#HarvestSeason

[krikfuar]

Лучи октябрьского солнца, яркого и безмятежного, ложились на убранные поля. Солнце выглядывает лишь на короткий миг, чтобы после окутать мир тайной и тьмой. Приходи ко мне, путник, обещаю, вытянуть для тебя самое лучшее напутствие к подстерегающему нас безвременью. ༄٭⊹•И неумолчный ветер выл, Как хор восставших из могил٭⊹•༄

[forkfulofflavor]

Warm Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Pecans Ingredients: 1 large butternut squash or 2 small (4-5 cups cubed squash) 3 tablespoons butter 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) 1/2 cup pecans 1/3 cup dried cranberries Directions: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Melt butter in a small bowl and mix with brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and cayenne (if using). Toss the cubed squash in 3/4 of the butter mixture, spreading evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. In a separate bowl, mix pecans and cranberries with the remaining butter mixture. Add the pecans and cranberries to the baking sheet with squash, and continue roasting for an additional 10 minutes, stirring once, to avoid overcooking the pecans. Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Kcal: 215 kcal per serving Servings: 6 servings This Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Pecans is a beautiful blend of rich autumn flavors and textures. With the warmth of cinnamon and a touch of brown sugar, the butternut squash becomes caramelized and tender, while the addition of pecans and cranberries provides a delightful crunch and pop of sweetness. It's a dish that truly embodies the spirit of fall, bringing a cozy, seasonal touch to any table. Perfect for holiday gatherings or a comforting weeknight dinner, this side dish is both easy to prepare and full of flavor. The natural sweetness of the squash is perfectly complemented by the tart cranberries and toasted pecans, making it an ideal choice for those who enjoy a balanced mix of sweet and savory in their meals. Serve this as a beautiful, rustic side to any main course, and watch it become a seasonal favorite in no time.

[yellowmanula]

And it’s on! Proud "Mushroom Hunter" 💪🍄🍄🍄 There will be fried parasol mushrooms, mushroom sauce, pickled mushrooms, and the rest for drying.

[zymzalchemy]

Farm-fresh beauty and bountiful harvests.

[harmonyhealinghub]

Lughnasa: The Festival of Transition Shaina Tranquilino August 1, 2024

As the sun reaches its zenith and summer begins its slow transition into autumn, many cultures around the world celebrate the ancient festival of Lughnasa, also known as Lammas. This festival, rooted deeply in Celtic tradition, marks a significant point in the agricultural calendar and symbolizes a period of transformation, gratitude, and community.

Origins and Significance

Lughnasa, celebrated on August 1st, is named after Lugh, a prominent deity in Celtic mythology associated with the sun, light, and skill. It is believed that the festival was originally dedicated to Lugh’s mother, Tailtiu, who was honoured for her contributions to agriculture. The name Lammas, derived from Old English “hlaf-mas” (loaf mass), reflects the Christian influence on the festival, focusing on the first harvest and the blessing of bread made from new grain.

Celebrating the Harvest

At its core, Lughnasa is a harvest festival. It is a time to give thanks for the abundance of the earth and to celebrate the fruits of labor. Traditionally, communities would come together to share the bounty of the harvest, with feasts featuring freshly harvested grains, fruits, and vegetables. Bread made from the new crop of wheat was a central symbol of this celebration, signifying both the sustenance provided by the land and the communal spirit of the festival.

Rituals and Traditions

Lughnasa is rich with rituals and customs that honour the changing of the seasons and the cycles of nature. Here are a few traditional practices associated with the festival:

Harvest Feasts: Preparing and sharing a meal made from the season's harvest is a cornerstone of Lughnasa celebrations. Dishes made with freshly harvested grains, fruits, and vegetables are enjoyed by family and friends, reflecting the abundance of the season.

Bonfires: Lighting bonfires is a common practice during Lughnasa. These fires symbolize the sun’s energy and warmth, and they serve as a way to honour the light that has nurtured the crops. Dancing around the bonfire is also a traditional activity, representing the joy and vitality of the harvest.

