First Harvest is the pagan festival that takes place in early August, and is known as Lughnasadh, celebrated in Celtic culture. It coincides with Lammas, which has Anglo-Saxon Christian roots. Both celebrate the harvest of grain and abundance this time of year.
I tend to call it First Harvest, because it is the first of 3 harvest festivals the year- this one is for grains, the Fall Equinox is for fruits, vegetables, & wine-making, and then Samhain, which is the hunting season. Each harvest festival has its own energy and themes. There is always a theme of gratitude and giving thanks and offerings to the earth for each of these.
The First Harvest festival focuses on the harvesting of grain, making bread, gathering with friends, family and community to play games, and sell goods and wares in markets. The Celtic God Lugh is celebrated, as he is a Sun God, warrior and multi-skilled craftsman.
First Harvest, spanning from early August to the Fall Equinox, takes place during both Leo season and Virgo season. Leo is the fire sign associated with play, creativity and self-expression, while Virgo is the earth sign that teaches discernment, skill and cultivating one’s harvest into productive forms. This powerful duo of energies helps us make the most of our experiences of the year thus far before we transition into the integrative, composting energy of autumn.
At every festival, I like to look at the one that sits at the opposite time of year for insight and balance- in this case, we look to Imbolc, which takes places in early February and spans into March. Imbolc is about purification, healing and visioning. It holds strong inspirational energy, but not a lot of tangible, earthy energy. Its vibration is very spiritual, and helps us strengthen our faith. So, we can look back to last February for insight. What were we visioning then? What was inspiring us? What experiences did we hope for this year?
And then, here at the opposite end of the year, we have the opportunity to tangibly create something in devotion to our Imbolc visions. We are given the earth mother’s support and materials, and a more pragmatic energy to manifest in this season. This doesn’t mean we have to create something that matched our vision in February, but we can see how things have been flowing and growing since then, and decide what wants to manifest through us based on our experiences thus far. Perhaps our visions have taken on new shape, and now that we are more aware of our light and shadow from Solstice season, we can use this information to inform where we want to put our energy from here on in.
So, this is a beautiful time of year to slow down a bit and pause, reflect and tune into our creative cauldron- this is what I call the sacral centre in our lower belly, where our desire and creativity can be felt.
Creative Cauldron Reflection:
Take a moment to relax and bring your hands to your lower belly, or alternatively one hand to your heart and the other to your lower belly. Take a few breaths to feel settled and at home in yourself.
Reflect on the year so far, all you’ve experienced. You may wish to journal these or just express out loud:
What did these last 6 months of experience offer you?
What or who has helped you feel nourished, inspired or supported? List as many things or people as you can that you are grateful for.
Imagine yourself filling up with all the wisdom, awareness, nourishment, inspiration and support you experienced. Feel gratitude swell within you.
From this abundance filling you up inside, what do you wish to express or create in honor of all this? What do you wish to offer back to life? Perhaps a dance, words of gratitude, a poem, a material creation such as a painting, a tangible piece of art, or a simple offering of any kind. Perhaps you have a bigger creation you wish to manifest and can start with the first step.
*If you are feeling a bit too serious or creatively stuck these days, please try my ‘Meet the Creatrix’ meditation below at the bottom of the page!
Ways to Celebrate First Harvest:
Bake bread or cook a new interesting meal, and share it with friends or family.
Have a potluck!
Harvest herbs, flowers, medicines from the earth mother in gratitude.
Create something in honor of a deity or spirit guide or the earth herself.
Give an offering- kind words, a poem, song, creation or food/herbs to a tree or body of water you frequent.
Support local farmers and artisans at markets.
List all you are grateful for in your life. You can create a ‘gratitude jar’ and keep adding to it.
Tell the people in your life you appreciate them.
Enjoy and soak up the abundance of the Earth Mother and let that energy flow through you into life!
Do the meditation below and let it help you remove creative blocks and inspire you to play or create!
Meeting the Creatrix Meditation:
May your creative cauldron be stirred with renewed energy, abundance and manifestations of your unique gifts! May you give and receive in balance and beauty.
Wishing you a beautiful abundant First Harvest season,
Serena
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