Aired Sunday, July 28th, 2013
In the Celtic calendar, Lughnasadh (August 1st) marks the sacrifice of the Corn God and the beginning of the harvest.
I woke to find branches strew about the yard, the sunflower stalks snapped, the corn a tangled mess. Neighbors were raking leaves and sweeping debris in the street. Ferocious winds had ripped through the neighborhood and left a trail of debris in their wake. I thought of the Corn God Lugh and how in the Celtic calendar he peaks in strength at the summer solstice, and then is sacrificed on Lughnasadh, the first harvest festival. He is pierced with a blade, as the scythe cuts the body of the wheat and corn, millet and rye. Just as Lugh is sacrificed at the height of his strength, I see the branches and leaves, torn from the trees, at the peak of their summer glory. Harvesting the first fruits of the season, I taste a bit of sadness.