Harvest Season

Harvest Season (Solia Seasonal post Fall 2017)

In the Northern Hemisphere it's now come to the Harvest Season. Many that celebrate the Wheel of the Year and Sabbats may celebrate this as a time of reaping in what the summer has sown, letting waste away that which is not needed, and preparing for winter. Present themes at hand include: Thanksgiving for what's been received, letting go of that which is not beneficial, transition from the light half of the year into the dark, transformation, death, and the deceased just to name a few. 

Here's a brief summary of the Sabbats and a few ideas on celebrating them. 

Lammas/Lughnasadh

This cross-quarter holiday is the First Harvest of the year, grains especially. The summer has been at its height and there is hope for a little reprieve, perhaps a bit of rain, so the crops will continue to be bountiful well into autumn instead of drying up under the scorching heat of the sun. The days begin to wane as the nights wax and respectively the reign of the God and Goddess. 

Lammas vs. Lughnasadh
Though both acknowledge the seasonal aspects of the holiday, Lughnasadh has associations with Lugh and his foster mother Tailtiu (Irish deities), athletic competitions, and related festivities. 

Established Date: August 1st

Colors: Gold, Yellow, Green, Gray 

Foods: Breads and anything made from grain, wines, blueberries 

Celebration ideas: 

• Visit or hold festivities by favored wells and hilltops
• Hold competitions that display skill and/or strength
• Communing with Gods and Goddesses of abundance and prosperity
• Baking: Of any kind, Blueberry pies/muffins/breads/cookies, Homemade breads of any type
• Crafts related to wheat and grains: Corn dollies, mobiles, weaving, baskets

Mabon/Autumn Equinox

The Second Harvest is the Autumn Equinox, also called Mabon: A harvest of apples, grapes, and late-harvest foods. Once again day and night are at equal lengths, the God and Goddess pause in their dance. It is a time of Thanksgiving and rest and meditation. The God prepares for his journey into the Underworld and the Goddess prepares herself too the approaching dark half of the year.

Date: Fall Equinox, usually around September 21st 

Colors: Orange, Red, Yellow, Maroon, Browns

Foods: Wines, Apples, Squash, Wild Game, Autumn harvest foods, Stews

Celebration Ideas: 

• Feasting
• Apple or grape picking
• Visiting orchards and vineyards
• Giving Thanks
• Reflection and meditation
• Baking: Anything and everything to do with apples- sauce, jam, butter, pies, breads, cookies, cider
• Crafts: Anything apple themed, Cornucopia themed - Recently we've started a tradition where my daughter and I will make a Cornucopia by paper weaving some construction paper and then rolling/shaping it into a cone and adding other pretty decorations. We also make different fruits and vegetables out of construction paper and put them in a bag or tray next to our Cornucopias. Then, between Mabon and Samhain we will write down something we are thankful for on one of the paper pieces of food and fill our Cornucopias here and there. I personally aimed for doing this daily but didn't want to push my daughter and it become more of a chore.

Samhain/Halloween

The Third and Final Harvest, also a cross-quarter holiday, is observed by some as the Celtic New Year and renewal of the Wheel of the Year. The God dies and will remain in the Underworld or Land of the Dead until reborn at Yule. The Crone Goddess mourns His death and so the weather turns colder and darker. It is a time of dark and shadow and when the veil between worlds is thin. The deceased are honored by Feasts of the Dead and offerings are made. 

Established Date: October 31st

Colors: Black and Orange 

Foods: Apples, red wines, red meats, root and vine vegetables like beets, garlic, onion, turnips, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, pumpkin to name some. 

Celebration Ideas: 

• Bonfires and jumping them (cautiously)
• Carving or painting pumpkin or turnip lanterns
• Holding a Mute Supper or Feast of the Dead
• Communing with those passed
• Visiting graveyards of those passed
• Divination of all types
• Self reflection and setting new goals
• Baking: Apple and pumpkin pies, cakes, breads, cookies ect.
• Craft ideas: Pumpkin and apple crafts, letters to the dead, collages and shadow boxes for the dead, making a Samhain/ancestor tree and ornaments for it. Skull and bones crafts and art like mobiles and painting on bones.

