It is the time of Lughnasadh , a three week observance, and many traditionally minded folks have been leaving offerings of vegetables and grain for the “Good Neighbors”, pouring milk offerings on stones, and expressing gratitude at the start of the harvest. In these days when we can drive to the supermarket any time of year to pick up a loaf of bread, it is worth remembering the farmers, the wind and rain and sun, and the bees who make our nourishment possible.
The days have been hot and moist under a strong sun, yet the shadows are lengthening as evening creeps in earlier and earlier. We have already begun the long slide into the dark of the year.
A Celtic activity at this time of year is to collect Bilberries (Blueberries) and have them in a seasonal feast. I am happy to report that walking in the woods behind the house recently I found wild low bush Blueberries and also Blackberries, ready to eat, right on cue. As I harvested a handful I was treated to the sounds of baby owls practicing their calls from the tree tops.
Amid the festivities, I wish I could say this is a time of joy. Sadly, the country is experiencing the shock of two mass killings within 24 hours, in El Paso and in Dayton, Ohio. (The very next day there was another mass shooting in Chicago with seven wounded but no deaths so far). No one is surprised that the Texas killer is a White Supremacist, the jury is still out on the Ohio murderer. What is certain is that they were both cowards, turning military style assault rifles on unarmed, defenseless civilians. We have had to endure 250 of these massacres so far this year and the year is only half over.
The Democratic majority House of Representatives passed a gun bill in February but the Senate, led by Republicans, has yet to consider the measure . Most Americans want stronger gun legislation but we citizens are no competition for the power and money of the NRA.
Our current harvest is a harvest of grief.
America is a Gun
England is a cup of tea.
France, a wheel of ripened brie.
Greece, a short, squat olive tree.
America is a gun.
Brazil is football on the sand.
Argentina, Maradona’s hand.
Germany, an oompah band.
America is a gun.
Holland, is a wooden shoe.
Hungary, a goulash stew.
Australia, a kangaroo.
America is a gun.
Japan, is a thermal spring.
Scotland is a highland fling.
Oh, better to be anything
Than America as a gun.
BOOK NEWS
- “The Sacred Herbs of Samhain” is out in book form and I just finished recording the audio version – stay tuned for details on that recording! You can order a signed copy here.
- A recent podcast about Druids and Herbs
CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS
- Sunday August 18
Connecticut Herb Association
35 Dale Rd in Enfield, CT Phone: 860-202-0030
11-2:30 – includes lunch and an herb walk
$25 for non-members, free for CHA members
A formula making class for beginners and advanced Herbalists, includes lunch and an herb walk.
Learn the triangle system of formula making found in my book “Secret Medicines from Your Garden” originally taught to me by Master Herbalist William LeSassier - August 22-25, Camp Cedarcrest , Orange CT
Harvest Gathering
Camp Cedarcrest
886 Mapledale Rd, Orange, Connecticut 06477
Get tickets here
Ellen will speak on the following topics;
Intro to Druid Spiritual Path
Pillars of Druidism
Communicating with Trees
Basic Druid Ritual Form - Study Herbalism with Ellen Evert Hopman, Herbalist AHG
A Six Month Intensive in Western Mass
October 19 – April 2020
Intro to Herbalism and Self Care
Two Saturdays a month, 1-5 PM near Amherst, MA
Western Materia Medica, Chinese 5 Element Theory,
Flower Essence Counseling, Formula making, Hands on Herbalism,
Ethnobotany, Herb walks, Homeopathic First Aid, Live case taking and more.
Scroll down to see the latest news; Archeology, Trees, Nature, Climate, Herbs, Health, Religions, Celts, Druids, Fairies and Ethics. And a reminder *You can purchase signed copies of my books from this website*
FOREST NEWS
- How trees communicate (includes a video)
- The recent California drought killed 150 million trees
- Ethiopia Begins Nationwide Project Of Planting 4 Billion Trees To Fight Deforestation
ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS
- Gene transcripts from ancient wolf analyzed after 14,000 years in permafrost
- Otzi the Iceman (video)
- Opalized fossils from Australia
See More Archaeology News Here
HERB NEWS
HEALTH NEWS
- Researchers build artificial cells that sense and respond to their environment
- Why do women get Alzheimer’s more than men do?
- How to make CBD infused coffee
CLIMATE AND NATURE NEWS
- Study suggests frozen earthlike planets could support life
- Siberia forest fires spark potential ‘disaster’ for Arctic
- The Milky Way is warped
See More Climate and Nature News Here
CELTIC NEWS
- Reek Sunday and other Irish traditions associated with the last Sunday in July
- Eddie Lenihan, traditional story teller (video)
- Hidden text found in Welsh Arthurian stories
FAIRY NEWS
- The Tuatha de Dannan (the Sidhe)
- Eddie Lenihan on the Black Dog (video)
PAGAN NEWS
- Dozynki – the ancient Polish harvest festival
- A Mid-Winter festival in Tasmania (where it is winter now!)
- Pagans are asked to stop hanging rags on a “wishing tree” at Tara
RELIGION NEWS
- FL Court of Appeals rules on non-Christian invocations at government functions
- Satanic Temple’s seven tenants may be morally superior to the 10 commandments
- Federal court backs rights of Wiccans, Atheists in discrimination suit
ARTS NEWS
- Coastal Salish man makes huge drums to soothe the Earth
- Artist replaces billboards with photos of the landscape they are blocking
- Robert Frost’s New England