baking & breaking: bread 4ever
Bright Lammas Blessings, my Well-Seasoned Sister!
Next Tuesday, August 1, marks the halfway point of Summer, and as such, is worth some well-seasoned celebratin'!
august 1 is all about the grain
Ever seen the movie, Dances with Wolves? If so, then you'll remember the collective eagerness of the Sioux tribe for information related to the arrival of “tatanka”--the buffalo herd.
Once you understand the absolute dependence of the tribe on the gifts the animal provided--from meat to fur to the very sinews-- in supporting the tribe through each harsh, unforgiving winter, then it makes complete sense to see the Sioux wholeheartedly dancing, singing, and drumming in the big, prehunt bonfire…and then joyously reveling in an extended, post-hunt series of campfire gatherings, feastings, and story-tellings!
Basically, the arrival of the buffalo signaled a time of deepening social connections with one another, with the land, and with the annual abundance of the physical harvest to sustain the group through the winter to come.
If you've been tracking so far, then you'll understand the very heart of the August 1 festival, most commonly known as Lammas (LAH-mus)--aka, the grain festival, for it is all about these very same themes. The only difference? Substitute in a grain--say, wheat or corn or barley or rye or rice or oats, etc, for the tatanka.
The annual grain festival celebrates the time of year when the “amber waves of grain…across the fruited plain” are at their lushest and most abundant--and ready to be used for the greater good.
The rest of this email provides four fun, engaging resources to help inspire your own celebration of this Well-Seasoned festival!
#1/ 4
Curious to learn more about the themes of this mid-season milestone & explore some ideas to inspire your own Lammas celebration?
You'll want to check out my blog post introducing all things Lammas! In this blog, I provide some embodied practices to spark a ritual that honors this Time, this Season, & this Purpose in a way that feels right for you.
#2/4
You a Lord of the Rings fan?
Then, you are undoubtedly familiar with the elvish lembas bread, which was gifted to the travelers as a way of satisfying their hunger on their quest to save the world.
Literary tradition has it that J.R.R. Tolkien, when creating the Elvish language & culture for his Lord of the Rings world, borrowed heavily from Gaelic based languages when he incorporated such words as lembas into his vocabulary.
[I totally geek out on stuff like this!!]
Lembas & Lammas? Yep--there from the same Gaelic root word, meaning bread/grain.
How cool is that?
Enjoy this quick clip from the extended director's cut here to get you in the mood for some magical, grainy delights of your own!
#3/ 4
Could a celebration of grain be any better labeled than as a LOVE CAKE moment? I think not.
I promise, you'll smile and clap along with this original, low-key song that seems to capture something extra sweet about a “grain exchange.”
CLICK HERE FOR SOME LOVE CAKE FUN
#4/4
If you are feeling the itch to go ALL LITTLE RED HEN on the grain--from growing it, to cutting it, to grinding it, to baking it, to serving it, to eating it-- then, this video is for you.
Otherwise, you can just keep scrolling. No blame, no shame. :)
CLICK HERE FOR GRAINISH HOMESTEADING
Here’s to the goodness of giving thanks for our daily bread and for sharing THIS time and THIS purpose together!
xo
