Lughnasadh

August 1st

The Irish God Lugh is known as the “Bright and Shining One.” He is associated with both the Sun and agricultural fertility. He is also a God of All Skills and champion of the Tuatha de Danaan or “children of the Goddess Dana.” Lughnasadh (pronounced loo-na-sa) marks the beginning of the grain harvest, the first harvest of the Wheel of the Year. The importance of grain to life is evident in virtually every deity structure in every religion on Earth. The entire preparation of grain from seed to harvest parallels life-in-death and death-in-life aspects of the Great Goddess, Mother Earth. By Lughnasadh, the Sun God has already begun his downward journey, facing now towards the dark frosts of Winter. The Goddess, by contrast, wears a face of exquisite abundance. We reap the bounteous benefits of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Lughnasadh is a time when the symbolic aspects of the life-sustaining elements of grain spill over into every part of life.