SLPS met under cool sky, warm earth, and to the sounds of crickets in the late July evening to celebrate Lughnasadh, the first harvest, and honor the Celtic God Lugh on Saturday, July 30, 2016. The altar was set, adorned with seasonal items, cock candles, corn, nude Lugh painting, and flowers. The fruits of the first harvest, the Society garden, were presented before the Gods. The harvest included: baquieu and romaine lettuce; onions; shallots; shishito, serrano, and anaheim peppers; okra, yellow squash; parsley, oregano, and dill herbs. Four types of jam from the fruit trees that have produced from the garden: apricot mango, apricot oregon grape, apricot plum, and plum (plums from the red plum trees on the curb). The Society is greatly blessed to have such harvests from the Good Earth Mother, Gaia. All the hard work of the garden has paid off!
Homemade cornmeal buttercream cupcakes were made by member Stesah Bowden. Wyld Extra Pale Ale and Moab Brewery Dead Horse Amber were the drinks of choice for John Barleycorn, who is burned as an offering from the wheat/corn to the gods at this time. Without the god Lugh, Lughnasadh is celebrated at Lammas, as a holiday of thanksgiving surrounding the first of three harvests that happen in August, September, and October.
The members meditated to the song “Lammas” on the album Circle of the Seasons by Lisa Thiel. The members went around afterwards in a circle and offered up thanks for all the things the were grateful for in life, lending that energy to the overall gratitude of the harvests.
The feasts including sauteed yellow squash with bacon, onions, and shallots (a traditional Gullah/Charleston, SC recipe by Muad’Dib who hails from that part of the world), BBQ-ed ribs, and chicken mole enchiladas.
Lughnasadh 2016, altar, Saturday, July 30, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Lughnasadh 2016, harvests of the Society garden l to r- baquieu and romaine lettuce; yellow squash; Anaheim, Serrano, and shishito peppers; okra; shallots; onions; parsley, dill, and oregano herbs. Saturday, July 30, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Lughnasadh 2016, altar with harvests l to r-romaine lettuce, yellow squash, Anaheim, Serrano, and shishito peppers; okra; tomatoes; shallots; onions; parsley. Saturday, July 30, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Lughnasadh 2016, cornmeal and buttercream muffins, Saturday, July 30, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Lughnasadh 2016, fruit jam from fruit tree harvests l to r- apricot mango, apricot Oregon grape, plum, and plum apricot, Saturday, July 30, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Lughnasadh 2016, Woman Between the Wolves lighting south candle, Saturday, July 30, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Lughnasadh 2016, l to r- Shy Fox, Muad’Dib, and Woman Between the Wolves, Saturday, July 30, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Lughnasadh 2016, preparing sauteed squash with bacon, onion and shallot (from garden), Saturday, July 30, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Lughnasadh 2016, feast: chicken mole enchiladas with guacamole, ribs with mustard bbq sauce, and sauteed squash, Saturday, July 30, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT