Time and Time Again

Lughnasadh - August 1
(The Family, Marriage & Divorce, age 30-50)

Six weeks after Summer Solstice is the celebration of Lughnasadh, the beginning of harvest. Hay was gathered and wheat and barley was reaped. It was a time of evaluating the first fruits of the crops. It was also a time of evaluation in human relationships. If a couple wanted they could be married at Lughnasadh and decide the following year if they were suited to a life long union. If after this trial period they found life unbearable they could have their marriage annulled. This is a sort of community sanctioned common law that gave people time to consider one of the great decisions of life. A ceremony of marriage and divorce was held at this time. Here is a true honouring of an attempt at union that failed but is still valuable.

At the end of Lughnasadh a fire wheel was rolled down a hill symbolizing the turning of the season toward winter. When incorporated in the Christian calendar this festival was substituted by Lammas which means loaf mass, where the communion bread was made from newly harvested grain.

Lughnasadh is a time to see what has developed and to give thanks for it and correct the mistakes of the active summer period. There is a recognition here that not all things work out and that leaving a well intentioned but disastrous decision behind is part of being human. It may not be our marriages that are in need of dissolution or renewal. Perhaps this time could bring before us the connection we have had with others and invite us to decide consciously how committed we will be in pursuing them. The taking of communion at this time could represent that we are in need of forgiveness for impulsive decisions or commitments to projects that aren’t beneficial. The communion may also represent the effort that has gone into the activities that do sustain the community. This is a time for symbols of accomplishment and conscious evaluation of where we have come so far. It could well become a festival wherein we honour each others' vocations.

Lughnasadh fits in with the cycle of our lives in that it reflects a time of accountability to family and community. Between 30 and 50 we are at our most productive; it is here that we see what we have accomplished. It is also at this age that we experience the trauma of unlived life and the realization that youth is slipping into maturity. The yearly evaluation of Lughnasadh may enable us to endure that transition and allow failure, as well as success, to be acknowledged.

Autumn Equinox: September 21
(Recollection, Maturity, ages 50-70)

Autumn Equinox is the second of the festivals of harvest. The equinox is at the end of harvesting when all is gathered in. The year is aging and is looking at what has come of itself, not so much in order to correct or alter it but to learn from it. What does the abundance of this life say about the nature of the universe? It is time to contemplate what has been given and to receive good and ill with gratitude. Autumn Equinox is a heart felt time where we must decide whether we can drink from the cup of our lives in thankfulness. Because of its emotionally evocative nature, Autumn Equinox is symbolized in the Arthurian tarot by the grail suit where our deepest satisfaction is met.

By the fire in the cool evenings of September we are called to eulogize, to praise, what will soon disappear but what we have come to love. It is a time of fond goodbye to the harvest; in its culmination is its demise. That is the precious thing about the year. It is finite and must be honoured in its individuality. The year is individual like our lives. While they may come again in another form, they will never be the same again. It is our opportunity to celebrate their uniqueness.

Whether is it the autumnal display of shocking red, yellow, and orange, or, the crisp winds, I feel more awake at this time of year than at any other. School starts in September as do most fall classes for adult education. It is a time of learning and of reflection. The quality of learning that I most look forward to in autumn is the ordering of the heart, setting the mind and the affections on what has been given through both culture and nature, and attempting to appreciate its meanings. To educate the heart and relax in contemplation of the harvest is rightfully a task for those in life’s maturity.

Between Autumn Equinox and the next festival at Samhain, we have ample opportunity to celebrate and to consolidate what we are grateful for. Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated on the second Monday in October. It is time to artistically symbolize the gifts of culture and nature in their fullness. This is often expressed by the creation of a centre piece called a cornucopia.

(cor.nu.co.pia n [LL, fr. L cornu copiae horn of plenty] (1508) 1: a curved goat's horn overflowing with fruit and ears of grain that is used as a decorative motif emblematic of abundance 2: an inexhaustible store: abundance 3: a receptacle shaped like a horn or cone --)

The creation of such a tablepiece could be a reminder of abundance, spiritual and material, an opportunity for us to counteract the dominant cultural concern of scarcity and frugality. Part of the ritual could be a give away or potlatch. “From each according to his or her ability, to each according to their need.” A time when something of value symbolic or material is given away to a person you value. These gifts were placed on a blanket and the story behind them told by the giver to the receiver with the community overhearing. This was seen by our colonializing ancestors as a threat to capitalism and was even made illegal.

Autumn is also the time to face death and dissolution. The tasks of the year are gone, making way for new ones. The New Year, which the Celtic peoples celebrated at Samhain on October 31, is fast approaching. Disinvesting ourselves of what was once valuable is a good symbol of this principle of renewal.

