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SPIRIT OF THE HARVEST

 The Wheel of the Year turns again to the season of abundance.  Stop awhile, breathe its essence and be awakened to all its meanings.

 …Just for a moment, let’s go ‘back in the day’.  Imagination reveals a small cottage, at the edge of woodland.  Here we live, lit by the sun and the occasional luxury of a candle.  In the grate of the single living room a small fire crackles – it brings reassurance on this chilly evening of early autumn, but also constant concern, as we assess the log pile outside for how long it may last.  We have intimate knowledge of all around us - bird-call, the scent on the breeze, the pattern of stars flung across the unpolluted purple of the night, the tracks of animals – for all such may have bearing on our survival. We are also aware of the harvest that we have gathered, and are gathering, from the fields and hedgerows.  We can see the earth that has yielded this bounty, and although we know all about growing things, deep within the soil there rests a mystery, a power that we know we depend upon, of which we feel in awe and to which we are profoundly grateful for the gift of abundance and the promise of another year of joyful life...

Is the foregoing an accurate perception of how a humble country-dweller might have felt, before the Industrial Revolution?  We can only speculate, and there is bound to be some romanticism in the ‘speculation’ because deep within we know quite well we’ve lost something valuable.  All such reactions are completely alien now, to us, in the developed world, separated as we feel from what gives us life.  However much we may try to look after the environment it is hard to connect with our dependence on Nature, and the rhythms of which we are a part.  We are freed from anxiety about dwindling stores, this is true, but often a sense of joy at the abundance around us is absent.  Evoking an awareness of our bond with Nature is important to our emotional health and well-being, and to a sense of belonging. At harvest time the gifts of the earth are most gloriously obvious.  Now is a prime opportunity to awaken, celebrate and experience the blessing of gratitude.  

 THE ANCIENT SPIRIT OF HARVEST

In times gone by there existed a vivid awareness of all that nature gives us, and that this should not be taken for granted.  The Corn Spirit, as the name suggests is/was the energy within the ripened corn, but also a male divinity, who died yearly, and was resurrected.  Those who harvested were mindful of all they were taking.  When the last sheaf was cut, all involved would fling their sickles in unison, so no single individual could be identified as the one dealing the final blow. The best ears were then chosen and fashioned into a Corn Dolly, which was placed above the hearth, so enshrining the Corn Spirit over the following winter.  Feasting and celebration ensued, and the next spring the seeds were shaken from the Dolly to be sown with the fresh crop.  So the cycle of creation was observed.  Factories and supermarkets put us at a distance from this, but renewing all such connections is both enchanting and grounding, and may lead to a healthier relationship between us and the planet.

FORAGING FOR BOUNTY

There is a simple magic in the act of putting one foot in front of the other.  Not only is walking good for the body, it also benefits the brain by boosting blood flow – so if you need inspiration, are feeling down, or mentally ‘stuck’, a way forward often reveals itself, as you walk.  At all points during the seasonal cycle, a walk in the country is the primary way to find harmony with the earth.  Do this mindfully, aware of all the scents of the season, the texture of the earth where your feet make contact, the colours, shapes and movements around you and the sounds of the wind, and living creatures. If you live in a city there will, in all probability, be a park near you, for you to explore. Try to rediscover the observance of childhood, and be in the moment.  Collect stones, leaves, feathers to collect on a nature table at home – and forage.

 

The cereal harvest may be gathered in, but trees and bushes are laden. When you forage for food you collect evidence of the soil’s power to produce the beautiful and the edible.  Picking berries from a bush is simply magical.  Make sure you have a least one foray along the brambles, gathering enough blackberries for a pie, or crumble, or perhaps a basketful, to make bramble jelly. It’s a depressing testament to our detachment from Nature that you will often hear parents tell their children not to pick blackberries, in case they are poisonous – something that not so long ago would never have caused a moment’s doubt.  Blackberries are thankfully particularly recognisable and can be picked with confidence.

 

Pick rose hips to make herbal teas, jams and syrups.  For an immediate experience of this bounty, make rose hip tea.  Wash and top and tail your rose hips and cover ¼ cup of the fruit with one cup hot water.  Steep for 15 minutes, strain and taste the season on your tongue. This can be somewhat tart, so sweeten with just a little local honey in order to enjoy.

 

Elderberries make a delicious and refreshing drink.  Pick 1.75 kg elderberries, removing the largest twigs.  Wash thoroughly and place in a large pan with six cored and chopped apples and ½ litre of water.  Simmer for 30 minutes, strain and return to heat with 400g sugar.  Once the sugar is dissolved, decant into warmed, sterilised jars/bottles and seal immediately.  Cool and store in the fridge where it should last through the winter.  All of these recipes are packed with vitamins, but also ‘structural information’ from plants steeped in harvest spirit.

 

CONCENTRATE YOUR MIND ON BOUNTY

Harvest comes in more than one form, and there will be a personal ‘harvest’ that you are reaping.  This is a good occasion to focus on this, and delight in it. Contemplate all that you have gained over the previous year, and list this on a sheet of paper, including:

• Exams and tests passed, courses completed
• Positive career events
• New experiences, positive or challenging
• Fresh circumstances such as greater freedom or security
• Anything you’ve created, from knitting to becoming a parent
• Inner awareness
• Relationships
• Hobbies or interests
• Special possessions that you’ve gathered
• If your year has been full of suffering, there will be gains even in this, in the strength and wisdom you’ve earned and the endurance you’ve shown

When your list is complete, roll it up in a scroll, secure it with gold ribbon and place this on a cupboard top or shelf that you have set aside as your nature table.

 

GIVE THANKS FOR BOUNTY

Nothing opens the heart and makes the soul blossom more than gratitude.  The Law of Attraction tells us that by being grateful we create the spiritual climate that draws more goodies towards us.  True gratitude does not arise from believing you should be grateful as a duty, but from a sense of joy.  Amplify your sense of gratitude by applying the following:

• Start saying ‘thank you’ to the Universe. Begin each day by standing before your window and holding out your arms in a ‘thank you’ to life.  Say an inward ‘thank you’ for any little bit of good fortune or pleasure, for the realisation that you are healthy, safe, loved – whatever.  Gratitude is an emotion – get used to spotting it arising in you, and magnifying it
• Train your brain. Our brains have a ‘negativity bias’ that clings to us from the Stone Ages, when it was helpful to prepare us against threats, so ensuring our survival.  But you don’t have to be controlled by this.  The analytical mind may not be naturally grateful, so become aware of any tendency to dwell on problems and deficits.  Instead, get in the habit of focussing on bounty
• End each day by concentrating on things to be grateful for. Aim to list ten, and if you’re going through a bad patch you can still feel thankful for ten minutes to put your feet up, or for a chocolate bar, or ray of sunlight
• Start each day by finding half a dozen blessings that are coming your way during the day and saying ‘thank you’ three times for each one, concentrating on its delights. Your first cup of tea or coffee could be the beginning
• Re-shape problem areas (such as a stressful job or relationship) by picking out another six elements for which to be grateful. Of course this does not mean overlooking abuse, but you can choose to focus on your strengths and experiences in the situation, and thus be empowered

Gratitude is arguably the very spirit of the harvest, enfolding you in its gifts.  May abundance be with you.