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Try this at home: a celebration of John Barleycorn
An ancient harvest tradition that is celebrated on August 1 is called Lammas, a word which is a contraction of Loaf Mass. Barley was a major food crop which was first cultivated 10,000 years ago all over the world, and this would be a time of year when they would harvest it. Barley has been used to make both food, beer and other alcoholic beverages.
That gave way to a tradition of blessing the loaves of bread made from the first harvest. Christian churches continued this tradition a long time ago, and this continued in some places up until recent times.
A popular song celebrating this tradition is John Barleycorn Must Die, which was written down in the 1700s by the legendary Scottish poet Robert Burns, who also gave us Auld Lang Syne.
The story is not grim, it is a celebration. It is about how the grain must be cut down in order to make these useful nourishments for people. The song encompasses the life of the planting and harvesting and concludes with a toast to John Barleycorn.
In life there are always things that must die so that new things can be born. We all have turning points when we close out old chapters, old relationships, old jobs to make way for new ones.
In old traditions, August 1 was also the beginning fall.
What are things that we are harvesting this year? What old cycles are coming to an end to make way for new beginnings?
Here is a link to a video of the song by Steve Winwood, simply with vocals and acoustic guitar, who rose to fame with the group Traffic.
This is my first time trying to insert a music live link in here. I thought of this after the help desk closed, so you will have to let me know if it worked. At worst, you can copy & paste the links to hear the music.
Another name for the holiday is Lughnasadh, named for the Celtic god Lugh, a great warrior, master of the arts, poet and ruler, and his holiday celebrates the harvest. He lived at Tara, a hill that is regarded as the heart of Ireland, the home of the high kings and druids. I have walked Tara to get the feel of the place. How could I not? His holiday is in the same month as my birthday. He is also a Sun god and Sun is the ruling planet of Leo.
Here is the link to a beautiful song Lughnasadh by a fine musician who goes by the name of Damh the Bard. Bright & upbeat. I love the sound of the voices rising over the acoustic guitar, percussion & mandolin. Enjoy the music!
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