Lughnasadh blessings to my friends in the southern hemisphere (and a magical Imbolc to those in the north)… This cross-quarter day falls on February 4 this year in the eastern part of Australia, and February 3 in WA – you can check out the exact time for your region here…
As the Wheel turns from summer to autumn, it is the perfect time to ponder all the things you are grateful for – even as we emerge from the craziness of 2020. Traditionally this is the time of the first harvest, a day of feasting and thanksgiving for the life-giving properties of the grain, and a recognition of the cycle of sowing and reaping of the crops – and, perhaps most importantly today, it’s a celebration of the symbolic things you grow and create in your life.
On this day of gratitude and thanksgiving, I am grateful for my love-filled life, and all the blessings I have – a sweet and loving hubby, close family and supportive friends, clean water, good food, good health, a cute little apartment with a huge park across the road, the right to choose, the right to vote, the right to an education, (for the most part) equality, and access to health care, a blessing that is even more crucial at the moment… Globally life is still fraught, but I am grateful that people are standing up and speaking out on what is important to them, and what must be cherished and valued and fought for. And I am grateful that, for all the destruction in the world, there are people working so hard to help, in so many ways.
In the spirit of Lughnasadh, I’ve made a donation to Oz Harvest, the first perishable food rescue organisation in Australia. Their volunteers collect quality excess food from commercial outlets and deliver it, free of charge, to homeless shelters, women’s and men’s refuges, youth groups, indigenous centres and more. I love that it helps people in need while also cutting down on wastage – the amount of good food thrown out while people go hungry makes me cry in frustration. Just $10 will allow twenty meals to be delivered to hungry Australians, and $20 will provide three meals a day to a person in need for up to two weeks. I also donated to the Happy Box Project, which provides basic needs such as food and toiletries to Indigenous women in remote communities.
Lughnasadh marks the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. It’s a day of harvesting the fruits of your labours and acknowledging your successes and what you’ve achieved in the past year. Celebrate the goals you’ve reached and have your own festival of gratitude, in whatever form that takes. Toast your success, throw a party or do something special to mark the occasion. Make a list of all the things you’ve gained over the past year – the gifts you’ve been given, the new talents you’ve developed, the friends you’ve made, the experiences you’ve had, the healings you’ve received – and give thanks for it all. Then, out of gratitude and in the spirit of the ancestors who shared the bounty of their harvest with those less well off, pass on some of your good fortune. Make a donation to a local charity, lend money to a business in the developing world or give your time to help someone, ensuring the energy of abundance continues and is strengthened. Give out of grace and for joy, not with the expectation of receiving anything in return. Work out small ways you can make a difference to the world and the people around you all year.
As well as a time of feasting and thanksgiving for the harvesting of the crops, and recognition of the eternal cycle of sowing and reaping, Lughnasadh is also about the symbolic things you grow and create in your life. It’s a day to harvest what you planted earlier in the year and celebrate your successes. Make a list of all the things you’ve gained – the goals you reached, the gifts you’ve been given, the new talents you’ve developed, the friends you’ve made, the experiences you’ve had, the healings you’ve received, the opportunities you’ve pursued – and how you have developed and changed as a result of them.
Create a ritual of appreciation that is meaningful for you. You may want to journal about it, exploring in depth the things you’ve learned and the ways in which you’ve grown, send thank you cards to people who have helped you work towards your goals, start a gratitude diary or write a poem that outlines all that you’re grateful for. We may no longer be so connected to the production of our food, as in days gone by, or believe that our prayers or sacrifices influence the success of a crop, but appreciating what we have and giving thanks for it is still a beautiful way to live, and can increase our own attitude of abundance.
Also acknowledge all the things you’ve achieved so you can share your successes with others. Don’t be modest or downplay how far you’ve come, because you’ll inspire other people with stories of your breakthroughs, your dedication and details of how you overcame the obstacles you faced. Your successes will help them realise they can also pursue their dreams, and will hopefully give them the motivation they need to get started on their own journey.
Don’t ever diminish yourself or your achievements, or let anyone else do so. Be proud of your light, your talents and all your accomplishments, and always allow yourself to shine brightly and illuminate the darkness for others. As American author Marianne Williamson says: “Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, and as we let our own light shine, we give other people permission to do the same.”
Now too, as the energy begins to subtly slow, it’s a time to be patient and to trust that everything is as it should be, because there are still harvests to come. Not everything has to be achieved right now – some things take longer to manifest. The lesson of the Wheel of the Year is that everything continues, everything happens when it should and everything is eternal.
Here are a few Lughnasadh recipes – there are many more in Witchy Magic…
And to my friends in the north, a magical Imbolc to you, as the Wheel turns from the cold and dark and snow of winter to the first signs of spring. Energetically it’s a time of awakening, rebirth and re-emergence. Nature fills with life force and begins to quiver with the energy to grow again, and we start to emerge from the chill of winter, shaking off our lack of motivation and re-engaging with the world, making it a great day to sow the seeds of what you want to achieve in the coming year. Meditate on your goals and what you hope to achieve, and get clear on the steps you’ll need to take to get there. Imbolc is about new beginnings, and in some magical traditions it is the day chosen for initiations and rededications, so if you want to make a pledge to a new path or a new goal, or a personal vow of any kind, you will be supported by the energy of the season.
Physically it’s a time of purification and cleansing after the long dark of winter, so clean your house and clear your space, sweeping out old energy and thoughts so the new can thrive. And you may like to ignite a candle to represent the coming back of the light and do some candle magic. Stare into the flame as you concentrate on what you want, then blow it out, sending your desire out to the universe. Making a wish as you blow out the candles on your birthday cake is a magic that has survived from pagan times, and is a potent way to manifest your wishes into reality, whatever day it is. Just don’t forget you have to work to make your dreams come true…
And here are a few Imbolc recipes for you 🙂 xx
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