Games and Competitions: Historically, Lughnasa was a time for community gatherings and games. Athletic competitions, storytelling, and music were integral parts of the celebration, fostering a sense of unity and shared joy.

Nature Walks and Offerings: Spending time in nature and making offerings of gratitude to the land are practices associated with Lughnasa. People might leave small tokens or offerings at sacred sites or in natural settings as a way to honor the earth and express thanks for its bounty.

Modern Observances

In contemporary times, Lughnasa has experienced a revival as people seek to reconnect with ancient traditions and the rhythms of nature. Modern celebrations often blend traditional practices with new interpretations, reflecting a growing interest in sustainable living and community-building.

Many people today celebrate Lughnasa through gatherings that emphasize local and seasonal foods, and they may incorporate rituals that honor both the agricultural significance and the spiritual aspects of the festival. Community events, farmers’ markets, and harvest festivals often feature elements of Lughnasa, making it accessible to a broader audience.

The Spirit of Transition

Lughnasa is not just a festival of harvest; it is a celebration of transition. As the days gradually shorten and the first signs of autumn appear, Lughnasa reminds us of the cyclical nature of life and the importance of embracing change. It is a time to reflect on the past season, give thanks for what has been achieved, and prepare for the shifts that lie ahead.

By observing Lughnasa, we connect with an age-old rhythm that has guided humanity through the ages, reminding us of the ever-changing dance between light and dark, growth and rest. It is a celebration of life’s abundance and a testament to the enduring power of tradition and community.

As you prepare to celebrate Lughnasa, whether through traditional practices or modern interpretations, take a moment to appreciate the seasonal transition and the opportunities it brings for reflection, gratitude, and renewal.

[ninalomando]

Happy August ~ The Harvest Season has arrived!🙏🏻🌙☀️🌾🌻

[sad-stoned-gay]

In love, honestly 🍄

[myquestformeestaceesm]

The Bear Family are enjoying their first corn harvest

[morimatea]

A cup of refreshing and flavorful Mingqian green tea is the best work companion and leisure drink.

[maenillustrates]

Harvest Festival 🍎🍁🌽

Inktober day five ✨ prompts for this piece include harvest, corn, and autumn celebration 🥕

Do you frequent an autumn festival? 🍂

[culturecalypsosblog]

🌾 Today’s blog is on Demeter :: Greek Goddess of Agriculture 🌾 check out my Demeter boxset in my shop @ facebook.com/thehealingcabinmichigan I’ll be doing several Goddess inspired box sets get yours today!

Demeter, the middle daughter of Cronus and Rhea, was the Ancient Greek goddess of grain and agriculture, one of the original Twelve Olympians. Her grief over her daughter Persephone – who has to spend one-third of the year with her husband Hades in the Underworld – is the reason why there is winter; her joy when she gets her back coincides with the fertile spring and summer months. Demeter and Persephone were the central figures of the Eleusinian Mysteries, the most famous secret religious festival in Ancient Greece.

Demeter’s Role

Demeter's Name

Demeter’s name consists of two parts, the second of which (-meter) is almost invariably linked with the meaning “mother,” which conveniently fits with Demeter’s role as a mother-goddess. However, there are still debates over the meaning of the first part (De-), which most scholars associate with “Ge,” i.e., Gaea (making Demeter “Mother Earth”); others, however, prefer to link it with “Deo,” which is a surviving epithet of Demeter and may have been, in an earlier form, the name of one of few grains.

Demeter's Portrayal and Symbolism

Demeter is usually portrayed as a fully-clothed and matronly-looking woman, either enthroned and regally seated or proudly standing with an extended hand. Sometimes she is depicted riding a chariot containing her daughter Persephone, who is almost always in her vicinity. The goddesses – as they were endearingly called – even share the same attributes and symbols: scepter, cornucopia, ears of corn, a sheaf of wheat, torch, and occasionally, a crown of flowers.

Demeter's Epithets

Demeter was known mostly as the Giver of Food and Grain, or “She of the Grain,” for short (Sito). However, since she presided over something as vital as the cycles of plants and seasons, the Ancient Greeks also referred to her as Tesmophoros, or “The Bringer of Laws,” and organized a women-only festival called Tesmophoria to celebrate her as such. Other epithets include: “Green,” “The Giver of Gifts,” “The Bearer of Food,” and “Great Mother.”

Who were Zeus’ Lovers?

How was the World created?

What is the Trojan Horse?

Demeter's Family

Demeter was one of the six children of Cronus and Rhea, their middle daughter, and their second child overall – born after Hestia, but before Hera and her brothers: Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus. Just like all of her siblings, she was swallowed and later, following an intervention by Zeus, regurgitated by her father.

Demeter’s Consorts: Iasion, Poseidon, and Zeus

Demeter didn’t have many partners and was rarely portrayed with a male consort. The mortal Iasion and her brothers Poseidon and Zeus are the most noteworthy – if not the only – exceptions.

Demeter and Iasion

Early in her life, Demeter fell in love with a mortal named Iasion. She seduced him at the marriage of Cadmus and Harmonia and lay with him in a thrice-plowed field. Zeus didn’t think appropriate for such a respected goddess to have a relationship with a mortal, so he struck Iasion with a thunderbolt. But, by then, Demeter was already pregnant with twins: Ploutos and Philomelus, the former the god of wealth, and the latter, the patron of plowing.

Demeter and Poseidon

Next, Demeter’s brother Poseidon forced himself upon her (once transformed into a stallion), and the goddess, once again, became pregnant with two children: Despoena, a nymph, and Arion, a talking horse.

Demeter and Zeus

Finally, Demeter became Zeus’ fourth wife. From their union, Demeter’s most well-known child was born, Persephone.

Demeter and Persephone

The most important myth involving Demeter concerns her daughter Persephone’s abduction by Hades and Demeter’s subsequent wanderings.

The Abduction of Persephone

Hades, the Lord of the Underworld, fell in love with Demeter’s virgin-daughter and decided to take her into marriage. So, one day, as she was gathering flowers with her girlfriends, he lured her aside using a fragrant and inexpressibly beautiful narcissus, and then snatched her up with his chariot, suddenly darting out of a chasm under her feet.

Demeter Finds Out

Inconsolable, Demeter walked the earth far and wide for nine days to find her daughter – but to no avail. And then, on the tenth day, Hecate told her what she had seen and Helios, the All-Seeing God of the Sun, confirmed her story. Demeter wasn’t just brokenhearted anymore. She was now angry as well. And with everybody! Especially with Zeus who, the rumors claimed so, had approved the whole operation and even aided Hades throughout.

The Institution of the Eleusinian Mysteries · Iambe, Demophon, and Metanira

So, Demeter left Mount Olympus and went to grieve her daughter among the mortals, disguised as an old woman. She ended up at the court of King Celeus of Eleusis, where his wife Metanira hired her to be the nurse to her baby son, Demophon. Iambe, the old servant woman of the house, cheered her with her jokes, and Demeter laughed for the first time in many weeks. In gratitude for the kindness, Demeter devised a plan to make Demophon immortal, so she started bathing him in fire each night, thus, burning away his mortality.

However, one day, Metanira witnessed the ritual and, not realizing what was happening, started screaming in panic and alarm. This disturbed Demeter’s strategy, so she revealed herself at once and told Metanira that the only way that the Eleusinians will ever win her kindness back is by building a temple and establishing a festival in her glory.

The Return of Persephone and the Establishment of the Cycles

King Celeus did just that, and Demeter spent a whole year living in her newly built temple, grieving, and, in her grief, neglecting all her duties as a goddess of fertility and agriculture. As a consequence, the earth turned barren, and people started dying out of hunger. After unsuccessfully sending all the gods, one by one, to Demeter with gifts and pleas, Zeus realized that he would have to bring Persephone back to her mother if he didn’t want to see humanity wiped out from the planet.