Samhain: October 31 - November 2
(Ancestors, Old Age - Death)

Britannica calls the celebration of Samhain (pronounced sah-win or so-en) “sinister”. The effect of chaos and dissolution does have this effect but the celebration of Samhain is to enable us to make the transition from the old to the new in a protected and boundaried manner. It is a time when spirits were thought to be closer and the boundaries between the material and spiritual worlds were fluid. One could say that Samhain is the time to remember that stability is fragile, that life is full of inexplicable events and we are vulnerable. In Scotland it was called the night of mischief and confusion.

During this festival scary stories were told and erratic behaviour was the norm. Unhinging fences and doors and playing tricks made their way into the children’s chant “trick or treat”. Treat giving is an emblem that the boundary of what is yours and what is mine is repealed on Samhain. It is a reminder at the beginning of winter that the community can be called on to feed when there is want. Evil spirits were scared away but good ones were invited to give guidance to the participants. It is a night when divination was practiced. Some communities extinguished every light in the house, went to a town centre where a great fire was blazing and carried the light back to their dwellings. These ideas and observances found their way into our Halloween night.

Like most other festivals, this one was incorporated into the church calendar in the form of All Hallows and All Saints days. Here there is a celebration not of the dead and remembered but of the spirits of those that went before and still guide us by their example and perhaps even intercession. Samhain could be a time to remember our heroes and ward off the energies of those who seek us harm. While dressing up and frightening demons through imitation of them is certainly the traditional way to celebrate Samhain, it might be good to tell stories of those who went before who have contributed to our lives by way of their guidance and presence with us even now.

Because Samhain is a reminder of the fact that we are not in control and that the unknown is ever present, it is the festival most significant to the aged who face the unknown through their death. It is reminder of the supernatural and the reality of the world of spirit which is so easily forgotten in the year’s activities. This other dimension is the fertile unconsciousness from which our more ordered life emerges. To ignore it or slight it is to our detriment. To consciously confront it with the resources of our past is to enter the spirit world in faith protected. This hard to achieve belief is especially significant for children. Telling fairly tales of the shadow side is one way to remind them that there is evil but love and faith and community overcome it.

About the Author
Arthur Paul Patterson is a teacher-writer living in Winnipeg, Canada and the founder of Watershed, an educational context that helps individuals make decisions that lead to consciousness.


