The First Harvest of 2015

Last updated on: July 29, 2015 at 6:28 am by Niki Whiting

The First Harvest of 2015 2015-07-28T13:23:41-08:00 Niki Whiting

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Lammas, or Lughnasadh, falls this coming weekend. This cross quarter holiday celebrates the first of the harvest coming in. It is the height of summer and the heat is reaching its peak (and my pique). As much as I prefer the grey, overcast weather that is supposed to be typical to the Pacific Northwest, I acknowledge that honor must be paid to the Sun that radiates its light and heat upon us. My garden is exploding in a wealth of zucchini, broccoli, and kale. The garlic is drying. The blackberries, thanks to an abundance of sunlight, are ripening early.

Harvest comes in other ways, as well. Yes, the Land provides, and I am grateful. But the first fruits of many other efforts are also blossoming this weekend. Many Gods West, a conference for Polytheists and Other Godsfolk, occurs in Olympia this weekend. I am scrambling to attend to all the details, as well as keep up with my regular duties and practices. My inner perfectionist notices all the places that this conference isn’t up to my previous standards (in my former life I coordinated conferences for many hundreds of people, but it was much easier to do so with assistants and budgets in the tens of thousands of dollars!), but my heart beams with joy to see the spirit of enthusiasm and collaboration that our speakers and attendees are bringing with them!

For months now, I have had a strong feeling that Many Gods West is going to initiate some changes and provoke positive shifts in relationships and other aspects of Polytheist life. As the Thracian says, it’s a damn fine time to be a Polytheist! I completely agree, and I’m so pleased to be assisting in creating an opportunity for community, discussion, and relationship building.

On a more personal scale, change is coming to my life too. I have put off much of my own personal interrogation of this feeling as I have been dealing with MGW work, family vacations and their aftermath, and general parenting needs. After the conference it will be time for me to reflect on the harvests from this work and see where I want to go in my own work.

Part of what I want to focus on in the coming fall and winter is developing more of a relationship with Olympia, with Pagan Olympians, with wider community in the flesh, but also with the Land and Spirit of Olympia. In part this is a project involving getting off the screen and out of the house. But it is also a research project as I learn more about this Place’s history.

Stay tuned. Next week I’ll tell you all about how the conference went and in the weeks to come I’ll share with you news about the changes I hope to make.

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