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| photo from Ian 'OBrien Midday Sun |
Summer is a very special time of year for me as it is the time that I entered into this world. It is also the time my daughter came to Earth.
It is a blessed time for us to acknowledge our lives here and now together. I must add my husband was born in the summer as well as one of my dearest friends. All of us within a few weeks of each other. Hence I believe (and I am grateful to the Creators) that our life force energy at this time is being heightened for renewal to celebrate each other.
I am the eldest of my siblings and my daughter is the only child, also considered the eldest position at birth.
Why am I going on with this birthday stuff?
Well, I have been reflecting on this subject ... and lately, in the social media, information is acknowledging non-Western traditional celebrations. It is good to see Lughnasadh insights and perspectives on the internet at the beginning of the month.
I have always respected the Celtic Lughnasadh observance and celebration as I feel it is significantly appropriate to this time of year.
My understanding of the consciousness of Lughnasad was through the first Pentecost, the Judaic Pentecost Shavuot. Shavuot takes place after Passover in April, much of its significance and Philosophy reflect this time of year for me. Shavuot is one of the major Jewish harvest festivals that coincide with Lughnasad’s first harvest acknowledgments. From what I remember in my undergraduate World Religious Studies, the Jewish Pentecost asks of the firstborn male child to come forth to the Temple during the Shavuot celebrations to dedicate himself to God and to receive the blessings from the community through the ceremony by the Rabbi. Much like the Catholic confirmation significance. Such is the similarity with pagan observances, that what the Earth teaches, we seek to embody as well, and this is the renewing of our lives and the tremendous reality that we are in the flow of the magnificence of life.
I can not stop here as this observance and connection is also reflected in my California Native American culture within many of the ceremonies in the summertime, but especially in the Flower Dance Ceremony. The Flower Dance Ceremony is observed throughout Indigenous California communities that have returned to their traditional practices. It is an honoring of the Feminine Sacredness. I also believe it is the acknowledgment and the community's support towards the young woman's conscious dedication on her sacred path with the Creators. Many ethnographers and anthropologist have researched our peoples and referred to this ceremony as a puberty rite of passage. However, if we can reflect on Lughnasadh and Shavuot, there is indeed an outer occurrence (first fruit/harvest and menses) that indicate a phenomenon is occurring amongst us. A blessed and sacred occurrence. A flower's budding is so precious because we can anticipate its beauty in its fullest bloom. The beauty of its bloom to maturity is assured because we know when we make the effort to cultivate and support its preciousness, beauty will be. Such is the power and significance of this time. We are bearing witness to the unfolding of such valuable and needed possibilities for us all. As a community, we must encourage and support with as much sincere effort as possible to demonstrate our appreciation and love to this new first offering. Whether a young initiate or our first fruits of the harvest, it is an honor to have their pure and blessed presence in our lives.
I must interject that the Green Corn ceremonies are very prevalent in Indigenous communities within North America as well. Maise is a life-sustaining environmental relative to many North American Indigenous communities. Maise is easily comparable to wheat’s value in the European Celtic Lughnasadh's festivities. Both relatives are life-sustaining agents from Mother Earth embodying the Feminine life spirit we all belong to. The women in our Native cultures are honored during such times as we are also life-givers. During the Green Corn Ceremony, those that participant undergoes a purification process through fasting and prayer. (Indigenous renewal participants traditionally go through a fast and an inner reflective sojourn) The ceremony suggests that the world as well as we are being renewed. Thus, a time to forgive others and make amends so all is clean and new in our lives open our future towards the potential to grow into a rewarding experience.
To establish a lasting impression, these celebrations and acknowledgments did not happen in one day as we are so accustomed to practice in Western society. In western civilization, a holiday is observed very much as a “high”... Usually, our holidays occur within a 24 hour period and then are gone. The “down” from the experience comes very quickly and inwardly there is a deep sense of unfulfillment. It is quite the opposite within traditional Indigenous communities and their celebrations. Acknowledgments of change and the honoring practicing celebrations take weeks. From an Indigenous perspective and from one that was once an Indigenous doctoring ceremonial singer, the event took many days. The typical contemporary traditional ceremony takes approximately 4 days. However, the larger observances that I remember took at least 10 days.
Hence, the length and the process facilitate life-changing potential and a rebalancing of one's life with the sacred within ourselves. I believe everything is sacred, we must learn to make our own life balanced to resonate with what is already sacred all around us.
Therefore, I am very grateful that I can observe and acknowledge my garden's first harvests and acknowledge my own, as well as my loved ones' renewal during our birthday celebrations. But, also to know that we all have the opportunity to rededicate our sacred selves back into our lives along with what our Mother Earth is continually showing us.
If we have a chance to visit an Indigenous community and be a part of a renewal celebration let us do so to be reminded of what that is for ourselves.
Coming up soon is the annual Yurok Salmon Festival in Klamath, CA. http://www.yuroktribe.org/salmonfestival.htm. There will be much to explore with the culture and with the festivities.
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| Photo from the Regional Parks website |
I recently attended a public Tolowa event here in Del Norte County in the Hiouchi Forest. The Elders and Culture Bearers shared songs and dances from the Brush Dance, a traditional healing and renewal ceremony. Today Native American communities offer many public events. As most of the ceremonies were traditionally open celebrations for everyone to partake.
When I was young our ceremonies were underground and unless you were from the families that put on the ceremony or participated as a dancer or singer you would not be invited. The reason for such secrecy is attached to the historical genocide that my ancestors experienced. Unfortunately, the massive details of that history have been whitewashed in the contemporary historical context. Nonetheless, it is all there if you wish to discover it through the internet and social media. You needn't work hard to find it.
Regardless, we do not need to attend any outward event or practice, as the renewal of Mother Earth continually occurs. As long as we are alive and wish to walk what we call the "Red Road." We will find that renewal within ourselves. (There are many definitions attached to the "Red Road" but for me, it is the path to the Creators.)
I am grateful to have been able to honor this special subject and time here with Flicker's Drum Beat. Healing and renewal are the fundamental aspects of the work the I am dedicated to through L.U.T.E.A.
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For insights on Indigenous Culture and Elders visit "Our Ancient Lands". This month I visited with my friend Scott Frazier, Elder, Knowledge Keeper, Artist and Scholar from the Santee Sioux and Absarokee (Crow) nations. "Musings with Indigenous Elder Scott Frazier"
We'd like to have Scott come out to Del Norte and do some Fireside Talks sponsored by LUTEA. Again if you are interested please sign up on our mailing list.
I also produce another podcast "Art and the Divine" and Scott is featured on this month's podcast with Indigenous Metis Artist Lisa Du Fresne.
I pray that the Earth and her blessings will remind us to take this opportunity to make a personal commitment to renew ourselves and to rededicate our lives towards the Creators. Reconnecting ourselves to the great mystery is the perfect pathway or road guaranteed to offer to us the blessings of balance with much more peace and contentment in our lives.
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