				Lughnasadh - August 1 (The Family, Marriage & Divorce, age 30-50) Six weeks after Summer Solstice is the celebration of Lughnasadh, the beginning of harvest. Hay was gathered and wheat and barley was reaped. It was a time of evaluating the first fruits of the crops. It was also a time of evaluation in human relationships. If a couple wanted they could be married at Lughnasadh and decide the following year if they were suited to a life long union. If after this trial period they found life unbearable they could have their marriage annulled. This is a sort of community sanctioned common law that gave people time to consider one of the great decisions of life. A ceremony of marriage and divorce was held at this time. Here is a true honouring of an attempt at union that failed but is still valuable. At the end of Lughnasadh a fire wheel was rolled down a hill symbolizing the turning of the season toward winter. When incorporated in the Christian calendar this festival was substituted by Lammas which means loaf mass, where the communion bread was made from newly harvested grain. Lughnasadh is a time to see what has developed and to give thanks for it and correct the mistakes of the active summer period. There is a recognition here that not all things work out and that leaving a well intentioned but disastrous decision behind is part of being human. It may not be our marriages that are in need of dissolution or renewal. Perhaps this time could bring before us the connection we have had with others and invite us to decide consciously how committed we will be in pursuing them. The taking of communion at this time could represent that we are in need of forgiveness for impulsive decisions or commitments to projects that aren’t beneficial. The communion may also represent the effort that has gone into the activities that do sustain the community. This is a time for symbols of accomplishment and conscious evaluation of where we have come so far. It could well become a festival wherein we honour each others' vocations. Lughnasadh fits in with the cycle of our lives in that it reflects a time of accountability to family and community. Between 30 and 50 we are at our most productive; it is here that we see what we have accomplished. It is also at this age that we experience the trauma of unlived life and the realization that youth is slipping into maturity. The yearly evaluation of Lughnasadh may enable us to endure that transition and allow failure, as well as success, to be acknowledged. Autumn Equinox: September 21 (Recollection, Maturity, ages 50-70) Autumn Equinox is the second of the festivals of harvest. The equinox is at the end of harvesting when all is gathered in. The year is aging and is looking at what has come of itself, not so much in order to correct or alter it but to learn from it. What does the abundance of this life say about the nature of the universe? It is time to contemplate what has been given and to receive good and ill with gratitude. Autumn Equinox is a heart felt time where we must decide whether we can drink from the cup of our lives in thankfulness. Because of its emotionally evocative nature, Autumn Equinox is symbolized in the Arthurian tarot by the grail suit where our deepest satisfaction is met. By the fire in the cool evenings of September we are called to eulogize, to praise, what will soon disappear but what we have come to love. It is a time of fond goodbye to the harvest; in its culmination is its demise. That is the precious thing about the year. It is finite and must be honoured in its individuality. The year is individual like our lives. While they may come again in another form, they will never be the same again. It is our opportunity to celebrate their uniqueness. Whether is it the autumnal display of shocking red, yellow, and orange, or, the crisp winds, I feel more awake at this time of year than at any other. School starts in September as do most fall classes for adult education. It is a time of learning and of reflection. The quality of learning that I most look forward to in autumn is the ordering of the heart, setting the mind and the affections on what has been given through both culture and nature, and attempting to appreciate its meanings. To educate the heart and relax in contemplation of the harvest is rightfully a task for those in life’s maturity. Between Autumn Equinox and the next festival at Samhain, we have ample opportunity to celebrate and to consolidate what we are grateful for. Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated on the second Monday in October. It is time to artistically symbolize the gifts of culture and nature in their fullness. This is often expressed by the creation of a centre piece called a cornucopia. (cor.nu.co.pia n [LL, fr. L cornu copiae horn of plenty] (1508) 1: a curved goat's horn overflowing with fruit and ears of grain that is used as a decorative motif emblematic of abundance 2: an inexhaustible store: abundance 3: a receptacle shaped like a horn or cone --) The creation of such a tablepiece could be a reminder of abundance, spiritual and material, an opportunity for us to counteract the dominant cultural concern of scarcity and frugality. Part of the ritual could be a give away or potlatch. “From each according to his or her ability, to each according to their need.” A time when something of value symbolic or material is given away to a person you value. These gifts were placed on a blanket and the story behind them told by the giver to the receiver with the community overhearing. This was seen by our colonializing ancestors as a threat to capitalism and was even made illegal. Autumn is also the time to face death and dissolution. The tasks of the year are gone, making way for new ones. The New Year, which the Celtic peoples celebrated at Samhain on October 31, is fast approaching. Disinvesting ourselves of what was once valuable is a good symbol of this principle of renewal. Samhain: October 31 - November 2 (Ancestors, Old Age - Death) Britannica calls the celebration of Samhain (pronounced sah-win or so-en) “sinister”. The effect of chaos and dissolution does have this effect but the celebration of Samhain is to enable us to make the transition from the old to the new in a protected and boundaried manner. It is a time when spirits were thought to be closer and the boundaries between the material and spiritual worlds were fluid. One could say that Samhain is the time to remember that stability is fragile, that life is full of inexplicable events and we are vulnerable. In Scotland it was called the night of mischief and confusion. During this festival scary stories were told and erratic behaviour was the norm. Unhinging fences and doors and playing tricks made their way into the children’s chant “trick or treat”. Treat giving is an emblem that the boundary of what is yours and what is mine is repealed on Samhain. It is a reminder at the beginning of winter that the community can be called on to feed when there is want. Evil spirits were scared away but good ones were invited to give guidance to the participants. It is a night when divination was practiced. Some communities extinguished every light in the house, went to a town centre where a great fire was blazing and carried the light back to their dwellings. These ideas and observances found their way into our Halloween night. Like most other festivals, this one was incorporated into the church calendar in the form of All Hallows and All Saints days. Here there is a celebration not of the dead and remembered but of the spirits of those that went before and still guide us by their example and perhaps even intercession. Samhain could be a time to remember our heroes and ward off the energies of those who seek us harm. While dressing up and frightening demons through imitation of them is certainly the traditional way to celebrate Samhain, it might be good to tell stories of those who went before who have contributed to our lives by way of their guidance and presence with us even now. Because Samhain is a reminder of the fact that we are not in control and that the unknown is ever present, it is the festival most significant to the aged who face the unknown through their death. It is reminder of the supernatural and the reality of the world of spirit which is so easily forgotten in the year’s activities. This other dimension is the fertile unconsciousness from which our more ordered life emerges. To ignore it or slight it is to our detriment. To consciously confront it with the resources of our past is to enter the spirit world in faith protected. This hard to achieve belief is especially significant for children. Telling fairly tales of the shadow side is one way to remind them that there is evil but love and faith and community overcome it. About the Author Arthur Paul Patterson is a teacher-writer living in Winnipeg, Canada and the founder of Watershed, an educational context that helps individuals make decisions that lead to consciousness. You can respond by writing to the author here. © 1996 by Arthur Paul Patterson, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Please ask permission when reprinting this article. Back to Watershed Online main page
	"By the fire in the cool evenings of September we are called to eulogize, to praise, what will soon disappear but we have come to love. It is a time of fond goodbye to the harvest, in its culmination is its demise."

	"Autumn is also the time to face death and dissolution. The tasks of the year are gone, making way for new ones."

	"Because Samhain is a reminder of the fact that we are not in control and that the unknown is ever present, it is the festival most significant to the aged who face the unknown through their death."