Lammas or Lughnasadh or Autumn

This cross quarter day, August 1, is known as Lammas or Laghnasadh and denotes the beginning of Autumn, the meaning of Old English "haervest." 

Lammas in Anglo-Saxon means "loaf mass" 

which is a ritual to honor bread made with freshly harvested grain.

Gaelic Lughnasadh originated from the sun god Lugh.

At this transitional time of the year many places are hot and bathed in sunshine

The sun is rising later and setting earlier. The hillsides covered with grasses here in Northern California are golden. The Gravenstein apples, which a quarter of a century ago literally covered the flatland between the coastal hills here in Sonoma County, are now for sale at local roadside stands and in the Farmers Markets. In two weeks the Gravenstein Apple Festival will take place in Sebastopol celebrating one of her famous legacies.

The Siberian Crabapples tree
laden with beautiful fruit harvested just a few days ago.
This is the earliest apple here at MuRefuge.

Siberian Crabapples sauce now ready to be
 stored in the pantry at MuRefuge

"Although it is summer and there are many warm months to come, 

it is possible to sense that the heavens are already turning downward. 

Nearly imperceptibly, the fruit is ripening on the trees 

and the nights are lengthening once again. 

It is too early to talk of autumn, 

and yet the next season is on its way." 

365 Tao Daily Meditations (1992), Deng Ming-Dao.

In the warm afternoon sunshine the Goldfinches can be seen on the sunflowers gone to seed. They seem to be readily eating the seeds even though they are still "green" and packed full of nutrition for these stunning yellow and black little birds.

With the harvest time now underway, may we each express our gratitude for the abundance of harvest and