Turning the Wheel at Lammas

procession

Lammas, the feast of the First Harvest, is a bittersweet holiday. We give thanks for the bounty of our gardens and our lives, and we revel in the long days and the warm, sunny weather. At the same time we know we’re sliding into the waning of the year and are facing the coming of Fall.  Even though most of North America has suffered through intense heat waves this summer, we Northwesterners can count the number of sunny days pretty much on one or two hands. It’s the second week of August and we’re wearing sweaters and looking thoughtfully at the thermostat.

And yet. We gather at the River, my spiritual community and I, every year at this time. We gaze at the stars and the early morning mist, we dance and drum around the fire ’til the wee hours, we feast together, chat and laugh, and swim in the river. We turn the Great Wheel, honoring the spirits of the land, and make our peace with the coming of Autumn.

(Fire photos by Chele Eva Armstrong of Henna Moon. All others by Joanna.)

8 thoughts on “Turning the Wheel at Lammas

  1. Joanna, these are such beautiful pictures. I especially LOVE the one of you! What a precious time among dear friends. The ceremony looks most moving. Yes, a bittersweet time. We’ve had a cool middle California summer too.

  2. Looks absolutely wonderful ! I wish you and your community were in
    Pittsburgh, PA. I would love to join you.

    Thank you, all for sharing with me.
    I look forward to all you have to offer….

Leave a Reply to Maurie Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *