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A Little about Lughnasadh
by Suzie
This August 1st many Pagans are celebrating Lughnasadh (pronounced Loo-nah-sah) which is when the summer begins to shift into fall. Lughnasadh translates to “the marriage of Lugh”. Lugh is a Celtic Sun God and Lughnasadh represents his union with Mother Earth. Some Pagans believe it is this time of the year Lugh transfers his power to the grain which then grows, becomes harvested, and then made into delicious foods to consume - continuing the cycle of life
Because of the strong ties of this celebration to the grain, it is a popular tradition for people to bake bread for each other during “1st Harvest” because it is mostly grains that come of the first yields of the season. It is also a tradition each year to make an offering of some of your harvest back to the gods and goddesses to give thanks for the plentiful harvest this season and to pray for blessings next year as well.
Celebrations around this Sabbath include bonfires, dancing, and feasting. This Lughnasadh is a reminder to us all in the northern hemisphere to enjoy the warmth while we still have it and to begin to prepare for the colder months ahead.
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Foraging for Wild Berries
by Sam
Foraging is something I have always been interested in but have always been intimidated by. I wasn’t sure where to start, what information to trust, and how to do it safely. While out hiking with my family recently, I started noticing a lot of wild berries in our area. So, I decided to try and start there.
Most of what we were seeing looked like black raspberries, so I went home to do more research. I confirmed that they were in fact wild black raspberries. They grow amply in my area of Northern Illinois and aren’t known to have any poisonous look-alike plants. This gave me enough confidence to go for it! The next time we saw some on a hike, I tried some and eventually trusted it enough to let my kids forage some as well. The berries never even make it back to the car with my kids around.
I’m hoping to keep up my confidence and learn a few local foragable plants each season. I would love to learn more about mushrooms and wild herbs, in particular. What are some of your favorite plants to forage?
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when you are planning to forage for food.
Research the plants in your area that are safe to consume.
Get familiar with the plant so you are able to identify it easily.
Research any look-alike plants and find out if those are safe or toxic.
Find out what parts of the plant are consumable and how they should be prepared.
Be cautious of areas that might use pesticides and other toxins.
Forage responsibly and leave enough for wildlife and others.
Most of all, have fun and be safe!
Shadow Work: Grounding
by Marilyn
Sometimes our minds can get caught up in a whirlwind of thoughts and anxieties. We become so involved with our thoughts that it can be hard to enjoy the here and now. Take a moment to consider some things that you can do to focus on the present (e.g. walking barefoot in the grass, focused breathing, etc.). Take a few moments to make yourself a plan for the next time you get caught in your own head. What are the steps you want to take to bring yourself back to ground so you can be present in the moment?
Got Questions?
As many of you know, we've made a tradition of ending our podcast seasons with questions from our audience. We will be recording the season 3 finale soon, but we need questions from YOU! Please use our contact form (CLICK HERE) to submit questions for the season 3 finale of Midwest Coven Cast!
Coven UPDATE
All of your support over the last couple of years has been life changing for our little family coven. Because of all of you, we are three seasons into both Midwest Coven Cast and Midwest Coven Cast Presents: Weekend Reads and are currently working on an array of other projects.
We are also very excited to announce that we are introducing new merch and other products that can be purchased to support us (in lieu of or in addition to Patreon). These new endeavors are finally in the works after us talking about them for so long! Please watch our website for a new Etsy shop and Coven RedBubble (COMING VERY SOON!) where you can get an array of fun products and Coven merch.
Be sure to bookmark our “SUPPORT” page and check back in a couple of weeks.
Southern Hemisphere Shoutout
Blessed Imbolc to our friends in the Southern Hemisphere! It is soon time for the cold to start slowly sinking back down into the earth as you beckon the sun’s warmth back down to the surface.
Feel free to check out our Imbolc newsletter that we put out during the Northern Hemisphere’s celebration.
CALENDAR
July 27 Midwest Coven Cast Season 3, Episode 9
July 28 NEW MOON (12:54 pm CST)
August 1 Lughnasadh
August 5 Midwest Coven Cast Presents Weekend Reads Season 3, Episode 9
August 10 Midwest Coven Cast Season 3, Episode 10
August 11 FULL STURGEON MOON (8:35pm)
August 19 Midwest Coven Cast Presents Weekend Reads Season 3, Episode 10
August 24 Midwest Coven Cast Season 3, Episode 11
August 26 Put out NEW MOON water
August 27 NEW MOON (3:17 AM)
September 2 Midwest Coven Cast Presents Weekend Reads Season 3, Episode 11
September 7 Midwest Coven Cast Season 3, Episode 12
September 9 Put out FULL MOON water
September 10 FULL HARVEST MOON (4:59am)
September 16 Midwest Coven Cast Presents Weekend Reads Season 3, Episode 12
September 21 Mabon
Midwest Coven Cast Season 3, Episode 13 - SEASON FINALE