The First Harvest | Lughnasadh

The Festival of Lugh is the first of three annual harvest festivals observed by the ancient Celts. The other two being the Autumnal Equinox or Mabon, and Samhain during the first week of November. Traditionally, the feast of Lugh is observed on August 1st or 2nd, but astrologically it falls on the 7th this year, precisely halfway between the Summer Solstice (Litha) and the Fall Equinox.

I'm one of those Witches who likes to celebrate on the astrological dates rather than the traditional ones. And for me, it's the beginning of my favorite season of the year, the one that is known as the Season of the Witch. It goes from Lughnasadh to Thanksgiving. It's the harvest season, and even among muggles, is the season of gratitude and appreciation.

Gratitude vs Appreciation

The gratitude is the "thanks" part of the energy of this time. The expression of gratefulness, however, can only come after a period of appreciation. Appreciation is the act of noticing and basking in what we have. We can't properly express our thanks for something until we've experienced its true value to us. Until, that is, we've basked in it. Appreciation has that second meaning in the dictionary: To increase in value. When we have a gorgeous sunset every night, but never watch it, we have not appreciated it at all. How much more valuable is that sunset to us when we bask in it. When we stop what we are doing and put the phone down and sit and just bathe in the beauty of that sunset. That is true appreciation. First, realizing just how precious something is, and then wallowing in it for a bit.