Wheel of the Year
Lughnasadh – Late Summer
Lughnasadh (pronounced Loo-NAS-ah) is celebrated on 1st – 2nd August.
It is a sign that Summer is in full swing, and the farmers are planning when to harvest their crops.
In the Celtic tradition, Lughnasadh honoured Lugh, the god of fire, craftsmanship, light, and skill.
Traditionally it wasn’t good to harvest the crops before the 1st of August because if the farmers gathered in an early harvest, there would not be enough food to last the coming long winter months.
On the 1st of Augustb,when the first sheaves of wheat and grain were cut, the first loaves of bread for the coming winter season would be baked.
Lughnasadh was also called Lammas, which comes from the Old English word ‘loaf mass’.
Now is the time when we can begin to reap the seeds we sowed in our own lives (possibly around Imbolc).
We can reflect back on our lives and begin to take stock of what we have learned over the year.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine and QiGong (pronounced chi-gong), this marks the time of the year called Late Summer, when the Earth element comes to the forefront. QiGong recognises five ‘seasons’ and elements:
- Autumn (Fall), when the metal element is strongest
- Winter, when the water element is strongest (think of the snow and ice)
- Spring, when the wood element comes alive and plants begin to blossom again
- Summer, when the heat of fire and the sun is prevalent
- Late summer, when the earth element dominates.
In Qigong, the earth element is associated with balance and stability. The qi (pronounced chi) particularly affects the earth element organs of the spleen and stomach.
Now is the time to focus on steadiness and inner balance.
In late summer, the abundance of nature is evident. The fiery, yang energy of summer is neither rising nor falling, and the cool, metal energy of autumn has not yet begun to rise.
It is a time to soften the inner mental and emotional fire and ‘digest’ – i.e. reflect and process the ups and downs of the past year.
How can you honour the coming of Late Summer
- Be conscious of and grateful for the abundance in your own life.
- Ask yourself what aspects of your life are ‘bearing fruit’?
- Ask yourself what aspects can you let go of – old patterns and beliefs that no longer serve or resonate with you?
- Taste your food, look at it, smell it, and be mindful as you eat – put away distractions of TV, phone, etc. while you eat.
- Improve your home – clean, redecorate, or do DIY.
- Walk in nature and feel the connection – look at the ground, the clouds, the leaves, and the flowers, listen to the birds, and watch the dragonflies, bees, and other insects.
- Practice gratitude for all the things in your life – you are abundant in so many ways.
- Eat seasonal and nourishing foods e.g., rice, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, lentils, squashes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
- Give to others – a kind word, a thoughtful deed, a phone call, or message to send love and light into the world and bless others.
Wishing you much light and love as always,
Lee-Anne x 
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