So, he sent Hermes to Hades, and the divine messenger fetched back Persephone to her mother. However, the gods soon realized that Demeter’s daughter had already eaten one seed of pomegranate in the Underworld, which obliged her to remain in the Underworld. Knowing that Demeter wouldn’t allow such thing to happen, Zeus proposed a compromise: Persephone would spend one-third of the year with Hades and the other two-thirds with Demeter.

The former, the period during which Demeter is grieving, corresponds to the winter months of the year when the earth is infertile and bare; the latter, when she rejoices, overlaps with the abundant months of our springs and summers. The myth likewise explains the growth cycle of the plants. The grain, just like Persephone, must die and be buried under the earth in order to bear much fruit above it.

I hope you enjoyed this blog more to follow soon

Culture Calypso’s Blog 🌾

[krikfuar]

Туманный октябрь. По утрам пар над холодной землёй вздымается, словно призрак прошедшего лета. Солнечные лучи, всего на мгновение, уже не столь настойчивые, пробиваются сквозь мелкую дымку, создавая золотистые блики на увядающих листьях. Где-то вдали, вдоль дороги, под сводами серого неба, стоят обнаженные черные деревья. Наступает время, когда каждый звук уносится в тишину, и ветер шепчет древние тайны, которые хранятся в каждом из этих обветренных уголков земли. Октябрь приносит с собой запах опавших листьев, костров и свежести. Этот месяц – словно последний аккорд симфонии, завершающий грандиозное музыкальное произведение лета: он обнимает нас мягким пледом вечернего холода, когда время, кажется, замедляется. И вот, когда природа прощается с жарким солнечным светом, наш мир вновь обретает покой, позволяя заглянуть внутрь себя, думать о том, что было и что будет. Октябрь – пора уединения и размышлений, когда каждый лист, шурша под ногами, рассказывает свою историю.

[forkfulofflavor]

Fall Harvest Salad with Butternut Squash and Apple Ingredients: 1/2 large butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 (5 oz.) package baby kale 1 medium apple, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (seeds from 1/2 medium pomegranate) 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled 1/2 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds), toasted Apple Cider Vinaigrette: 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper Directions: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). In a large mixing bowl, toss together butternut squash, olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread on a quarter sheet baking pan and roast for 30 minutes or until tender. In a large serving bowl, combine the baby kale, roasted butternut squash, apple, pomegranate seeds, feta cheese, and toasted pepitas. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper until emulsified. Pour the desired amount of dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cooking Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes Calories: 320 kcal | Servings: 4 servings This Fall Harvest Salad with Butternut Squash and Apple brings together the comforting flavors of autumn in every bite. Roasted butternut squash adds a tender sweetness, while fresh apple provides a crisp, juicy contrast. Combined with baby kale, pomegranate seeds, and creamy crumbles of feta, it’s a feast for both the eyes and the palate. Toasted pepitas add a delightful crunch, and the apple cider vinaigrette brings a refreshing, tangy finish to this colorful, hearty salad. Whether you’re looking for a light yet satisfying lunch or an impressive side for a festive meal, this salad fits the bill. It's packed with vitamins, fiber, and a balance of sweet and savory flavors, making it perfect for fall gatherings or cozy nights in. This recipe also highlights seasonal ingredients, allowing you to savor the best of autumn in each delicious bite.

[serviceexplicitsms]

Thanksgiving

Grateful hearts, full plates, and cherished moments—Thanksgiving is all about celebrating the blessings that make life beautiful. 🦃❤️ Here’s to giving thanks and sharing love with family and friends, today and always. 🥧

Call: 75067 12345 Email: sales@ratsms.com Website: www.ratsms.com

[shaktimanagro]

Let this Diwali🪔, light up new beginning with Shaktiman by your side, grow brighter and stronger Celebrate the festival of light with prosperity and success✨💥 Shaktiman lluminating your path to growth Wishing you a Happy Diwali🪔

[jeffsstudio]

It's Fall, and Halloween is here. I give you my full permission to be scary. :)