting him to 100% before we try tent camping.

So, rather than having singing, dancing, feasting, and ritual in a group, we had a smaller, homey version: fresh baked breads, homebrewed peach mead, music, ritual, and a spirit feast.

An image of a feast, featuring charcuterie, fresh fruit, big strawberries, sliced carrots and cucumbers, and lots of other delicious, seasonal food. — Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

What’s a spirit feast? Exactly what it sounds like — a feast conducted for deities, ancestors, spirits of the land, guardian and guiding spirits, and any spirits to whom we may owe a debt (for example, spirits of the land affronted by new construction, tree felling, and so forth).

Unlike the “dumb suppers” of Samhain, this is not just for ancestors and the beloved dead, and it’s more like a party. Offerings are carefully chosen and high quality. Incense. Flowers. Candles. Fresh bread. Wine. Fruit. Good food, well prepared. Is it a traditional part of Lughnasadh celebrations? Not really. But Lughnasadh is a time to offer the “first fruits,” and so, in the absence of being able to party with friends, it seemed an appropriate way to offer the first fruits.
It felt right. It was equal parts fun and moving. I’ll probably make it part of my celebrations from now on.
Lughnasadh, after all, may have its origins as a funerary feast for the mother of Lugh, Tailtiu. She died of exhaustion after preparing the land for agriculture, and represents the Earth that feeds us and the plants that are harvested and die back in the high summer heat. It seemed a good idea to pay back this sacrifice and invite the spirits of the land to a feast.

This year, the fruits of our garden are particularly abundant. The Virginia roses (Rosa virginiana) are all but bowed over with fruit. The passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) vines are thick and lush and heavy with their strange purple flowers and egg-like fruit. The pumpkins are pumpkining. The beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is both beautiful and extremely berried.

It’s very good. I hope things are very good with you, too.

Today marks Lughnasadh, the celebration of the first harvest. This usually focuses on summer fruits and grains, so there’s lots of blueberries/bilberries, baked goods, apples, and pears.

In another sense, it’s about coming together to share. Traditionally, it happened during a time of year when the earliest crops were spent, and the next round wasn’t ready for harvest yet. Lugh is also credited with battling the powers of blight, which is connected to the scorching, drying heat of the summer’s hottest days. That meant celebrating with foods that either stored well (like apples and grains) or could be foraged this time of year (like bilberries).

A rolling pin and several balls of biscuit dough on a floured board.

It also started as a funerary feast. While it’s associated with the Celtic deity Lugh, he created this festival in remembrance of Tailtiu, his mother figure. She’d died of exhaustion after clearing the land for growing crops. That makes this festival a poignant combination of anticipation of what’s to come, and gratitude for what has passed. It’s joy and sorrow, thanksgiving and mourning. Tailtiu has passed on, but the land is ready.

This year, we were supposed to join in a camping trip and Lughnasadh celebration. Unfortunately, a combination of high temperatures and severe weather meant that that didn’t pan out the way we’d wanted. Instead, it’s given me more time to think and (as overused as this phrase may be) connect with this High Day.

Really, I’m at a Lughnasadh point in my life. The rise of AI chat bots has coincided with the natural end of several long-term paid writing projects that I’d been working on, so I’m not getting the same volume of work that I once was. At the same time, I’m investing more of my time, money, and energy into other things that haven’t yet paid off. There’s mostly been a lot of planning and reading stuff to help me figure out how to navigate this transition.

But I’m not doing that today. Today, I’m extremely thankful for everything that the old cycle has given me. I’ve reaped some very generous harvests from it, and that’s awesome. I’m also excited for my next projects. Having less paid writing means less money, but it also means a lot more time and creative energy to put into things that have deeper meaning for me.

Today, I’m baking bread. I’m making these very strange (but very delicious) cookies full of dried berries and cacao chunks. I’m eating dried blueberries by the handful, and searching my strawberry plants for ripe, red berries.

Have a happy and abundant Lughnasadh, and I hope we all reap a good harvest in the days to come!

Tag: lunasa

A happy and fruitful Lughnasadh!

A Fruitful Lughnasadh