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The grain harvest is one of the most important events for summer and is represented by the celebration of the 1st of August, Lughnasadh.
Most crafts linked to this festivity are reflected in the two concepts, “old” and “new,” and often create lucky charms. Traditionally, you would make a doll out of the ears of the last sheaf of corn and keep it for good fortune for the rest of the year.
How to make a doll from an ear of corn
To start, pull the leaves of the cob up without breaking them and tie them together, this will be your doll.
To make the arms, you can leave a couple of leaves to each side.
Cut the tip off the cob to let the doll stand freely.
Tie together the strings you find on the top of the cob. This will be the hair.
With freshly picked flowers you can decorate your doll to your liking.
From this human symbol comes the tradition of burning the wicker man. In its essence it represents the Corn King that is sacrificed, blessing the earth. The base of this tradition that began in Britain, remains unchanged today. It symbolizes life's phases and an acceptance of death as well as a celebration of what has matured and been dried by the sun's heat.
The sacred plant for this day is the ear of wheat. This is why collecting a few ears and making a garland tied together with a gold ribbon is a good omen for personal, material, and spiritual harvest.
Being a special time of year, sunlit and of renewal, preparing perfumed pouches for our wardrobes with seasonal flowers is a good idea. The most renowned flower for this is Lavender. Adding some thyme will make the aroma even stronger. Here’s how to make them:
Lavender wardrobe pouches
2 spoons of dried lavender flowers
Half a spoon of dried thyme flowers
A couple of juniper berries
6 drops of essential lavender oil
For the sachets
2 parts of cloth, one orange and one red
Thread
Needle
To dry thyme and lavender, collect them in a bunch and leave in a well sunlit area, like a south facing balcony. Hang them upside down, tied with some thread, and wait 3-4 days for them to be completely dry. If the weather isn't at its best, you can choose to put everything on a radiator, waiting for more or less the same time for the bunch to dry.
When they are both dry, place all the ingredients in a bowl, removing all the small branches from the dried flowers and cover the bowl. Allow the ingredients to rest for a couple of hours, so the smells can blend well.
In the mean time, you can start sewing the sachet together. Stitch together the cloth with your thread. Leave a corner open to insert your herbal mix. Add the mix, seal the corner, and your sachet is ready for use!
Lughnasadh Crafts for the Harvest Festival
Amanda Pitto