to provide is to see the future, and each plant under my care is only ever thinking ahead; prepare for fruit, they say, prepare for seed! for soon, winter will cover us in sleep and we will slumber sweetly, knowing that every seed was readied for the warmth of a future spring.
We have arrived at a truly remarkable season in the growing year: the season of loaves, harvest, fruit, and providence.
Lammas (from āloaf-massā) or the Celtic Lughnasadh are ancient observances with powerful traditions behind them. I wrote a brief history of this season last year (read that post here), and this particular time of year always has a profound effect on me.
I think it can be tempting to feel removed from these ancient agricultural festivals. After all, most of us donāt live our lives solely at the mercy of the seasons. We have electric light, artificial climate control, fridges and cupboards full of food that doesnāt spoil easily, and work that usually doesnāt involve soil and weather. Gardening, preserving, and working the land areāfor most of usāhobbies, not a matter of survival.
But no matter how separated our day-to-day can feel from the world our ancestors knew, I do believe that these ritual days can be signposts for us in the year. Reminders of a real truth: no matter what we harvest, it only ever comes from the hand of God. Providence is not only found in the green grace of growing things, but also hidden in the technological marvels of our mundane lives, too.
The word āprovideā comes from roots that indicate seeing ahead, readying ourselves for an unknown future. So when we speak of providence, we arenāt just speaking of just enough sustenance for today.
Often, what weāve been given will ready us for a future that we have not seen yet. A long winter that will eventually lead to a flourishing spring.
Discussion Question:
What are you harvesting, this season? And what future do you believe that this harvest is preparing you for?
(You can be as literal or as figurative with this as you like!)
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