EarthLove

Sharing Songs of Earth and Sky

Harvest Blessings

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“It’s high summer – time to celebrate the old Celtic festival known as Lughnasadh in Ireland and Lammas in Britain – the traditional time of pilgrimage in the northern Celtic lands where for centuries people have rejoiced in the endless light-filled days by climbing sacred hills, drinking at holy wells, or voyaging to green islands set like jewels in a sunlit sea.

As we pause in our labours, celebrate the warm weather and enjoy the fruits of our daily work, we have an opportunity to take stock of what the seasons so far have yielded: to reflect upon our hopes and dreams that were sown in the dawn of the year, came to life in the springtime, and are now maybe ready to bear fruit. On the spiritual level, we can ask ourselves what wisdom we have garnered so far this year:
What will be the harvest of our souls?

For as the wheel turns, the life-giving triumph of the harvest must give way to death, reminding us that nothing stands still, and that on the human level, for whatever is gained in our lives, there must be an equal giving-away, a sacrifice, so that cosmic balance and order can be maintained.”

~Mara Freeman

☀️🌎☀️

Lammas or Lughnassadh  (pronounced Loo-nuh-suh) is usually celebrated at the cross quarter in early August. The precise zodiacal cross-quarter is when the Sun reaches 15 Leo in our sky.

#wheeloftheyear
#seasons
#cycles
#harvest
#bounty
#grateful

☀️🌎☀️

Tending Solstice Fire

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This Earth Tending was recorded a few days ago at Summer Solstice for Shamanism Without Borders.

The wheel of the year turns toward Summer Solstice here in the northern hemisphere. What a perfect time to tend to the elemental fire of the sacred Sun that warms us and makes life possible on Earth.

Join Nancy Lankston in a guided journey to honor and tend to elemental fire and sunlight.

Access the audio recording here:

Stillpoint

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“The sun is now holding its place in the sky. Daylight is neither diminishing nor growing. Things are at a stand-still, as though the world were poised for the change that is coming.

For the ancients, this was a tremendously sacred time. The planet continues its annual rotation; day continues to follow night. But something deep is occurring to our planet. It has reached a significant pivot point in the annual cycle. Opposite to its parallel summer location, the earth now holds still.

The soul holds still like this, just before great change occurs. It is a silence so profound that it seems as though time has stopped. In this magical moment, we have the chance to set in motion great changes, great happenings. This is the moment when the seeds of new life, new growth, must be planted.”

~ Patricia Monaghan,
The Goddess Companion

🌞

#solstice
#stillpoint
#magic
#cycles
#seasons

Photographer Unknown

Halfway to Spring

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shhh, listen
seeds are stirring
in the belly
of the mother.

the sacred wheel 
turns toward spring
life is awakening 
in the body of her.

~Nancy Lankston

🌱

Can you hear it?? Magic is afoot, running just beneath the surface. The seeds are stirring!

For months, Mama Earth has held the seeds of spring safe within her soil body. Then, as the wheel of the year slowly turns towards spring in early February, the seeds begin to stir and reawaken. Imbolc* has quietly arrived.

Celtic tales speak of the Cailleach — the divine hag Goddess who rules over winter and death. The Cailleach is the anncient Earth Mother Goddess in her bare winter crone form. She is is also known as the Bone Mother who is said to collect the bones of the animals that die in the winter. Bone Mother sings and prays over the bones of the animals all winter long. She does this out of love, so that the animals will cross over and return as new life in the spring.

On Imbolc, the Cailleach gathers firewood for the rest of the winter. If the Cailleach wishes to make winter last a lot longer, she will make sure that the weather on Imbolc is bright and sunny, so she can gather plenty of firewood. But, if Imbolc is a day of foul weather, it means that the Cailleach is asleep and winter is almost over.

Spring is on its way.
Offer up a prayer of gratitude
in honor of
the dance of Earth and Sun.

🌱🌱🌱

*Imbolc is an old Irish word that means “in the belly”. It honors the pregnant ewes carrying new life in their wombs at this time of year. Imbolc is traditionally celebrated at the halfway point between winter solstice and spring equinox.

Image by Nancy Lankston