30 D.o.P. | Day 8: Holidays

If you're a follower of my blog or have scanned through my posts, I'm sure you've noticed that a good portion of my posts are about my holiday celebrations.

I celebrate all of the Sabbats of the Wheel of the Year. I do though, somewhat separate them into two categories; The solstices and equinoxes and then the others. The solstices and equinoxes I find that I focus more on seasonal topics. My celebrations are very nature based. Where as the others (Samhain, Imbolc, Beltaine, and Lughnasadh) do have the seasonal elements to them, but there also tends to be more focus on deity, self reflection, and spiritual pathworking.

Samhain has always been the biggest holiday for me. I also would say it was my favorite but in recent years there has been another one that has went from a close second favorite to being in an even tie with Samhain as my favorite. I always learn or re-learn an important lesson during this time. Not to mention fall is my favorite season so just the atmosphere around that time tends to set my heart a flutter. Although, I cannot say I've had the most enjoyable experiences celebrating this sabbat. In fact, most of my experiences celebrating this holiday have been very much somber, sobering, and a couple times almost spiritually traumatic. So why then is it tied with another as my favorite? Mostly for that fact that I make it through the night more grateful to see the morning light so to speak. It always renews me and I am reborn. Which is suiting at such a time.

Yule is always a joyous holiday for me. I find it particularly fun to now celebrate with Tater Tot. I can already tell that this sabbat will be a very good one for making our own little family traditions. I also find it interesting that while I usually do not make a conscious effort to stay up or get up early enough to watch the sunrise I almost always wind up doing just that.

Imbolc is close to my heart for both the seasonal aspects and its association with Brigid. Brigid was one of the first goddesses to actually come to me without calling on her and it is probably for that reason that she is so dear to me. She has always been there whenever I have needed her most. Not to mention, I am typically in the thralls of cabin fever come the end of January so seeing the first signs of Spring always uplifts me.

By the time Ostara/Spring equinox rolls around I am usually more than ready for it. Spring always brings about a number of emotions and stirrings in me. As is appropriate, I always feel most feminine at this time. This usually does me quite a bit of good.

Bealtaine/Beltane/However you like to spell it, is always an interesting Sabbat for me. When I was younger it would be a lie to say that this holiday wasn't mostly about the more well known sexual aspects surrounding it. It wasn't all about sex but... well, there was a great deal of the subject at the forefront of my celebrations.  Which I do not regret as it is an appropriate time for such things however, in the most recent years of celebrating this holiday I have come to experience other aspects of the holiday that have given me new insights that are most refreshing and welcome.

Midsummer or Litha, can someone vary for me. It usually depends on how hot it is at the time. I do rather like a nice lazy summer day however, I'm afraid I do not fare so well in high humidity. It makes for a very grumpy Dalhanahue. I do however, really like just the sense of magic that seems to take hold of twilight and the nights especially this time of the year. It's a curious energy, somewhat playful and very much alive.

And then the wheel turns to Lugnasadh or Lammas if you prefer. For me it is most definitely "Lushnasadh." I have had a growing fondness for Lugh now for some time. He has played many roles in our relationship. I further enjoy the holiday though, simply for the associations with the Sun and being the first harvest. I'm an Autumn person so the beginning of the harvest sabbats rather delights my spirit.This holiday and Samhain are tied as my two favorite holidays.

Mabon/Autumn equinox is just such a joyous holiday for me. Especially if nature is cooperating in it's appearance with early autumn. The first signs of leaves changing their colors and the smell of apples and dirt in the air just rocks my socks hard core. Not to mention the equinoxes just have their own synergies about them that I find very intriguing and interesting.

So, yup. Just a few quick little notes about which holidays I celebrate and my own thoughts on them.