The time of the harvest is upon us. As we approach the time of the Autumn Equinox, it is time to celebrate the bounty around us, coming in from the fields and the forest, as well as all we have harvested in our life in the past year. In my community, we gather for a big Harvest Feast to celebrate the food that is grown in our valley. We have many farmers, gardeners, and harvesters and so a lot of our food is extremely local. We gather together for a big potluck feast. We all bring a dish to share made from food that we or someone else in our community has grown. We celebrate all the farmers, gardeners, plants, and animals that work to feed us and keep us alive.
Before the big feast, some of us gather for a smaller circle to celebrate all the harvests in our lives. We share about all we are harvesting- our physical harvests of food, as well as emotional harvests, relational harvests, occupational harvests, .... anything we are harvesting in our lives this year. We each bring something that represents our harvest, something we grew, something we made, or any object that represents our own personal harvest from the past year. We gather together with our harvests, share about our gratitudes, and then give away what we have brought. Sometimes we each leave with someone else’s harvest, sometimes we all share in the harvests in the moment. Often, we see what needs exist in our circle and how others’ harvests can meet those needs. It’s beautiful to see us all bring our gifts to share and, usually, we all leave getting our needs met. This circle has been a beautiful way to ritually recognize that we all contribute to our community and we all have needs. Coming together to celebrate and share our harvests with each other usually ends up also revealing how we can support each other. When we bring our gifts as well as our needs to the center, we can meet our needs and create community together.
It’s a good time of year to think about all we are grateful for. What have you learned in the past year? What have you worked for or given energy toward and are now reaping the benefits? What has recently come into your life? Think about what has happened in your life in the past year and what you're harvesting from it. And then share your harvest with your community!
Blessings on all your harvests.
