And the beginning of harvest season…August is the Sunday of Summer. The days are still long and sun-drenched, the landscape is in full greenery, and we’re beginning to feel the shift into harvest season, a time when we experience the bounty of the seeds we have sown.
During the month of August, we can reflect on the magic of our summer, on what we planted back at the Spring Equinox and have been tending to carefully. Beyond the natural world, this can include inner work, a ritual practice, or a creative project. Our intentions are powerful and as the saying goes, “how we spend our moments is how we spend our lives.” Pay special attention during this season to the moments.
Festivals and Gatherings…
Traditions of Lughnasadh
On the Wheel of the Year, we celebrate Lughnasadh in August.
Lughnasadh is celebrated on August 1st and is the beginning of the harvest season. This Sabbat honors hard work and dedication, as well as the family and the community.
Lughnasadh traditions now continue with horseracing, a feast, archery, boxing, fencing, and other physical competitions, which became known as the Tailteann Games.
The story of the harvest follows Lugh and his foster mother Tailtiu. Tailtiu is an early Irish deity who was dedicated to the land. Through her dedication, she dies from exhaustion. Her son, Lugh, then honored her passing with a feat, which became the festival we know today as Lughnasadh.
Because of this legend, Lughnasadh is associated with the Celtic God and hero Lugh. Lugh is known for both order and truth.
Lugh is a poet and a blacksmith. He welds both words and metal. Like Lugh, how can we forge our own way in the fire? How do we use our words intentionally to create our worlds? The lessons from Lugh are plentiful, much like the harvest that awaits us.
Monthly Associations
The celebrated stone for the month is Moonstone
Much like the beginning of harvest season, Moonstones can remind us of our own cycles. Like the moon, Moonstones can help us connect with our intuition and the otherworld. Moonstone reminds us to embrace the present because like the moon, the world around us is changing all the time. Keep a Moonstone under your pillow or in your pocket during divination or dream work.
On the Celtic Tree Calendar, the month of August aligns with Holly and Hazel
The Celtic tree calendar is divided by the thirteen moon cycles of the year. The modern tree calendar is based conceptually on the letters of the Celtic Ogham alphabet as they correspond to trees. There is very little evidence of the Celtic tree calendar being created by the early Celts; however, it is a point of contention among Celtic scholars. These symbols and themes tie in with Celtic culture and mythology and are therefore symbolically beautiful ways to honor the different Sabbats.
From July 8-August 4 we honor the Holly Moon.
Holly is an evergreen and is related to immortality. Holly is related to masculine energy. Holly is also known for its protective prowess, which is why Holly is traditionally hung in hallways, above doors, and as a garland. Use Holly to bring fortune and good luck to your rituals.
From August 4-September 1 we honor the Hazel Moon.
Hazel is a symbol of both wisdom and protection. During this time, Hazelnuts appear on the trees. Traditionally, Hazel was associated in rituals of wisdom with the ancient Celts. During this moon, it is a good time to connect to your own inner knowing and wisdom. When you create, what well of wisdom do you tap into? Try listening to that space before taking action during this time. What do you hear?
The signs of Leo and Virgo rule August
Leo is a sign that shines as bright as the sun in August. Leo teaches us to connect with our inner Lion or Lioness. Virgo is a reminder to practice what we preach and to do the work. During August, connect with the Leo and Virgo placements in your chart. What does it mean for you to take pride in your work and to move through your to-do list like an absolute pro?
A Goddess to Work With During August is Tailitu
A powerful Goddess to work with during Lughnasadh is Tailtiu. She is an Earth Goddess and her name translates to Great One of the Earth and is born of the earth itself. She is considered one of the primary triads of the Celtic Goddesses. Tailtiu is related to endurance and strength. She is symbolized by crabapples, the Celtic symbol of rebirth, and of wheat. Call on Tailtiu as you celebrate all that the bountiful earth has provided.
Monthly Intentions
During August we wander through fields of wheat, we connect to our inner knowing, we acknowledge the cycles. We take time to reflect on what has come to pass and we pay special attention to our intentions, the saying “reaping what you sow” has never been more relevant. Like Leo, take pride in who you are, and like Virgo, do the work that must be done. It is essential. Now is a time to turn your face to the golden sun and speak “thank you.” Now is a time to wander into the waters that give us life and sustain us with blessings in our hands. Remember that the Earth smiles upon you.
We celebrate August
Blessed be.
