Lúnasa Gathering: Abundance that comes at a cost

We gather for Lúnasa (or Lughnasadh) the Gaelic festival that honors the time of threshing, clearing, harvesting the first fruits of this season. The name of this day is attributed to the Irish sun god Lugh, (also the name for August.) As witih all Celtic/Gaelic holy days, this one is steeped In folklore, symbolism and meaning. One of the leading stories is the struggle between two gods — one who wants to gather and guard the grains as his own treasure, and the other one who wants to seize it for all humankind. We see this ancient tale played out today. Hoarding versus distribution for all.

We will hone in on another tale where Lugh begins this holy day as funeral and games in remembrance of his foster mother who died from exhaustion after clearing the plains of Ireland for agriculture. This raises a question of labor and who gives…