Lughnasadh and the Harvest of Belonging

Every generation inherits a field it did not sow. Every generation makes what choices it can about what to harvest, what to replant, and what to return to the earth. Yet not every generation, nor every part of every generation, inherits the same freedom to choose. Traditionally, this is a time of harvest: the beginning of August offers a threshold between growing and gathering, a moment to pause, regroup and celebrate before the work of the harvest begins in earnest. In her journal post, Lughnasadh and the Harvest of Belonging, Mary O’Rawe considers the symbolism of harvest and how yoga practice can widen the circle of belonging and help us reflect on the sowing and reaping we do in our own lives.