August 1st was Lammas, which is known as the First Harvest of the year. This day marks the transition into the harvest season of August, September, and October (of which there is a Second Harvest and Last Harvest that correspond to these months).
This holiday is often called Lammas, Lughnasadh, or Lugh, although I usually just refer to it as the First Harvest. On my path, it celebrates the beginning of Summer’s decline and ramping up of the busy season where we begin to reap in the abundance that the bounty of summer’s energies has encouraged to grow and flourish.
Like with new moons and full moons, I usually do a spread to check in with myself and give myself some direction for the next couple of months for each solstice, equinox, and other Sabbats. This spread is an adaptation of my Self Care Saturday spread, so there are sure to be some similarities in how it is read. The focus of this spread, though, is not about Self Care, but rather about progress and my path. The time period is also longer, reaching through the next handful of weeks until the celebration of the upcoming Second Harvest (aka. Mabon, Autumnal Equinox) in September.
Theme of the Season – Lammas, Last Quarter Moon, Symphytum officinale (Comfrey) – Lammas, which is the First Harvest of the year, is a time of evaluation. It’s a time when you want to ascertain what you want to accomplish before winter has arrived, and make sure that all those things you’ve done so far this year to get you there are still on track and moving in the correct direction.
The Waning Crescent Moon is not a time for planting new things, but for cutting out the chaff, weeding and thinning, pruning, mowing, and cutting timber. It is a time for freeing up space for growth by clearing out what isn’t working. As the moon’s energies decrease towards the new moon to come, it is a perfect time for cord cutting and cleansing practices that are used in discarding those things and people that no longer serve us, or have never served us and need to be let go.
Although Symphytum officinale (Comfrey) is used as a medicinal herb for anti-inflammatory purposes and is used in healing for a variety of purposes from bumps and bruises to sore throats, digestive issues, menstrual issues, and more. In metaphysical workings, it’s an herb often used to ensure safe travels, as well as promote peace and well-being.
[Cautionary Note: Comfrey contains poisonous pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can be absorbed through the skin in simply handling the plant. Caution when using this plant for either medicinal uses or metaphysical ones is important.]
When looking at these three cards together, the theme that I see here is not so much about reaping, but about making room. It’s about letting go, which is a theme I’ve been dealing with a great deal this summer. The message here is about making sure that I am making room in my life for what’s working and what I feel is important. Making room for what’s healthy and right… and letting go of what isn’t.
Earth – King of Cups – You’re feeling all kinds of comfortable with yourself and your situation at the moment. You’re also getting enough time with Gideon to make yourself feel safe and happy. You’ve finally gotten over the stagnancy feelings you struggled with earlier in the year and are in a place where eddies and shifts in the currents of life are once again feeling natural and comfortable.
Air – King of Swords – Hard work is starting to pay off in the area of your mind and thought processes and clarity is on the rise as the fog you’ve been experiencing begins to clear. Direction, confidence, strategy, and the written word are all in your court at the moment. Don’t let them go to waste.
Water – Four of Cups Rx – You’re not doing as good as you could at getting the rest of reflection time that you need. Focus more on getting in that meditation every day, even on the days when you don’t feel like you really want to do it. The avoidance isn’t about time, and you know it. Forcing might make it feel like a chore, but not doing it at all isn’t working either.
Fire – King of Wands – If you take a minute to really look and see where you’re at, you’ll find that you’re better off than you think you are. Stop looking ahead so much, and instead look at where you are now.
Waning – The Unbound – There’s been a lack of structure in your life through a good part of the summer, so much so that it’s been a struggle for you to find direction. This lack of structure and direction is now coming to an end and, as the brain fog lifts, you are finding purpose once more.
Waxing – Briar – Make sure you are paying attention to the world around you and taking precautions. Cleansing, caution, spacial awareness, and a watchful attitude will help steer you through any dangers coming your way. Set good boundaries including protections and wards, and make sure they are steady and firm.
Twisting the Leaf 