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Subscribe to this list via RSS Blog posts tagged in Lughnasadh

Posted by on in Culture Blogs
A Full Moon on Lammas

 

There’s a whole lot going on in August, starting with the celebration of Lammas/Lughnassadh today, coinciding with the first of two supermoons this month. You can hear my take on tonight’s lovely Corn Moon/Full Sturgeon Moon on my minipod, courtesy of “Women Who Howl at the Moon.” Tonight should give you something to howl about for sure! While you’re at it, why not practicing some gratitude for any bounty you’ve enjoyed recently in your life? I certainly count friends, loved ones, and pets as riches you just can’t put a price tag on. Light an orange candle for enthusiasm and rekindling optimism and let them know you care—with a simple gesture, a quick note, or a lovingly prepared meal from scratch this evening. It’s something we could all stand to do a bit more of, myself included. And when it comes to yourself, be sure to practice some self-love, too.

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Let's Talk About Corn, Lugh, and Lammas

I always think of Lammas as a time of outdoor dining, reflection on the year thus far, and most of all—corn! Enjoying a small picnic with your immediate household in the backyard or on a back porch is a perfect way to celebrate Lugh and this start to the harvest season this year. Grains and bread should definitely be on the menu, and there are some fun options to choose from. You could even create an intimate bread baking party with your family, creating a combination of sweet and savory choices.

Grilling local corn in the husks gives it such an amazing added flavor, and the mouth-watering scent it gives off is aromatherapy in itself. Make it the main dish and create a healthy vegetarian meal with side salads tossed with produce from a neighborhood Farmer’s Market. These happen to be some of the better ones in Wisconsin, if you’re in the area.

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Posted by on in SageWoman Blogs
Praise to the Farmers

    Walking out of my office is like opening an oven. The heat is a wall, strong, searing; there is a scent similar to baking bread rising from the grass that is toasting under the sun's unrelenting rays. My drive home takes me past farms along Route 5 in Deerfield: potatoes, tobacco, and corn growing strong and green despite the heat. We are not experiencing a drought; in fact the other day a thunderstorm hit on the way home with wind and rain so strong visibility was brought down to just a few feet. I am sure the rain was welcome just the same. 

    I think often of the local farmers. I am grateful for the countless hours they spend at their vocation and I recognize that it is a life I could not live. My own grandparents were farmers and factory workers, supplementing a life of hard work and unpredictable yield with wages earned by working in a foundry. Hard work and luck seem to be the mantra for farmers. Hard work, luck, technology, and engineering, farmers rely on many factors to answer their calling to serve. How did my grandparents manage? And their grandparents, and theirs? Go back generations, centuries, eras, and eventually everyone's forebears were farmers of a sort. They had only their own hard work, luck, and the grace of the gods to ensure plenty. 

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(YOU'RE GOING TO) REAP JUST WHAT YOU SOW

With Lammas now underway, harvest season is here in abundance. If you haven't been visiting them this summer already, now is the perfect time to take advantage of fresh ripe produce and more from your local and regional vendors. Since I myself reside in the Midwest, I thought I'd point out some area highlights.

WEST ALLIS FARMERS MARKET
Milwaukee, WI
https://www.westalliswi.gov/index.aspx?nid=201
If you prefer a leisurely start to your harvester perusing, this is the one for you! West Allis, otherwise affectionately known to Milwaukeeans as "Stallis," "Mustalliche," and "Stallica," prides itself on providing the freshest produce possible. A later start allows farmers to pick right from their fields that same morning and do just that. This is primo time for herbs, squash, and of course, sweet corn. Tomatoes will be coming to fruition (sorry I had to go there), and soon after apples and cider will be on the way. There are also a variety of shopping vendors offering oddities ranging from records to hats. The West Allis Farmers Farmers Market is open from noon to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 1-6 p.m. on Saturdays.

DANE COUNTY FARMERS' MARKET
Madison, WI
https://www.dcfm.org/

A decades-old tradition going strong since 1972, the Dane County Farmers' Market on the Capitol Square of Madtown is the perfect marriage of country mouse and city mouse. EatingWell Magazine even voted this one as a favorite of theirs. Fashioned after the European-style open markets, this cherished state event is now one of the biggest produce-only farmers' markets in the country. A Wednesday morning market has been added to compliment the ever-popular Saturday showcase, and it runs all the way into November. Early birds flock to Saturdays as it runs from 6:15 a.m. - 1:45 p.m. Wednesday times are 8:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m. For an intriguing read on this popular forum's history, fresh recipes and more info, visit their website.

KENOSHA HARBORMARKET
Kenosha, WI
http://kenoshaharbormarket.com/

Referred to one TripAdvisor traveller as “Farmer Market Heaven not far from Chicago into Wisconsin,” this happy medium between Chi-town and Cream City fits the bill. There is ethnic fare to be enjoyed, particularly at a seat by the lake, while watching the boats drift in the harbor. Also a happy medium with the time frame, this rialto is available to you on Saturdays from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Located in downtown Kenosha behind the Civil War Museum, and Kenosha Public Museum, this mixed marketplace provides performance art, crafts, and cooking demos. They also operate in conjunction with special events such as the HarborPark Jazz & Blues Festival and the Kenosha Classic Cruise-In.

This is but an appetizer of all of the farmers markets to partake in. Make a point to get out there and have fun supporting your resident agriculturalists today.

References



http://www.eatingwell.com/article/10372/americas-top-farmers-markets-dane-county-farmers-market/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60003-d6867210-r290234815-Kenosha_HarborMarket-Kenosha_Wisconsin.html

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Posted by on in Signs & Portents
The Day of Bread and Light

Merry meet! August 1 is widely known throughout the English-speaking world as either Lammas (Anglo-Saxon) or Lughnasadh (Gaelic) and is regarded as either the first harvest day of the season or the beginning of autumn.

We’ve gathered our posts here at PaganSquare for both holidays as well as related content from across the web. We hope you have a wonderful feast with your friends and family!

-Aryós Héngwis

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Posted by on in Culture Blogs
Sacrifice means to Make Sacred

To get what you never had, you have to do what you have never done.

                The Harvest sabbats—Lammas, Mabon and Samhain—bring us deep understanding of balance and reciprocity. These are the moments of greatest abundance coming in, therefore they are the moments when we are called upon most, to be grateful, to give back, and to sacrifice.

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Lakshmi’s Feet: Steps for Preserving Abundance

August, particularly post-Lughnasash, is a time when thoughts of abundance are fairly high in conscious awareness. The stalls at the Farmers Market are filled to bursting with fresh produce. Driving through the city these days – near where I live anyways – roadside produce vending stalls are popping up like Springtime dandelions. Pickup trucks with back beds filled with corn ready to sell to passing cars can be seen parked by the side of the road. The harvest is nigh and energy reverberates with the resonance of abundance.

So it was not really much of a surprise that Lakshmi showed up at the Goddess Meditation last week. Most commonly associated with abundance, Lakshmi’s influence touches on all areas of life. She is a much loved Hindu Goddess whose name appears to be derived from the Sanskrit word for “aim” or “goal”, indicating that if we want to have success (or abundance in myriad forms) in our lives, then we must have a focus.

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