Thoughts on the Cross-Quarter Days: Lughnasa

Summer is peaking and we are deep in the reaping tide. As this festival day approached, I was vexed with the personal relevance of this cross-quarter day. But this struggle is the reason I reflect on and write about these holidays this year, hoping that in the next I will have a clearer understanding of their meaning in my life.

The majority of neo-pagan writing focuses on this day's folklore concerning the Irish god Lugh and what was traditionally the grain or first harvest of year. Here on our 21st Century tenth of an acre in urban America, these elements do not quite resonate. We don't cultivate grain—though Amanda does bake some delicious breads—and our first harvest was the raspberries and blackberries that border our garden that fruited near Beltane.

Then, a couple weeks into July, we received a copy The Wheel of the Year by Finona Cook and beautifully illustrated by Jessica Roux. I opened the book to their "Lunasa" chapter expecting to find much of the same information and themes I have seen time and time again. I was wonderfully surprised to find a refreshing take on the holiday and to realize this book is written with young pagans and their families in mind. I could go on about how much this book impressed me with its lore and activities, but I’ll instead tell you how it gave me a fresh perspective toward how I view Lughnasa.

In the first paragraph of the chapter, I was struck by this quote: "…we can still celebrate the themes of harvest season—cooperation, sharing, and enjoying the rewards of hard work!" What a lovely and succinct encapsulation of Lughnasa for us today. No matter our daily work, it is often accomplished with the cooperation and support of our peers and loved ones.

So, I will be celebrating by showing gratitude for my tribe and the rewards life has blessed us with this summer.