Celebrating Lughnasadh in Australia: The First Of The Harvest Sabbats

Lughnasadh (named after the Celtic God of Light, Lugh) represents the beginning of the harvest season.  This is the first of three harvest sabbats and in the southern hemisphere it traditionally falls on February 1.  Similarly, Lammas (meaning Loaf Mass), one of the older Anglo-Saxon Christian cross quarter days (the others being May Day, CandleMas and All Saint’s Day) is also celebrated at this time. 

The Summer Solstice is behind us, yet the light is still strong.  The daylight hours are shortening, and we feel the Sun King diminish as he starts to wane.  His power and warmth are weakening.  The Blessed Child conceived at Beltane lives on inside the Goddess.  She watches Her lover’s demise with sorrow and joy, secure in the knowledge that the Sun King will be reborn at Yule.  His sacrifice is a fertile victory, with the bounty of the Earth reaching Her zenith.  The Goddess must now prepare for the Sun King to pass over.  This is Her time of preparation and harvest.  As the days grow shorter, nature prepares herself for the coming winter. 

It is late summer, still very hot and the flowers are wilted.  We begin to see the fruits of our labour.  Mirroring the sacrifice of the Sun King, plants shed their fruit and seed, ensuring not only their survival but also the survival of those animals dependent upon them.  Lilly Pilly and Bunya are fruiting.  Brolga and Goanna lay their eggs and Tasmanian Devils are mating.  Crocodile and Water Dragon young are active.  Like the Goddess, birds are preparing, readying themselves to fly north for the winter.  Kookaburra is actively seeking territories for the upcoming breeding season and Willie Wagtail is nesting.

Storm season has arrived, quenching the land’s thirst as it bakes under the Sun King’s power.  We see the sacrificial element of this time in the destructive nature of bush fires, storms and cyclones.  Birth and death exist side by side as new life emerges in the aftermath.  Seed pods burst open in the heat of the bush fire.  Trees falling in the forest when the storm breaks leave space for the creation of new life.  Many have returned to work or school, planning what they need to see a successful harvest this year.  This is the grain harvest, with grains, legumes and cereals being harvested throughout the wheat belts.

This season is a time of taking stock.  We are not yet certain of our rewards, but the beginning of the harvest is upon us.  We have worked hard to bring this harvest to fruition.  Now is the time to reflect on your prosperity and to let go of the old and renew your sense of purpose.  Winter is coming.  We must harvest quickly and abundantly.  We have the opportunity to plan and assess.  What is working well?  What no longer serves you?  What crops did you plant that failed and what could you do differently to ensure their success? 

This is a perfect time to preserve fresh fruit and vegetables for the coming winter.  Summer fruits like passionfruit, berries, plums and prickly pears can be made into jam.  Oranges and pumpkins are coming into season.  Zucchinis, capsicums, celery, chilli, corn, onions, tomatoes and tamarillos are all in season now and are perfect to make into chutneys.  Waste no part of this harvest.  Traditionally wheat dollies would be made from the last sheaf of wheat and kept to be later offered up to the Earth to ensure a successful harvest in the coming year.  Declutter your life of what you no longer require and reclaim your personal power.  A simple folk magick ritual is to bake a loaf of bread, pouring your fears and regrets into the baking.  Offer up this loaf to the flames, releasing your past hurts. 

Bless x

Courtney

Words and images by Courtney Stark ©2017

With thanks to the following reference sources;

Cameron, C. &. (2015). A Wiccan’s Walk in Oz: Perspectives From The Southern Hemisphere. Wamuran: Celticai Publishing.

Cunningham, S. (1988). Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. St. Paul, Minnesota: Llewellyn Publications.

Cunningham, S. (2009). Book of Shadows: The Path of an American Traditionalist. Woodbury, Minnesota: Llewellyn Publications.

Ezzy, D. (2003). Practising the Witch’s Craft: real magic under a southern sky. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin .